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| Andrew Rowan |
My son, a retired military officer, asked if I had read a
‘small’ book by Elbert Hubbard called “A Message to Garcia.” He loaned me a copy (originally published in
1899) and stated that said book had been reprinted more times than any other
book – with the possible exception of the Bible.
Well, that intrigued me because to the best
of my recollection I had not only never read it, but also had not heard of it. The book is about Lieutenant Andrew Rowan
(1857 – 1943) and a dangerous mission he was given by President William McKinley
(during the Spanish American War) to deliver a critical message to General
Calixto Garcia, a leader of the guerilla fighters in Cuba that were friendly to
the United States.
I did some research; and it is true that the book has been
reprinted tens-of-thousands of times, perhaps millions. The account of Lieutenant Rowan’s military
accomplishment in the book was somewhat less than accurate, but his efforts
reportedly were courageous nonetheless.
Such is the genesis of legend.
I read the book three times to insure that I understood the
book's meaning, its ‘message.’ That
didn’t take long. As noted above, it was
a small book.
The copy loaned to me had a section titled “Publisher’s Note,”
and another section titled “Apologia” which was written by Hubbard and in which
he explained how he came to write “A Message to Garcia.” Both sections were important from a contextual
perspective.
The actual physical ‘message’ or communique delivered by
Rowan, if known, is not particularly relative.
The manner in which Rowan delivered the ‘message’ was the story. However, if you’re looking for a detailed
account of how Lieutenant Rowan surreptitiously entered Cuba, how he navigated
the rugged Cuban mountains, evaded capture by the enemy and ultimately located
General Garcia, you will be disappointed.
The book is, to sum up, about ‘grit’ or in other words,
strength of character. The story
reflects the stoic manner in which Lieutenant Rowan accepted the dangerous
mission, reportedly without reservations or question.
And then, Hubbard goes on to expand the
theme for the potential benefit of each us – whether our superiors / employers are in the
military or industry - or the neighborhood grocery.
"I know one man of really brilliant parts who has not the
ability to manage a business of his own, and yet is absolutely worthless to
anyone else, because he carries with him constantly the insane suspicion that
his employer is oppressing him or intending to oppress him. He cannot give orders, and will not receive
them. Should a message be given him to
take to Garcia, his answer would probably be, Take it yourself!"
True Nelson
