Posted on 02/25/2016 4:56:21 PM PST by sparklite2
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Presidential candidate Donald Trump admires the late Douglas MacArthur and George Patton, both World War Two generals. They were winners, unpredictable, and not especially nice guys, he says in campaign speeches. But Trump's pledge to imitate their styles sets modern-day military experts on edge.
Born in 1946, a year after World War Two ended, Trump often praises MacArthur and Patton for the blunt ways he says they commanded respect. "George Patton was one of the roughest guys, he would talk rough to his men," Trump told an audience last week in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. "His men would die for him," Trump added. "We don't have that anymore." He said Patton would wipe out Islamic State without hesitation were he still in command.
But military historians and retired generals say Trump has an inflated view of the two military men and especially their relevance to an era of modern warfare when armies rely more on technology and when battle successes and failures and civilian casualties are communicated far more rapidly than when MacArthur and Patton commanded troops 70 years ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at oann.com ...
I’m guessing the next eight and a half years are going to be very difficult for you.
Don’t count on it. Whatcha gonna do when Cruz goes down in flames?
He wasn’t prepared for the Japs on Luzon.
He wasn’t prepared for the Korean invasion in 1950.
He wasn’t prepared for the Chinese infiltration and attack in 1950.
Caught flatfooted 3 times.
He did catch the commies flatfooted at Inchon.
The warrior spirit of US military leadership is largely dead.
MacArthur tried to out-wait Truman’s arrival when Truman flew out to see him. MacArthur wanted Truman to have to wait on him to arrive, but Truman had his plane circle until the General got there. MacArthur, IMO, had too big an ego and thank God he wasn’t given command of the entire Pacific, which is what he thought he deserved.
People of the Philipines and Japan have an entirely different view than yours
He was as prepared as he possibly could be on Luzon. He kept asking for men and material and was always denied. Maybe we just didn’t have them to give him but it was hardly his fault.
It was not his job to be prepared for the North Korean invasion. It was the job of U.S. Intelligence.
If we had done what he wanted when the Chinese attacked we would not have the Chinese problem today. It is now known that the Communists knew Truman would not use nuclear weapons. They had spies all over his administration.
There's a comparison to the Federal government not having enough money to pay everyone it promised, though.
And whether you look at him as a businessman who knows how to negotiate, or just someone who has been through four corporate bankruptcies, Donald Trump looks uniquely qualified...
Given the way he is cutting through the opposition during the primaries, may I suggest Heinz Guderian?
So, in other words, the historians say our PC crap would not allow Patton to win. Sad.
Rude crude people that take risks and get into trouble are the kind of people we need to win wars.
I recall in basic a guy was being court martialed for banging the commander’s wife. The DI said that’s the kind of guy we need in the Army because they take risks. I never fully understood this until a few years later.
I do recall when we got into fights with Marines at an NCO club once and no one cared, not a soul. It was encouraged. It’s what make people tough. I remember someone being told to go steal some steaks from a neighboring mess hall, and he did, and we had a BBQ with beer, most of the officers attended, we had a good time.
The one that takes the cake, is our section boss, a warrant officer W4, gave all his men a Christmas gift. It was in Vietnam, we had a beer party on the beach. His gift was a all paid visit to a certain type of house, for anyone that chose to accept that sort of gift.
Point being, betcha half that could not be done or encouraged today.
Yes, when Truman fired MacArthur the media claimed, and still claim that he was insubordinate.
The U.S. Senate investigated and found the claim to be untrue. It doesn’t matter tho. The leftist media hated MacArthur and always will.
Patton was also the acknowledged expert on amphibious assault.
“The Patton Papers” is wonderful reading too.
what a dumb post
Historians read earlier historians’ history books and become historians. And only those who lived during those times know if any of it’s true or not.
I think it was at the Wake Island meeting, but it’s been years since I read about it. Please know that I didn’t make up the thing out of whole cloth.
The guy in basic banging someone’s wife ... surely he wasn’t one of the new recruits, was he?
Thank you
The raid on the POW Camp at Hammelburg by Task Force Baum was ill conceived, insufficiently supported, and implemented for purely personal reasons. (to rescue his son-in-law John Waters) But he got pretty bogged down in Metz too. Urban fighting didn’t suit his cavalry man’s style.
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