Success Will Always End

My dad served in the 3rd Armored Spearhead Division in World War II, the tank division named for its job to spearhead the drive after the Normandy invasion, through France and Germany.



General George Patton led the charge. My dad served under one of his reports, General Maurice Rose, the highest ranking Jew in the U.S. Army ever to be killed in battle. Trivial Pursuit factoid: Elvis Presley, the King of Rock'n'Roll, would later serve in the 3rd Armored.


This weekend I came upon this later among Dad's WW II stuff, dated May 29, 1945. It reminded me that success — all successes, including yours and mine — will always end. It was also usually morph into something else, and then, ultimately be relegated to the past by newer successes.



All successes come to an end. This letter announces to everyone in the Spearhead that their division is being disbanded — because they did their job. Their drive through France and Germany was key to the end of WW II in Europe. From this we need to remember: Once we achieve something in our lives, it, too, will be the beginning of the end of that chapter in our lives. 



Successes usually morph into something else. Shortly after the 3rd Armored was disbanded, it was reactivated and sent to Germany to act as a deterrent in the Cold War. They remained crucial to U.S. military strategies through the first Gulf War. From this we need to remember: Whenever we achieve something, we need to accept that we must morph too, changing and adapting. No one gets to rest on their laurels.



All successes are eventually relegated to the past. Tanks are still used in warfare. But much less so. Official retirement of the 3rd Armored as a division took place on October 17, 1992. Since then, the U.S. Army has been in a battle with Congress. The Army wants no more tanks. They have way too many stockpiled in the Nevada desert. But Congress keeps trying to spend more on tanks. Why? Pork. Our representatives listen more to the manufacturers of tanks than those who have to man them. (Gzeesh. And we wonder why our Federal budget is so bloated!) From this we need to remember: Stop beating a dead horse. (Or tank or career or business strategy.) Once successes are officially part of the past, it's time to move on! Faster the better.