March eUpdate
A Partner of History Channel®
Lieutenant General Dave R.
Palmer retired from the Army after 35
years in uniform, serving the final five
years of that time as Superintendent of
West Point. His latest book is: George
Washington and Benedict Arnold—A Tale
of Two Patriots.
As readers of this newsletter well
understand, there is immense value to be
gained from the pages of history. Those
pages contain essential building blocks
for the very foundation of citizenship.
Indeed, no other subject can provide
so much of that foundation in so many
ways.
One of the foremost ways
history can serve us is to illuminate
today’s issues or problems in the softer
spotlight of the past. It can help clarify
complex current matters by considering
them in the context of pertinent stories
from another time.
Take for instance the truism that
for our democracy to flourish its leaders
must be men and women of character. In
whatever field—education, government,
business, religion, sports, the military,
every arena of human endeavor—our
nation requires not merely leaders, but
leaders of character. Without them vital
enterprises perish. Examples abound,
fresh in the minds of all of us. Such as
fraudulent executives who drive their
firms into bankruptcy.
That our leaders—true leaders—
should act from a base of integrity is a
proposition so seemingly self-evident as
to gain virtually unanimous agreement.
Yet, judging from all-too-many instances
to the contrary, merely saying so is
inadequate. Something more is needed
to dramatize the statement, causing it to
resonate in our minds and memories.
Something, that is, from the files of
history.
Perhaps no better a case study
exists than the remarkable tale of two
patriots in the American Revolution:
George Washington and Benedict
Arnold.
The backgrounds of the two
men are surprisingly similar. Born into
well-to-do and influential families,
they appeared destined to have a life
of relative ease. But fate intervened.
Both lost their father when they were
still boys; family fortunes disappeared;
educations had to be curtailed; each had
to learn a trade to make his way in life.
They were smart, ambitious, and hard-
working, and ultimately became highly
successful self-made men who were
ready to step into leadership positions
when the Revolutionary War began.
In that war’s first three years,
Washington and Arnold became
renowned as warriors. In fact, they were
seen by many as the best military leaders
on either side. They admired each
other. Washington considered Arnold
to be his best fighting general—Arnold
deemed Washington to be a superb
overall commander. Courageous and
charismatic, blessed with an instinctive
feel for the battlefield, the two of them
earned the major credit for avoiding an
early defeat of the infant nation by the
far-superior British forces. They were,
in every sense of the word, celebrities.
However, despite being hugely
acclaimed, they also endured set-backs,
disappointments, biting criticism, even
jealousy.
Then, late in 1777, Arnold
suffered a serious battle wound. A
musket ball shattered the thighbone in
his left leg, bringing him to the raw edge
of death. If that bullet had struck him
in the heart instead, killing him on the
spot, he would be remembered today as
one of the greatest heroes America has
ever produced.
But that was not to be. Bitter
over the way he had been treated by
political leaders and other generals, he
chose to turn his back on his country
and to embrace treason. In exchange for
money and high rank, he attempted to
continued on page 2
undermine the American war effort and end the Revolution with a British victory. His narrow failure to accomplish that is the
stuff of a Hollywood adventure movie—but it is real history at its story-telling best.

Their legacies say it all. No American has ever achieved greater fame than George Washington. Benedict Arnold? If he
is remembered at all, it is probably only for his treason. His positive contributions toward the creation of the United States are
largely lost in the mists of time. His very name is a synonym for a traitor. One man became the father of our country—the other
became a man without a country.

What was the central element leading those two gifted leaders to such different ends? Under adversity, one grew
stronger and stronger while the other grew weaker and weaker. One had enormous strength of character. The other turned out
to be hollow at the core, an ego-centered leader who crumbled under criticism.

History’s lesson from the tale of the two men is simple, but it speaks powerfully to us today: Character is destiny.

When you visit Mount Vernon—George Washington’s home on the Potomac in Virginia—take note of the overall
theme: “George Washington: A Leader of Character.” n

History Student of the Year

This Spring the NHC and George Washington’s Mount

Vernon will again co-sponsor the “History Student of the
Year” prize. Each chapter will choose a recipient for this
award, and s/he will receive an autographed copy of a
history book. Advisors should submit their nominations to
rnasson@nationalhistoryclub.org by April 10.

The book prize this year will be a hardcover copy of George

Washington and Benedict Arnold: A Tale of Two Patriots by
General Dave R. Palmer.

Mount Vernon is the most popular historic estate in

America. The estate, gardens and farm of Mount Vernon
totaled some 8,000 acres in the 18th century. Today, roughly
500 acres have been preserved 16 miles south of Washington,
DC, on the banks of the Potomac River. Visitors can see 20
structures and 50 acres of gardens as they existed in 1799,
as well as the tombs of George and Martha Washington.
Mount Vernon welcomes an average of 1,000,000 visitors
each year.

