A Noble Soldier's Life Story

摘要

In an endearing, poignant foreword to her husband's Becton: Autobiography of a Soldier and Public Servant, Louise Thornton Becton concludes simply, "I believe that he is a natural-born leader." Like courage and integrity, true leadership is difficult to define, its roots inexplicable. A random gift of nature? Hardly. Inherited? Maybe. In Gen. Becton's case, it was clearly nurtured early on by kind, loving parents conscious of fostering an intrinsic value system. Later, when coupled with years of solid soldiering, the impulse to plan and lead came naturally.