General Norman Schwarzkopf: Military Leader and Legacy

Early Life and Family Influences

General H. Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. was born in Trenton, New Jersey, on August 22, 1934. He was named after his father, who was a West Point graduate and a decorated veteran of the Armed Forces — much like the younger Schwarzkopf himself would become. General Schwarzkopf graduated from West Point in 1956 and went on to become one of his generation's most brilliant military leaders. He retired in the fall of 1991, shortly after successfully leading Allied Troops in the Persian Gulf War earlier that year.

Growing up as the youngest of three children, Schwarzkopf was taught from an early age that women were to be protected, that men were to protect them, and that "Duty, Honor, Country" would become the creed of his life. When his father was called overseas during the onset of World War II in August of 1942, he became the head of the family in his father's absence — at the young age of seven. Despite his young age, he tried to grasp the immense responsibilities that had been placed upon him. "My mother I thought I could handle. It was my sisters I was more worried about, since I had no control over anything my sisters did." (Schwarzkopf, 2)

Because of the difficult financial strain his father's absence caused, Schwarzkopf began looking for ways to earn his own money. He took on a paper route, but quickly learned that he was not very good at it — he lasted only about three weeks. He then decided to sell seed packets to his neighbors, but failed quite miserably as well. The family had to make sacrifices, including moving out of their large house into a smaller rented one and dealing with gasoline rationing during the war. Regardless of his entrepreneurial mishaps, Schwarzkopf learned a strong work ethic from both of his parents. His mother was a registered nurse, and his father, aside from his military career, served as the head of the New Jersey State Police for fifteen years. Schwarzkopf first recalls his father's career as a police officer in connection with the highly publicized Lindbergh kidnapping case.

From the time he was twelve until his retirement at fifty-seven, Schwarzkopf's way of life was militarily based. The family was sent overseas to Tehran in 1953, where Schwarzkopf spent a year absorbing the atmosphere of the Middle East. A year later, he was sent to school in Europe, where he learned to speak French and German. All the while, he aspired to follow in his father's footsteps at West Point and then in the Army, knowing he would one day become a general.

Military Career and Vietnam

After his West Point graduation in 1956, Schwarzkopf was assigned to various tasks within the Army. He later served two tours during the Vietnam War. His first tour was as a paratrooper responsible for aiding Vietnamese airborne troops; his second was as the commander of an infantry battalion. He was awarded the Silver Star three times and was wounded in battle twice. His older sister Sally remarked that during Vietnam he "lost his youth." (Birnbaum, 28) After his time in the Vietnam War, Schwarzkopf became convinced that the United States should not involve itself in wars so poorly supported — both politically and publicly.

Operation Desert Storm

In 1983, the General contemplated Middle East relations and the very real possibility of a "gulf war" of sorts coming to pass. He feared that a hostile nation might attempt to take over a neighbor — which is exactly what happened when Saddam Hussein led Iraq in the invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Schwarzkopf already had a plan in mind; all that remained was to customize it specifically for the nations involved. His prophetic planning became the blueprint for Operation Desert Shield.

Operation Desert Shield was quickly upgraded to Operation Desert Storm. General Schwarzkopf was responsible for heading up the "biggest buildup of U.S. forces since Vietnam." (Birnbaum, 28) Schwarzkopf became the Commander in Chief of the Allied Forces, which totaled approximately 650,000 soldiers from 28 allied nations — in addition to the ships, aircraft, and tanks deployed in the war. Then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney described the plan in simple terms: it "is basically Norm's plan. It's fundamentally Norm's to execute." (Birnbaum, 28) The General described his mission in the Gulf War bluntly: "If Saddam were to attack, I would want to suck him into the desert as far as I could. Then I'd pound the living hell out of him. Finally, I'd engulf him and police him up. It's that simple." (Fischer, 52)

Conclusion

Regardless of the somewhat controversial ceasefire decision during Operation Desert Storm, General Schwarzkopf proved himself a tactical genius with remarkable leadership abilities. From the age of seven, he absorbed his father's lessons about honoring and defending his country. He accompanied his father to Tehran at age twelve — the first of many trips to the Middle East. Schwarzkopf followed in his father's path at West Point and in his early Army assignments, but clearly forged his own legacy during the Gulf War. The Gulf War was built upon Schwarzkopf's own plans, and despite differing opinions about the outcome, the United States declared the war a victory — a victory that would not have been possible without the brilliance of General Norman Schwarzkopf.

After his retirement, Schwarzkopf continuously recounted his Gulf War experiences for publications, organizations, and the media. He also used his public prominence to better the lives of terminally ill children and teenagers and to speak publicly about the need for ethical and moral leadership in the United States. General Schwarzkopf is a national treasure and a valuable leader who served his country from 1942 — when his father was called into active duty and he became the "man of the family" — until long after the guns of Desert Storm fell silent.

Works Cited

Birnbaum, Jesse. "The Gulf War: The Commander — Stormin' Norman On Top." Time, February 4, 1991, p. 28.

Duffy, Brian. "A Desert Storm Accounting." U.S. News & World Report, March 16, 1992, pp. 35–37.

Fischer, Dean. "The Gulf: The Desert Bear." Time, October 15, 1990, p. 52.

Roberts, Tom. "Viewpoint: Who Is Our Neighbor?" National Catholic Reporter, May 19, 2000, p. 13.

Schwarzkopf, H. Norman. It Doesn't Take a Hero. New York: Bantam Books, 1992. 530 pages.

Starbright Foundation. http://www.starbright.org. Accessed March 31, 2002.