9:29 a.m., Oct. 14, 2010----“I'm just like you. I lace my boots, I lace my shoes, I put my pants on, I tie my tie the same way in which you are doing right now as you prepare to come on active duty,” Lt. Gen. John Morgan said.

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Morgan, a three-star Army general and University of Delaware alumnus who graduated in 1979, spoke to a room packed with Army ROTC cadets Thursday afternoon in Gore Hall after meeting with President Patrick Harker and Dean George Watson of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The highest-ranking UD alumnus currently serving the Army, Morgan shared his experience, expertise and words of encouragement with the cadets. He said he hoped his advice would be heard whether his listeners plan to continue their commitment to the military upon graduation or not.

Instead of producing a generic PowerPoint presentation, the general clicked through a progression of slides involving photographs and few words.

“I didn't want to waste your time with a whole bunch of words,” he said. “The images will spark different thoughts in your mind, but I wanted to give you a perspective about some of the traits that I think are important.”

He used pictures to tell the story of his own path since college, as well as to showcase his personal heroes, from his father to Gen. George Marshall, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, to shortstop Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees.

“You represent something that is bigger than you,” Morgan said about what makes the leaders his heroes.

He also chose various inspirational photos to show some of the traits --commitment, trust, teamwork -- he believes are necessary for future soldiers to possess in representing and fighting for one's country.

“It's about war fighting at the end of the day,” Morgan said. “Seniors, you know what you're up for.”

Also a member of the men's basketball team while at UD, Morgan told the cadets it is crucial to maintain and practice balance in life -- especially between service and family.

“It's about families. It's about finding balance,” he said. “As a leader on active duty, you will be responsible not only for the training and the welfare of the soldiers that you will lead, but you will also be responsible for families.”

While his military travels have taken him to five of the seven continents, Morgan currently lives with his wife and two daughters, ages 14 and 16, on assignment in Heidelberg, Germany. At this time, he is the commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Headquarters Allied Force Command Heidelberg.

One picture in Morgan's presentation was of a bridge that sits over the River Drina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The work he does with NATO helps the organization serve as a bridge between the United States and its European allies, he said.

“A bridge gives people the opportunity to communicate, to relate, to understand the world in very positive ways,” Morgan said. “The University of Delaware for you right now, in terms of education, is a bridge to your future, whether that's in the military or not. It's the bridge that you walk across. It's the path.”

The general admitted he didn't originally want or expect to have a career in the military as a student at UD.

“When I was a cadet, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would serve this long or achieve some of the rank that I've achieved in the military,” he said. “When you get to a certain point it's not about how much further you're going to go, just how much more you can continue to contribute.”

For Morgan, the visit marked the first time in 31 years since graduating that he was back on campus.

“It brought back a rush of memories, and for me, they were all very positive memories of my experience here as a student,” Morgan said. “This whole visit, especially the opportunity to talk to the cadets, has been wonderful and everything I expected it to be. It's been a good afternoon.”

Article by Katie Speace
Photos by Doug Baker