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 ...
We can go back to the 1800s as well. We have had a wide variety of presidents and survived em all
You remember correctly, it was surrounded by forts, many of which still survive today. To really understand the obstacles, one needs to well understand World war One in the region including the Battles of Verdun. Metz was of extreme importance being a Fortified City, with the major railhead,built in the early years of the century by Germany, site of massive dirigible and air force installations, located on two rivers, the Moselle and the Seille.
I recommend these titles for your perusal.
Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America’s Vietnam by Fredrik Logevall
The Last Valley: Dien Bien Phu and the French Defeat in Vietnam by Martin Windrow
Hell In A Very Small Place: The Siege Of Dien Bien Phu by Bernard Fall
Aren’t you forgetting about Australia? Hmmmmmmmmmmm
Where on earth did you come up with that story? Ridiculous!
It is not a story, it is fact.
To add. The Battle of Dien Bien Phu involved fighting men from France, Vietnam (both sides), North Africa, West Africa, Foreign Legionaires from all corners of the globe. It is fascinating.
It’s probably only appropriate to consider the last century as a the 19th century was a different time but Johnson would be the one that comes to mind.
How’d that work out for us?
Hadn’t thought about that but certainly a valid point. The supply lines were certainly overstretched and the Red Balkl Express under-supplied. I didn’t like Eisenhower giving priority, including supplies Patton needed, to Montgomery. The little Poppycock general cost us many lives. Montgomery was wrong on Dieppe, wrong on Market Garden, and wrong on a lot of things including Sicily and Bastogne. He only won El Alamein because the British Code Breakers at Bletchly Park intercepted the Italian supply orders for Rommel in North Africa. the British navy and RAF sank the supply ships sent from Italy to North Africa. Montgomery got the credit but he never could even catch Rommel whose withdrawal and escape were a lesson in military genius for all to see. My opinion, anyway.
Montgomery should have also cleared the islands leading into Antwerp instead of launching Market Garden. Opening that port would have served the Allies a lot more. You are absolutely correct on North AFrica. Sending Rommel’s supplies to the bottom of the sea and bombing the long lonely road through the desert was what doomed Rommel.
Excellent advice. I always research after such films. It is amazing how often one finds errors and some of them are intentional. I remember one not too long ago on WW I. They opened the program with French soldiers marching off to war and it was supposed to be 1914. However, the first scenes showed the French Soldiers dressed in Horizon Blue which was not introduced until 1915.Prior to that the uniforms had bright red pants and dark blue coats. Actually there were those who defended the bright red trousers as traditional against the common sense knowledge that red was a highly visible color. It was finally agreed that the uniform would be made out of red, white and blue threads(The French colors as well as ours.), which produced a rather muddy off color. The red dye became impossible to get so only blue and white threads were used which resulted in the “horizon blue.” When i saw that error, I was suspect of the entire film. A few other marginal faults were found, but it was a passable show. Not perfect, as it should have been.
France at one time had many far flung colonies.
That was an Admiral who showed you could be a Leader, a gentleman, and a Man.
Agreed. And Market Garden was a disaster that could have been avoided if Eisenhower had listened to Patton who opposed it. But Eisenhower always sided with Montgomery.
I’m not a Trump fan but this article is a pos. Flitter should flitter.
“Trump wants to emulate MacArthur, a selfish, arrogant individual and Patton, who for all of his combat leadership skills, was a bombastic prima donna.
Kind of says it all.”
Really? And just what kind of authority are you on anything pissant? Obviously nothing.
Actually, it’s not BS..
For him to ignore that they were winners is not BS.
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