Stuart Symington
Stuart Symington
William Stuart Symington, Jr.was an American businessman and politician from Missouri. He served as the first Secretary of the Air Force from 1947 to 1950 and was a Democratic United States Senator from Missouri from 1953 to 1976...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBusinessman
Date of Birth26 June 1901
CountryUnited States of America
fighting fights-and-fighting flood hurting
Many were hurting because they have been fighting the flood for so long.
days four looking water
We're still looking at four more days of water on our dikes.
leak rain
As long as we don't get rain or a big leak in our dikes, we should be OK.
asked board build england gun plant power production united war
In 1941 the War Production Board asked if I would go to England and find out how to build the first power gun turret plant in the United States.
believe gun daylight
The British were keen for 30 caliber guns, did not believe in daylight bombing. American experts said 30 caliber was not enough; we had to have 50 caliber, also said daylight bombing was right provided the planes attacked in formation, with 50 caliber guns.
men white house
FDR had been Assistant Secretary of the Navy. They told me, now forgotten, just how many pictures of ships they took out of the White House after he died. But he could choose good men.
depression new-york years
Well over fifty years ago I was making radio loudspeakers and radio sets in Rochester, New York; pretty young and inexperienced; but we survived the depression.
military father army
My father-in-law was once Chairman of Military Affairs in the Senate, the latter part of the Wilson Administrations. He knew a lot about and was fond of the Army.
running war shoes
Later the Administration wanted me to actually sell all remaining surplus by running the War Assets Corporation. I said I couldn't do it without some shoe leather.
civilians ifs
If civilians are going to be killed, I would rather have them be their civilians than our civilians.
war military believe
I believe the military should be wary of diplomacy until war is declared; then the State Department should keep its nose out and let the military do whatever is necessary to win.
responsibility cutting years
I had learned many years ago in private business never to take responsibility without adequate authority; and the new Secretary of Defense, as budgets were sharply cut, quickly found that out.
children marine army
But the Air Force was sort of a bastard child of the Army, much like the Marines with the Navy. Everything had to be done over by the Army after it had already been done by the Air Corps, a mess.
bombing daytime talked
It all went back to problems we had talked about before, you know, such as the British not believing in formation bombing and not believing in daytime bombing.