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; A. General ((Robert E.)) Lee was great at recovering from his mistakes. The intriguing thing about war is how many mistakes are made. My conclusion from military history is that successful generals are wrong 95% of the time. For unsuccessful generals, it's 99%. In the fog of war, there's so much uncertainty. I am a strong admirer of Kemal Ataturk, because he achieved so much with so little. It's one thing for generals to win when they are backed by tremendous resources and production capability. But Ataturk with few resources wrested control of Turkey from the sultans and expelled the Greeks from his country. He's my candidate as the greatest military man of the century.
Q. How has battle changed?
A. The canvas has greatly expanded. It involves the whole globe, including the sea depths and a large chunk of space. Weaponry has expanded the scale of destructiveness. But the uncertainty of war has not disappeared, and the tendency for things to go wrong has increased. Battles are still fought by people, and their state of mind will still influence the outcome more than weapons.
Q. You're the senior adviser to the President and must at least ponder a decision to go nuclear. Could you push the button?
A. I believe so. I'll tell you, however, it's awfully hard to be hypothetical about this. I've played a few war games that involved limited nuclear attacks, and in that hypothetical climate, heavy pressures to stop using nuclear weapons developed on both sides very quickly. These were intellectual exercises. But they do suggest that our leaders understand the horrors of nuclear devastation, and will work hard to avoid it.
Q. Are you comfortable with your job?
A. I agonize a lot. I have known individuals who made a big decision and never gave it another thought. I don't. When it's a big issue, I don't sleep soundly. I remember Gordon Cooper falling asleep while in the capsule waiting for lift-off. Now that's real class. When he blasted off, his pulse went to 70. I can get mine to 90 just thinking about it.
Q. Can the U.S. have confidence in somebody who drinks bourbon and Coke?
A. Some would say no. People in Oklahoma would say yes.
Q. Do you really read the comics?
A. Religiously. I like Andy Capp. I used to be avid on Pogo and was sorry to see him go. That's not the only way I waste time. I watch sitcoms too. I really like Cheers. Probably the biggest plague of my life is all the time I waste. What I don't like is getting up early. In that respect, a Navy career has been tough on me. You know, the Russians do a lot of work at night -- at least Stalin did. So did Churchill. That life-style has an appeal for me.
Q. Where do you draw strength in time of trouble?