This is only one of the many manifestations of the fact that history is certainly sweeping Loudoun County into the Eastern Seaboard Megalopolis. This historical fact has great relevance and use to this county—and I should think poses a challenge to this Historical Society.
I am sure the county must have some plans for coping with this historical fact, and I imagine that this Society has probably done much thinking about its role in these plans. But let me mention anyhow, at the risk of telling you things you have already thought of, how I visualize using history for planning purposes in Loudoun County right now.
I understand that Fairfax County has recently begun to prepare to identify its historical landmarks. There are several reasons for such identification, particularly to permit the county to preserve the essentials of its past history, as embodied in places, objects and memories, while still participating in present history. I would hope that Loudoun County has done, or will do, the same, relying upon this Society for advice and counsel.
I should like to spend the next few minutes in telling you about some examples of practical use of history by an organization created for the specific purpose of making use of history.
This is the Historical Evaluation and Research Organization—which we modestly call HERO. HERO is dedicated to stimulating improved use of historical experience—as well as improved use of the professional historians who are most competent to marshal and to evaluate historical experience—in the development of national security policy.
Interestingly, and not surprisingly, we have encountered some skepticism amongst Government officials and others who had some doubts about the need for or the utility of our principal function: The application of historical experience to the development of current and future national security policy. There were two principal reasons for the skepticism. First, there are a number of people who feel that the tremendous technological advances of our times have totally invalidated any possible relevance of the past experience which is the stuff of history. Secondly, there are those who feel that the competent Government specialist has no need for the services of the historian; he is usually far more conversant with his field of interest than any academic scholar can be; he has his files available for documentation; he knows what facts can be considered relevant, and he will include these in any statement which may be required of “Facts Bearing on the Problem.”