"So [[Acheson]] made his way to [[the White House]], fully expecting that he might have to once again hand an [[American]] president his resignation. [[Harry S. Truman|Truman]] would have none of it. “He looked at me,” [[Acheson]] would reflect, “and said he understood why I had said what I said.” Truman told him the story of attending [[Tom Pendergast]]’s funeral and **explained that what mattered, what people would remember, is that somebody stuck by their friends**. "Then [[Harry S. Truman|Truman]] looked [[Acheson]] in the eye and said, “Dean, always be shot in front, never behind,” and told him to go back to his office. “**We’ve got a lot of important things to do.**” --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[loyalty]], [[character]], [[personal-values]], [[leadership]] **Source** -- [[202409180127 - B - Right Thing, Right Now]]