 National History Club eUpdate

 Chapter Spotlight
According to Frank Fernandez, a local contributor to and Fishes organization, talked about the nightly efforts of
the Austin American Statesman in a May 2009 article, “more his organization to feed over 400 Central Texas homeless
than 150,000 veterans will sleep on the streets of America. In veterans, many camped out in the Austin Greenbelt.
Austin alone, there are more than 920 veterans homeless on
any given night and more than 1,400 experienced homelessness Secretary Shinseki goes on to say “about 3 percent of
last year.” It’s statistics like these that requires our individual the overall homeless population served in Iraq or Afghanistan.
and collective efforts in dealing with the serious issue of our About 3,700 from the recent wars have been seen in VA
homeless veterans. homeless outreach programs and more than 550 have been
treated in a VA-connected residential program. It is estimated
Many people and groups in the Central Texas area that 130,000 veterans are homeless on a typical night in the
are raising awareness of these issues, including the Hopewell U.S.” Shinseki said that is down from 195,000 six years ago.
Middle School Jr. Historians. For the last two years, our But, because of the poor economy, he said up to 15 percent
club has been honored to assist Mrs. Tonie Moya (Hopewell more veterans could be out on the streets in five years.
Attendance clerk) with the
“One Night of Hope”, a benefit Last year, the
concert she started in 2009 to One Night of Hope
bring awareness and raise funds benefit concert
and items for our Central Texas event raised a total
Homeless Veterans. of $3200.00. This
year the amount
And the statistics are totaled $5400.00!
truly staggering: According The proceeds were
to the Veterans Affairs (VA) presented to the V.
Secretary Eric Shinseki in a A. Representative,
news conference in Washington Michael Wittrock,
on November 3, 2009, “one area of the Central Texas
for potential improvement is Homeless Veterans
finding jobs and homes for the Healthcare Systems
estimated 56,000 veterans who in Waco. The funds
leave prisons each year. About raised are used to
one-third of all adult homeless assist our homeless
men and nearly one-fifth of all veterans in Central
homeless adults served in the Junior Historians Gabriel Chapman, Tony Gonelli, Texas. Mr. Whittrock
military.” Hunter Lewin and Danny Cabrera with World War II also spoke to the crowd
veteran Pastor John Gurley. about the VA’s role in
As the founder of the “One assisting our homeless
Night of Hope” concert, Mrs. Tonie veterans.
Moya has over the past two years called upon the Hopewell Jr.
Historians to play a part of this important awareness effort. The Fernandez states in the May ’09 Statesman article
club has assisted through ushering, collecting recommended that “more than 70 percent of homeless veterans suffer from
clothing items, taking photos and other various duties to help behavioral health challenges — whether mental illness,
raise awareness of the homeless Veterans cause in Central substance abuse or both. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,
Texas. This year, Master Sergeant Clifford Lindell from the especially among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, is a central
Ft. Hood Army base addressed those in attendance, calling challenge to many veterans’ ability to lead productive lives”.
attention to the shocking statistics of the homeless veterans
in the area. Additionally, Alan Graham of the Mobile Loaves
continued on page 4

March 2010 
 Regarding Mrs. Moya’s “One Night of Hope”, there Kimberly Hefling of the Associated Press wrote
were many others that participated in the program in addition on November 3, 2009 that the “Veterans Affairs Secretary
to our club, including the McNeil High school “Knights of Steel”, Eric Shinseki unveiled a plan to end veterans’ homelessness
the McNeil Air Force ROTC Color Guard, singer Joni Shannon in five years, saying that without action the improvements
who sang the National Anthem, Ashley Bray and her father of recent years could be lost because of the bad economy.
Bruce Bray playing Amazing Grace on the bagpipes and piano, Shinseki said the VA will spend $3.2 billion next year to
the mayor of Round Rock, Mr. Alan McGraw, who officiated reduce homelessness among veterans and is working to
the event, the Garage Band (which included our club president, strengthen partnerships with other government agencies
Hunter Lewin, on the bass), the Hopewell Jazz Band directed and service organizations. He said he recognizes that a goal
by Brice Bray, husband and wife singers Anthony and Michelle of zero homeless veterans is ambitious but that he wants a
Watson performing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “I high target so that everyone puts in their best efforts.”
Wish” (Mr. Watson is the principal of Hopewell), speaker Anita
Strychalski of Shoreline Church, singer Tori Alan, speaker Alan In addition to the Homeless Veterans efforts, our
Graham of Mobile club teams up yearly
Loaves and Fishes, with Mrs. Moya to
violinist and singer collect, wrap, and send
Omar Lopez, and over care packages to
the Nash Hernandez our active military in
Orchestra, a Iraq and Afghanistan!
band that’s been Interestingly, Master
performing since Sergeant Clifford
1949! This was truly Lindell, a speaker at the
an event to bring “One Night of Hope”
awareness to the benefit concert this year
cause! for the Army from Ft.
Hood, was one of the
Throughout the recipients of our care
Central Texas area, packages. He said that
awareness of the these packages were
plight of our Central appreciated by all the
Texas Veterans has military personnel that
prompted many received them!
others to come
to their aid. On The Jr. Historians
Saturday, February The Buffalo Soldiers visiting the Hopewell Junior Historians have assisted with other
27, KXAN News in endeavors in support of
Austin reported that our veterans, including
Red Cross volunteers took time to help local homeless veterans. the Veterans recognition and presentation service held each
It’s part of a program called the “Red Tote of Hope”. Volunteers year at our school around Memorial Day. The club members
filled bags with supplies for those vets, things like blankets, assisted by placing lapel pins on all attending veterans; again,
soap, and toothbrushes. an event we worked on with Mrs. Moya!

