Page 10 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • February 19, 2014 The indestructibility of George Washington When Napoleon was stuck on Saint Helena, he defended his abuses of power as circumstantial: Even Washington, he said, would not have been able to maintain his moral stature and political integrity in the face of the challenges that confronted Napoleon. When someone two generations later asked Helmut von Moltke Sr., the victor of the three wars that made modern Germany, how he would be com- pared to Washington and to Napoleon, Moltke remarked: “Not at all, because I have never been forced to command a retreat, and a retreat is the greatest challenge that confronts any general.” Napoleon’s triumphs collapsed around his ears in his own lifetime, and Moltke’s grand-nephew was hanged for trying to mitigate the collapse of the nation Moltke built, under subsequent and drastic mismanagement. However, Washington’s successful retreats and ultimate victory left results that are still in effect: A Republic, as Benjamin Franklin said, if you can keep it.” Napoleon learned French as his second language, once tried to write a novel, supposedly slept only three hours a night, and could keep several scribes busy at the same time taking down his dictation. Moltke was a talented artist, spoke eight languages, and once swam several miles with his clothes on to outdistance his pursuers when a Turkish army he was advising broke up and fled. Washington -- as Napoleon and Moltke both admitted -- was the greatest of the three in terms of personal achievement. He was also a physical wreck for most of his life. James Thomas Flexner, whose book “George Wash- ington: The Indispensible Man” is probably the best in the field on Washington’s achievements and character, outlines some of Washington’s many maladies along with his battles and politics. Dr. Rudolph Marx, who studied medicine at Heidelberg and practiced in Los Angeles, also had enor- mous respect for Washington and was especially impressed by one salient fact: Washington was able to lead his ragged army to victory without spending more than a single day or night on sick leave. Before and after his military command in the American Revolution, Washington’s medical history sounds like the prologue to an early autopsy. The real Washington -- unlike the man in the paintings -- had a sunken chest, probably due to rickets, a disease of malnutrition he seems to have suffered as a child. He was subject to recurrent malaria from his teens. At 19, on a trip to Jamaica with his elder brother Lawrence, Washington contracted smallpox, nearly died, and was apparently left sterile due to the high fever. He then developed tuberculosis, which turned into acute pleurisy. He spent most of the next two years in bed. Washington mustered the supreme courage to volun- teer to fight in the French and Indian War. He reported for duty, was awarded the rank of major, and collapsed. A year later, assisting the ill-starred General Braddock, Wash- ington collapsed again, this time with influenza. He was definitely not malingering. Combat seemed to be the only thing that could get him out of a sickbed. When Braddock famously marched his hapless Redcoats into a French and Indian ambush where they were shot to pieces, Washington had two horses shot from under him while organizing the survivors to escape. At the end of the battle, he shook four musket balls out of his clothing. None had pierced his skin. After another go at the French, and another partial health collapse, Washington had the satisfaction of seeing his own Anglo-American side capture Fort Duquesne, later to be Fort Pitt, and later still to be Pittsburgh. Then he retired again. According to Dr. Marx, Washington’s marriage to Martha Custis in 1759 appeared to have buoyed him up, and Washington spent two years in decent health. Then he came down with typhoid fever and spent several weeks in bed. His diary suggests that he expected to die in the near future. “Suffering and heartache bring out in small men self- ishness and self-pity, in great souls humanity and compas- sion,” Dr. Marx wrote in “The Health of the Presidents.” He clearly considered Washington a great soul, as did most of Washington’s contemporaries, who considered him the only serious choice for command of the Continental army. He was very briefly and mildly sick for one bout during the American Revolution. He never left his post. He success- fully evaded capture or destruction and -- with the alliances of France, Spain, and the Netherlands and the neutrality of Prussia and Russia, where he was greatly admired -- was able to defeat the British and establish American indepen- dence. The odds against the Americans when Washington had taken command were staggering. There were three criti- cal factors at play. The first was that Frederick the Great bluntly refused to loan mercenary soldiers to the British, his former allies against France and Austria, because he called Washington “the greatest general in the world.” Some of Frederick’s best regiments could fire six volleys in one minute against two or three for anyone else’s. The second factor was that the orphaned Marquis De Lafayette had taken Washington as his surrogate father, and influenced Louis XVI to send French ships, troops, and money to the Americans. The first victors at Yorktown were the sailors of the French Royal Navy, who actually defeated the British at sea. The second set included Bavar- ian Germans in French pay fighting Hessian