Brig. Gen. Eugene F. Rogers, Project Chairman, National Medal of Honor Convention

As America prepares to recognize National Medal of Honor Day – March 25 – a group of active-and-retired business and military leaders under the leadership of Columbia attorney Eugene F. Rogers is organizing the largest single-gathering of Medal of Honor recipients in South Carolina’s history.

The gathering is the National Medal of Honor Society’s convention to be held in Charleston in the fall of 2010, and hosted by the S.C. State Guard Foundation (headquartered in Columbia) and the Citadel (Charleston).

The man is Brigadier General Eugene F. Rogers, a general officer in the Joint Services Detachment of the S.C. Military Department, a former U.S. Marine, a founder of Rogers Townsend & Thomas law firm, and the project chairman of a group of Columbians, Charlestonians, and Upstate Carolinians all working to make the convention a nationally recognized success.

MidlandsBiz sat down with Rogers to discuss leadership, successes, how he – at nearly 80-years-old – manages his demanding schedule, and why he believes the 2010 Medal of Honor Convention is more than simply a national convention

MidlandsBiz:

Why is this Medal of Honor convention so important to the nation and to the state of South Carolina?

Brig. Gen. Eugene F. Rogers: 

I believe it is important for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the stultifying breakdown in ethics, morality, marriage and family life so prevalent today, and because too many people seem to dismiss right and wrong as being subjective, therefore there is a broader disregard for the law.  So you ask, what does this have to do with the Medal of Honor? It’s all about respect and personal sacrifice, things that seem to me to be on the wane in 21st century American society. We cannot afford to lose those things, and we don’t have to.

Patrick Henry’s exhortation, Give me liberty or give me death, has far too often been shortened to just Give me!  Too many people are increasingly saying, don’t fence me in.  No rules. No regulations. No restrictions. No respect. No discipline: Forgetting that freedom is not the license to do as we please, but rather the liberty to breathe free of fear and oppression. When a great nation such as ours devolves to the point that anything goes, sooner or later everything is gone.

MidlandsBiz: 

So this is as much a national cause as it is a convention.

Rogers: 

Absolutely. Look, today in a nation of about 306-million people, we have only 98 living recipients of the Medal of Honor.  It is the highest military decoration this country can award for valor in combat against an armed enemy. In terms of decorations for bravery, it has no equal. Respect for it runs so deep that each recipient is saluted by the president of the United States. The heroes who wear it are truly the bravest of the brave. They are the embodiment of the American spirit and the aspirations of the highest ideals of our nation – service above self. But there seems to me to be a lack of national awareness about who these men are. These men – not some celebrity or sports star – are the true heroes of America. Our nation – if it does not recognize this fact – does so at its own detriment. Therein lies the importance.

MidlandsBiz: 

What are the greatest unexpected successes you’ve realized in the evolution of the convention project?

Rogers: 

Unexpected success has been twofold: First, it has been in how enthusiastic South Carolinians have been in terms of their willingness to support this great cause. It’s not just money – though that has been and continues to be a vital element of this convention’s forthcoming success – but it’s about volunteer effort without which there would be no convention.

The second unexpected success has been in terms of my own education about the Medal of Honor, its significance, and the men who wear it. These men are all so easy to talk with. They will not tell you about glory, heroism, or danger. Rather, they all seem to express this difficult-to-articulate sense of humility. You see, these were seemingly ordinary – vulnerable as the rest of us –human beings in a situation hellish beyond belief, and when the choice had to be made for themselves or others, something larger than the personal self in each of them chose, without hesitation, to offer their life for someone else.  But they will never tell you that.

Retired U.S. Marine Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, a Medal of Honor recipient from Mt. Pleasant, says, There is no greater honor than the opportunity to serve and help preserve our freedom: It is the essence of humanity.  And he means it.

MidlandsBiz: 

How do you deal with disappointments and setbacks?

Rogers: 

The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.  I agree with the late Jack Lucas – the youngest Medal of Honor recipient in the 20th century, who received the Medal for his actions as a Marine on Iwo Jima a few days after his 17th birthday. In his book, he said, It’s not what you’ve lost, but what you have left that counts.  He was right. The greatest mistake a man can make is to be afraid of making one. Successful people aren’t afraid to fail. They have the ability to accept their failures and continue on, knowing that failure is a natural consequence of trying. 

