In deciding on a gift to give Bob Pyles as a token of our gratitude for serving twice as president of our Association, we thought about his accomplishments on behalf of psychoanalysis as well as his interests outside of the field, and especially where they might intersect. You probably know that Bob was born and raised in the South, and you may know that he is a student of history, including military history. Like a lot of Southerners he still has romantic notions about the War between the States and has been heard to say, “It's true we lost, but we had the best songs.” Bob especially likes to understand the strategy of battles and what makes people fight for principle, even if the odds are against them.
One battle that has fascinated Bob was the Battle of Thermopylae, which took place in 480 B.C., popularized in the movie, 300 The Greek city-states were led by Sparta, and though they were far outnumbered by the Persians, they came up with a plan where the Persian numerical advantage would be of no consequence. They decided to ambush the Persians as they passed through a narrow rock formation (Thermopylae) in single file. The plan failed because they were betrayed by a spy. However, their courage inspired the Greeks to ultimate victory and to the foundation of the democracies we treasure today. The city-states had been rivals in the past, but were able to put aside their differences and unify to remain free. The Spartans were led by Leonidas, and this gift is inspired by him.
Moving to more modern times, Bob was inspired by a WWII battle that turned the course of the war in our favor. That was the Battle of Midway, and as it happens, today is the 72nd anniversary of that four-day battle in the Pacific. It is also fitting that we give you this gift here in Chicago, where Midway Airport was named after that historic event. The United States was losing the war in the Pacific, morale was low and the odds were against us, but the U.S. Navy was able to combine courage, intelligence and creativity, to seize an opportunity that saved our democracy. Toward the end of his first term as president, Bob published a column in TAP [34:1] entitled “Lessons from Midway,” which resonated with many of our members. He compared the courage and steadfastness of those naval heroes to the work done by our own Association and allied groups in our fight for the preservation of privacy, private practice and the centrality of the patient-therapist relationship. Let me read you a few sentences from that article.
There are important lessons for us in the American and for the critical battles we are engaged in to protect psychoanalysis and our ability to deliver quality, confidential psychodynamic therapy. A major one is that it is possible for a small group of determined, focused people to make a real, and sometimes a monumental, difference, regardless of the odds.
Thanks to Janis Chester, TAP editor, for her help.
Editor's Note: Mark Smaller, the new APsaA president, presented two gifts to Bob Pyles on June 5 at the 103rd APsaA Annual Meeting—a Spartan helmet and an autographed photo of the Midway crew and a plane, inspired by Lt. Commander John Waldron, U.S. Navy, the squadron leader at the Battle of Midway.