Beginning in March 1974 I had the great pleasure and high honor of interning with the Secretary of the Senate, Francis R. Valeo. Valeo served because of his close relationship with the Majority Leader, Mike Mansfield, and working in Valeo’s office put one on the Mansfield team. In an era before serious security with magnetometers in Washington’s public buildings — we didn’t even have photo identification cards then — Mike Mansfield’s signature on my staff card got me anywhere I wanted to go in Washington, including the White House.
People who knew Mansfield held him in very high regard. I often tell people he was the best politician to work for, but in reality, he’s probably the best leader I ever worked with in any enterprise. He respected every senator as a representative of the people of one of the 50 states, and that respect was returned.
In his office one afternoon he met with the a couple of members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the big bigwigs from the Pentagon. Mansfield was a former sailor, marine and soldier — he had served in the Navy, Army and Marines. He lied about his age the first time. He had served in China and the Philippines, producing a life-long interest and deep expertise in U.S. affairs in the Pacific and Far East.
But this was 1974. Mansfield had turned against supporting corrupt Vietnamese politicians early in the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Originally a supporter of Nixon’s policies, by 1974 his opposition to the war was the chief part of their relationship. Still the military guys loved him. An Army Colonel accompanying the group was anxious to explain to the young intern part of the mystique.
“You should see Mansfield in the formal meetings. Everybody is always introduced, and their full rank is laid on the table. ‘General Muckamuck. West Point ’33, Columbia Law. Admiral Bigship. General Soandso, who recently got his third star.'”
“And then they get to Mansfield. He’s the Senate Majority Leader. And he introduces himself as ‘Mike Mansfield, Private First Class.'”
I asked Mansfield about it later. He smiled, and said he might have done that a time or two. He said that the big brass in the military need to remember as every senator does that they work for the American people. Rank doesn’t make you right, he said.
Looking up a minor fact on Mansfield this morning I ran into this statement, which I’d never heard [quoting now from Wikipedia]:
This gentleman went from snuffy to national and international prominence. And when he died in 2001, he was rightly buried in Arlington. If you want to visit his grave, don’t look for him near the “Kennedy Eternal Flame”, where so many politicians are laid to rest. Look for a small, common marker shared by the majority of our heroes. Look for the marker that says “Michael J. Mansfield, Pfc. U.S. Marine Corps.”
Remarks by Col. James Michael Lowe, USMC, October 20, 2004.
The burial plot of Senator and Mrs. Mansfield can be found in section 2, marker 49-69F of Arlington National Cemetery.
For the sake of accuracy, I would like to know the occasion of Col. Lowe’s remarks, and who Col. Lowe is. The link at Wikipedia is dead. Does anyone know?
Resources:
- The portrait is by Aaron Shikler (b. 1922 or 1925?), who also painted the official portrait of President Kennedy. More works at Davis and Langdale, Co. And here, at Time Magazine (Hillary Clinton). And here (Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis). And here (Ladybird Johnson). The painting of Mansfield hangs in the Mike Mansfield Room, S-207, in the Capitol, contrary to Mansfield’s stated wishes to be forgotten after his death.
At Marine Corps Weblog, I found this notice:
Col. Lowe’s speech can be found there, too.
At the site of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, I found that notice, along with these details:
LikeLike
Thank you for informing us of Col. Lowe’s passing. Is there an obit or story you could give us a link to?
LikeLike
Colonel Mike Lowe, who quoted Senator Mansfield, and did in fact work in that office as a young officer, was a highly respected senior Marine officer, who passed away this week. It was way too soon, and we in the Corps who knew and respected him mourn deeply.
LikeLike
[…] “Quote of the Moment: Mike Mansfield’s everlasting humility” […]
LikeLike
[…] “Quote of the moment: Mr. Mike’s everlasting humility,” MFB […]
LikeLike
Mike Mansfield and my grandfather served in the Marines together in the late 1910s and remained close friends until my grandfather died in 1987. I sent Mike a letter informing him of my grandfather’s passing, and within a week of him receiving it, a Tokyo-postmarked handwritten letter of condolence arrived at my grandfather’s home. He never forgot who he was or where he came from. I met him but once, but will never forget him. He was an excellent man.
LikeLike
[…] Great tribute to Mike Mansfield If you come here often you may remember my views of my first real boss, Sen. Mike Mansfield, D-Montana. […]
LikeLike
Here is a photo of Mansfield’s grave marker:
Be sure to read the wonderful tribute to Mansfield by author James Grady, too.
LikeLike
Gee, Col. Lowe, I’m flattered you dropped by.
Can you tell us — which set of your remarks is accurate? Verifying that is good for historical purposes. And if none of them are fully accurate, got a copy of a text, or a film or tape, we can post?
I’m also curious — did you know Sen. Mansfield? How did you stumble on that story about him? I have to say that he was, in almost all ways, the best boss I ever worked for. Sadly, that was very early in my life.
And then finally, will you accept my thanks for putting Mansfield’s story in such a fine form?
Bring us up to speed on yourself, too: What are you doing these days? Any more speeches of yours we should know about? Any more stories we should be telling?
Thank you.
LikeLike
I am the “Col Lowe” you are look for. How may I assist you? Semper Fidelis, Mike
LikeLike
Another listing of the speech, with the eight points of leadership:
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-90418.html
Tip of the old scrub brush to Phyllis Coppolino.
LikeLike
The first reference came from a Google search for a non-quote delimited phrase taken from the text around the marker inscription. The hit was not searching Web but searching Books. [The same way a Google Books search turned up William Bruce Cameron as a more reasonable candidate for the putative Einstein/Pickering quote not so long ago.]
The second and third just came from a Google Web search for Col James M Lowe and looking for legitimate sounding url’s. [The second came from then searching the Gazette for Mansfield.]
LikeLike
How did you find all that stuff?
LikeLike
Try page 277 of “Not As Lean, Not As Mean, Still A Marine, Marine Corps Sea Stories Vol 3” aka Not As Lean…Not As Mean…Still A Marine! Even MORE Sea Stories and Commentary (Paperback)
by MSgt. Andrew A. Bufalo USMC (Ret)
Note that the 8 snotty lessons are (perhaps not surprisingly) not included in this version.
Or more authoritatively: Marine Corps Gazette – November 2006 – Ideas and Issues (Page 59)
…common marker shared by the majority of our heroes. Look for the marker that says “Michael J. Mansfield, PFC U.S. Marine Corps.” You see, Senator Mike Mansfield, like each of us gathered here tonight was prouder of being a Marine than anything else in his… …
elsewhere
LikeLike
I found one source, undated, attributed Col. Mike Lowe, listed as “Commander of Marine Corps Base Quantico.”
Marines will love it. Here:
http://www.sgtgrit.com/scuttlebutt/corps-stories/misc/colmike.asp
LikeLike