Germans in British pay, while Americans in spiffy new French-made uniforms fought Englishmen. The third factor was that the Spanish and the Dutch, having seen that the British could be defeated, even at sea, began to try to take over the “Sugar Islands” of the Carib- bean where British merchants made a lot of their money. Support for the war at home dwindled. Washington made all this possible because of his renowned integrity and because, while he could be defeated, he could not be sub- dued. Washington remained healthy until 1786. After that, in short order, he was treated for recurrent malaria, an infec- tious carbuncle so painful he could not walk, a serious cold that led to influenza, another bout of pneumonia, yet another recurrence of malaria, and finally to a cold fol- lowed by strep throat that -- with the dangerous and medi- cally useless practice of bleeding -- finally killed him. A tracheotomy might have saved him, but only one physician favored the dangerous practice. The others all fell back on bleeding and blistering, which probably made his death certain, and almost certainly welcome once all earthly hope was lost. “I find I am going,” Washington told his friend and ser- vant Colonel Lear. “My breath cannot last long.” Then he whispered to his chief physician, Dr. James Craik. “Doctor, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go.” He asked his medical team to stop fussing over him and died with calm dignity and no visible fear. Washington’s triumph of his own awful metabolic health is not as widely known as his victories over the British. His courage and skill in battle reflect a genuine military genius, and the fact that he voluntary freed his slaves after Martha’s death gives him a share of the high moral ground, but his stubborn resistance to death or incapacity due to illness when the nation needed him also deserves to be remembered. Our first president was one of our greatest. Wyckoff Wanderings Tournament announced On Feb. 27, the Friends of the Wyckoff Library will host “Super Smash Brothers Brawl,” a video game tournament for students in grades six through nine. The event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Monroe Room at the library at 200 Woodland Avenue. The top three tournament contenders will receive Game- Stop gift cards. Refreshments will be served. Players may sign up at the reference desk. Attendance is “first come, first served,” and the tournament will be limited to 32 gamers. For details, contact Beth Wharton at (201) 891-4076. educator at Valley Hospital. New members are welcome. For more information, con- tact Jill at (201) 891-4231. Don Everett Smith to speak The Woman’s Club of Wyckoff will welcome local author Don Everett Smith on Wednesday, Feb. 19. Smith, the author of “Goffle Road Murders of Passaic County” will present a program on ghost stories. The meeting will be held at 1 p.m. at the clubhouse at 176 Wyckoff Avenue. All are invited. Refreshments will be served. Learn about LinkedIn Michele Meussner, founder of Red Cup Career Services, will present a program on the social media tool, LinkedIn, at the Wyckoff Public Library on Thursday, Feb. 27. The program will begin at 7 p.m. Learn how LinkedIn can be a connection to a broader professional network and career growth. Registration is required. Visit the library at 200 Wood- land Avenue, call (201) 891-4866, extension 2, or e-mail wyckref@bccls.org. Chamber to hear talk on Social Security The Wyckoff Chamber of Commerce will meet Feb. 27 at the Larkin House at 380 Godwin Avenue in Wyckoff. The group will gather at 8 p.m. for a light breakfast. Matthew R. Ward, division sales director of annuities at Protective Life Insurance Company, will discuss Social Security. Ward has 19 years of industry experience. RSVP to wyckoffchamber@gmail.com or call (201) 468-1999 for more information. Recyclables collected weekly Wyckoff residents are reminded that the township col- lects recyclables at the curb each week. For information about collection days for each neighborhood, check the municipal calendar or visit www.wyckoff-nj.com. The township encourages residents to reduce household garbage by using the single stream curbside recycling collection. WEA seeks scholarship applicants The Wyckoff Education Association plans to award two $1,500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors. One scholarship will be awarded to a student who cur- rently resides in Wyckoff and has attended Wyckoff’s public schools. The second scholarship will be presented to a senior who is the child of a current WEA member. Eligi- ble applicants must be planning to attend a technical school or institution of higher learning. Finalists will be chosen on the basis of academic achievement, extracurricular activi- ties, leadership, and community service. Applications are available at any of the district’s public schools and at www.wyckoffwea.org. The completed appli- cation with all supporting documentation must be received at Eisenhower School, 344 Calvin Court, Wyckoff, no later than 3 p.m. on April 1. The WEA is comprised of faculty and staff members from the Wyckoff Public Schools. DeRyke to address auxiliary The Wyckoff Branch of the Valley Hospital Auxiliary will meet Tuesday, Feb 25, at Advent Lutheran Church, 777 Wyckoff Avenue in Wyckoff. The group will gather at 10:15 a.m. Following the business portion of the meeting, Jasalyn K. DeRyke will present “Partners in Health: Communicat- ing with Your Doctor.” DeRyke is the community health