From rat pants to eagles and tweeds : the memoirs of a soldier-teacher / James L. Morrison, Jr.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Morrison, James L., 1923-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Morrison, James L., 1923-.

Morrison, James L.

United States. Army--Officers--Biography.

United States.

United States. Army.

College teachers--United States--Biography.

College teachers.

Genre:

Biographies.

Autobiographies.

Physical Description:

xi, 251 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Kent, Ohio : Kent State University Press, [2004]

Summary:

From Rat Pants to Eagles and Tweeds is James Morrison's firsthand account of experiences growing up in the segregated South, his attitudes and approaches to the military as a cadet at the Virginia Military Institute, and his years as a history teacher at York College in Pennsylvania. Morrison attended several army service schools; served as a midshipman before and after World War II; completed several overseas tours, including service as an American adviser to a Vietnamese Infantry division, 1964-65; obtained an M.A. in history from the University of Virginia and a doctorate from Columbia University; and served on the history faculty at the United States Military Academy at West Point for eleven years.

Morrison writes with clarity, wit, and insight, sharing his critique of the army, West Point, and teaching, along with his assessment of the present status of American life and his attitudes toward the quality and effectiveness of army officer education and training. He analyzes some of the pitfalls and the strengths of preparing U.S. military organizations for service now and in the future, and he furnishes the reader with insights into how history is taught at a typical American college. From Rat Pants to Eagles and Tweeds is a significant contribution to the study of American military history and will be of interest to military officers, military educators and historians, and alumni of the Virginia Military Institute and West Point.

Contents:

1. Look Away, Look Away 1

2. For When Our Line Starts to Weaken 19

3. By Severn's Shore 37

4. Red, White, and Yellow Will Triumph Again 55

5. In the Army There's Sobriety 81

6. Our Country in the Hour of Need 103

7. May the Army Be Augmented 117

8. Be Ready for the Foe 133

9. The Good Old Song of Wahoo Wa 147

10. On Brave Old Army Team 161

11. No Time for Glory in the Infantry 177

12. No Time for Praises Loudly Sung 191

13. Not Much Longer Here to Stay 207

14. Giving Praise, Old York, to Thee 221

15. The Last Post 235.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

0873388003

OCLC:

54022455