[78-L] Douglas Macarthur on 78

[Jim Whipkey]

I went to another auction and got a real bargain!  Four  12 inch  78RPM
records  starring General of the Army Douglas MacArthur.

It's  the  complete address  MacArthur made to Congress 4/19/51 after
President Truman fired him.   The label says  Produced and Distributed
without profit by the Chicago Tribune and WGN as a public service,
manufactured by Mercuty Record Corporation, Chicago, Illinois.  The set is
in mint condition, was in the original shipping box, which I found
fascinating, because  the records were sent through the mail  in a thin box,
with only a piece of cardboard between each  record.  I've listened to the
records, doubt if I  had ever heard  it before,  I was still in high school
when he  gave the speech,  have to say I  believe  MacArthur was correct in
his assessment of things  that day.  It  was all new to me, except the
closing  line, which  most of us remember, I suppose,  Old Soldiers never
die, they just fade away.  I did learn from  his speech that it's a line
from a  song which used to be sung at West Point. And it surprised me  he
ended  the speech  by then saying  merely "goodbye".
Oh, I have to brag a little,  was prepared to buy it,  indeed, determined to
try and buy it, and was  surpised and amazed when I bid a dollar and no one
else  spoke up.

Jim Whipkey