MidlandsBiz: 

How has what you’ve learned as a Marine, an attorney, and a founder of what has become one of the largest law firms in S.C., helped you in terms of the convention project?

Rogers: 

Well, the Marine Corps taught me to never give up, and I have tried to apply that Marine approach to persistence and commitment in all of my life’s endeavors. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, one of my favorites, said, Never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. You see, no one ever crosses the ocean if he gets off the ship in a storm.  I’ve also learned that you must think outside the proverbial box. Don’t follow the path. Instead, go where there is no path and leave a trail. 

MidlandsBiz: 

You’re nearly 80-years-old, but you keep a schedule that would be tough for a 25-year-old. How do you do it?

Rogers: 

John Finn was awarded the Medal of Honor for valor at Pearl Harbor. He celebrates his 100th birthday within the next few days. He told me in September at the Medal of Honor convention in Denver that he planned to be in Charleston for our convention, and that all he had to do was get up every morning between now and then.  If he had given up at normal retirement age he might not be with us today. If you think you can or if you think you can’t you’re right.  

MidlandsBiz: 

Let’s talk about leadership. What are the essentials for motivating people to do what you need for them to do, and to do it right?

Rogers: 

Leadership is action not promises. Admiral James Stockdale, former president of the Citadel and a Medal of Honor recipient, said – and I paraphrase – When crunch time comes, your subordinates prefer to work with forthright plotters rather than with devious geniuses. There must be teamwork and example: Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.  And as Dr. Albert Schweitzer said, Example is not the main thing influencing others: It is the only thing. 

MidlandsBiz: 

Describe the difference between military an
d civilian styles of leadership, and are both styles incorporated into your leadership of this project?

Rogers: 

Military leaders inevitably make great civilian leaders. USA Today recently reported that 75 percent of the leaders of Fortune 500 companies were former military men.  But that’s not always true in the reverse. Civilian leaders do not always make good military leaders, because they are not always able to transition from management to command. But, yes, both styles are applied in my leadership of this project because of the diversity of everyone involved.

MidlandsBiz: 

What – if anything – have you learned from subordinates in this project?

Rogers: 

The work associated with this convention requires commitment, flexibility, and energy. Fortunately, we have good committed people involved, the vast majority of them have exhibited tremendous flexibility and energy, and they have taught me quite a bit. I learn things everyday and from all people. I also know that if someone has to be coaxed or urged, it is best to pass them by. If he or she is a lone wolf and not a team player, we don’t need them. If he or she believes they know better than everyone else, we don’t need them. If he or she is more committed to themselves than the cause, we don’t need them. Again, fortunately, I have an incredibly effective and motivated team, and that makes my job so much easier.

MidlandsBiz: 

What do hope to impart to those under your guidance and leadership?

Rogers: 

I want those participating in our convention to appreciate the fact that their participation is quite literally service to country. I also hope to inspire all who are participating to help us carry the ball toward the goal-line. And the reward in the end zone is that South Carolina’s Medal of Honor convention will be a convention that will set the standard for all future such-conventions.

MidlandsBiz: 

What do you plan to tackle after the convention?

Rogers: 

At that time, I will be looking forward to my 82nd birthday, and my plans then are to continue helping people professionally and otherwise. I plan to do a good bit of writing, including work on my autobiography dedicated to my family. I plan to spend time with my grandson who is now three and lives in Rafina, Greece with my daughter and her husband, a Greek orthopedic surgeon, as well as my son, a Ph.D. and a tenured professor at the University of North Carolina.  I’ll probably slow down to full time [chuckling], but the grass won’t grow under my feet. 

 

By. W. Thomas Smith Jr.
 
 Lt. Col. W. Thomas Smith Jr. (JSD, S.C. Military Dept.) – a former U.S. Marine rifle-squad leader and counterterrorism instructor – is a columnist, author, and military analyst whose work has appeared in the New York Post, USA TODAY, U.S. News & World Report, BusinessWeek, Human Events, CBS News, and many others. Smith writes about military/defense issues and has covered conflict in the Balkans, on the West Bank, in Iraq and Lebanon. Visit him online at uswriter.com.