Report from the Rising Sun

Navy Core Values: The Guiding light for our Sailors and the World

LCDR Rob “OG” Swain, USN

Aisatsu! Naval Helicopter Association! I’m writing to you in the midst of CVW-5 preparations for our annual summer patrol aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). While I personally relish the challenges and rewards of life in the forward deployed naval force (FDNF), I will not deny that for the thousands of families stationed in Japan, annual deployments call for a level of sacrifice unique to the FDNF optempo. The proximity of our global competitors, the immediacy and unpredictability of their actions, and the operational availability of U.S. forces oblige our units to “get ready and stay ready.” Whether at sea or training ashore, when fatigue, complacency, or cynicism begin to cast a shadow over service, allow our Navy’s core values to provide a “guiding light” toward resilience–more to follow on that later.

The demands of continuously operating forward deployed challenges our units to directly engage with the Navy core values of honor, courage, and commitment on a daily basis. Honor – the privilege to live in a foreign country requires each individual Sailor to demonstrate integrity and respect to themselves, their shipmates, and the population of the host nation. Courage – the regional security imperative to deploy inside contested and disputed territory can prove volatile. It takes courage to own the decision making and risks which carry strategic implications. Commitment – effective leaders recognize that the all-volunteer nature of our Navy is what makes us most lethal. Every service member who raises their hand and takes the oath understands that they commit to selflessly serve ideals greater than their own desires. While all three core values shape the ethos and cultural foundation of our Navy, no virtue is attainable without the courage to take the hard road and defend what is right and just. In this segment of Report from the Rising Sun (RFTRS), we’re going to talk about courage.

One of the greatest examples of American ingenuity, Thomas Edison, contributes beautifully to the historical discourse on courage. In 1931, during his final public address, Edison shared:

"My message to you is: be courageous! I have lived a long time. I have seen history repeat itself again and again. I have seen many depressions in business. Always America has come out stronger and more prosperous. Be as brave as your fathers before you. Have faith! Go forward!"

When I first read this quote in John Maxwell’s book, Success is a Choice, I wondered if Edison bore any affiliation with Japan during his life and work. I am not an Edisonian historian, so I googled “Edison…Japan.” The search generated an exciting tale intertwined with examples of commitment and courage which I am eager to share.

By the middle of the nineteenth century, Edison had joined the ranks of international inventors seeking to commercialize the incandescent lamp (light bulb). Incandescent lamps function by using electricity to heat a thin strip of material, called a filament, until the material grows hot enough to glow and produce light. This cohort of inventors and engineers faced a litany of issues keeping the lamps aglow – some light bulbs will only stay illuminated for short periods of time, others can function longer but at costs preclusive to large scale commercialization.

Undeterred by failure, Edison demonstrated commitment to the objective. Later in life, he said that between 1878-1880 he and his assistants “tested no fewer than 6,000 vegetable growths, and ransacked the world for the most suitable filament material.” After trial and thousands of errors, Edison concluded that carbonized cotton demonstrated the properties he was looking for in a light bulb filament. His carbonized cotton light bulb remained lit for a record 14 hours.

Through all of his endeavors toward discovery, Edison understood the force-multiplying impacts of a strong team aligned through clear guidance and a commonly understood vision. Edison leaned heavily on his network of assistants to load-share, synergize ideas, and sustain constant vigilance despite failures. One of his assistants returned to the New Jersey laboratory with a souvenir bamboo hand fan from Japan. Edison carbonized a fiber from the fan and the bamboo filament burned for 1,000 hours. Without delay, Edison sent his team all over the world to find the best bamboo.

One of these assistants, William Thomas Moore, journeyed to Japan and was received by the Japanese Prime Minister in Tokyo. The Prime Minister directed Moore to Yamata, a small town on the outskirts of the ancient city, Kyoto. There, on Mount Otokayama, bamboo grows in forests surrounding a twelfth century shrine. The priests from Iwashimuzu Hachimangu shrine assisted Moore in harvesting bamboo samples to bring back to New Jersey. Edison proceeded to standardize the bamboo filament and bamboo remained in commercialized light bulbs for the next 24 years.

In 1934, three years after Edison’s death, the Japanese commissioned a memorial on Mount Otokayama dedicated to the man who brought light to Japan. Yamata City established annual festivals on Edison’s birthday (Edison Setai-San) and the day of his death (Edison Hizen-Sai). Seven years later, shortly after Japan launched their attack on Pearl Harbor and war erupted between our two nations, the Japanese government instructed Iwashimuzu Hachimangu shrine to tear down the monument honoring a national of the enemy state. The Shinto priests defiantly responded, “Science has no borders.” Due to the courage and commitment of those Japanese priests to their principles, the monument remained standing throughout World War II, and Mount Otokayama still hosts visitors to the Edison memorial today.

Navy core values shape the fundamental beliefs of our sea service, but honor, courage, and commitment are virtues threaded through the common tapestry of human history. They provide a bridge which transcends culture, language, nationality, and geography. By reflecting on and choosing to live by Navy core values in and out of the aircraft, you set a global standard of excellence. This is an example which affirms to our partners and allies that they should continue to look to the United States as the paragon of freedom, democracy, and virtue, thus emboldening them to join in deterrence of coercion and aggression around the world. Be courageous! Have faith! Go forward! Fly Navy! And standby for future Reports from the Rising Sun.