西點的軍歌唱道,“老兵永遠不死,他只是凋零”（Old soldiers never die.They just fade away）,麥克阿瑟在國會的演講使這句話廣被引用.
“老兵永遠不死,只會慢慢凋零”（Old soldiers never die,they just fade away）,就不由得想起那個叼著玉米棒子煙斗的麥克阿瑟,和他在1951年4月19日被解職后在國會大廈發(fā)表的題為《老兵不死》演講,于是許多人把這句名言歸在麥帥名下,其實在那篇演講里就提到了,這句話是來自于一首軍歌的副歌那首歌的歌詞如下：
Old Soldiers Never Die
There is an old cookhouse,far far away
Where we get pork and beans,three times a day.
Beefsteak we never see,damn-all sugar for our tea
And we are gradually fading away.
cho:Old soldiers never die,
Never die,never die,
Old soldiers never die
They just fade away.
Privates they love their beer,'most every day.
Corporals,they love their stripes,that's what they say.
Sergeants they love to drill.Guess them bastards always will
So we drill and drill until we fade away.