“When we hand them out, they’re thrilled that Now is the time for all of us to do what we can to
obviously someone’s thinking about them that might not assist our homeless veterans. Homeless or otherwise, those
otherwise....and that they aren’t forgotten,” said Debbie Immel, who have given our country so much, need our help today.
Chief Development Officer.
* For more information
Nationally, the issue of Homeless Veterans is being please contact Advisor Ron Goins at charles_goins@
addressed by the Veterans Administration. roundrockisd.org.

 National History Club eUpdate

Society of Architectural Historians

Library of Virginia

March 2010 
 Georgia Tech’s School of History, Technology, and Society in Atlanta consists of scholars from History and Sociology.
The School brings the perspective of the social sciences to bear on critical issues facing the modern world, while offering
courses which emphasize change over time and cultural comparisons on an international scale.

Our program takes a special interest in issues of science, medicine, and technology as they affect human society. The
School’s focus on the social origins and impact of industry, science, and technology is distinctive and offers the tools
students need to understand the complex issues related to the development of contemporary communities. Our courses
also cover the full range of history topics.

The HTS faculty has won numerous teaching and research awards, and we are particularly committed to outstanding
teaching and research. Our classes are small, and students have many opportunities to work directly with individual
faculty members. The School offers a B.S. degree, undergraduate minors in history; sociology; and women, science, and
technology, and certificate programs not only in history and sociology but also in African American studies, Asian affairs,
and European studies. For more information, please visit www.hts.gatech.edu/

Generations of remarkable students have found a purpose at Suffolk University, in the heart of America’s most historical
city. Suffolk University is a student-centered school, where faculty and administrators know students by name. We take
time to recognize each student’s promise, and to build important mentoring relationships.

The History Program, and Suffolk’s unique location, allows students to conduct original research in the Massachusetts
Historical Society, Historic New England, the Massachusetts Archives, and other repositories of rare historical records.
Students are also able to work and learn in the historic sites along Boston’s Freedom Trail, such as the Paul Revere
House, the U.S.S. Constitution Museum, Old North Church, or the Museum of African-American History. Study-abroad
programs in El Salvador, Madrid, Prague, and Dakar, Senegal allow students to combine classroom learning with real-
world experience.

Suffolk students develop analytical skills and a broad view of the world through research, writing, reading, and engaging
discussion with their professors and peers, preparing them for careers in law, education, business, journalism, historic
preservation, and a lifetime pursuing History.

For more information, please visit the History Department’s Website: http://www.suffolk.edu/college/2167.html.

 National History Club eUpdate

 Supporters

John Abele Massachusetts Historical Society

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George Washington’s Mount Vernon National Constitution Center
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National Underground Railroad Freedom Center The Historical Society
The Concord Review Patrick Allitt (Professor, Emory)
The Churchill Centre Charles Aulino
National Coalition of Independent Scholars Peter Baldwin (Professor, UCLA)
The Freedom Trail Peter Gibbon
Virtual JFK Steve Wheatley
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum Brandeis University
Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum Franklin & Marshall College
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum Georgia Institute of Technology
U.S. Institute of Peace Kent State University
National World War II Museum Lebanon Valley College
Agricultural Historical Society New York University
American Civil War Center Princeton University
Bill of Rights Institute Southwestern University
C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience Stanford University
Civil War Preservation Trust Suffolk University
Cold War Museum University of Michigan
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For organizations interested in advertising in our eUpdate or eNewsletter we offer generous rates and could
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March 2010