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"War is all hell"
NavySEALs.com ^ | September 1, 2006 | W. Thomas Smith Jr.

Posted on 09/01/2006 2:25:37 PM PDT by SuzyQ2

The idea of digging-in disgusted Patton. A victorious army, in his mind, was always on offense, never on defense. It was one of the myriad reasons Patton was such a successful combat commander. It didn’t always make him popular with his subordinates and peers, and he frequently caught hell from the media, but the man knew how to fight and win wars. He was neither a ticket puncher nor a politician. He would have scoffed at modern political correctness. And his only objective was always the combination of a decisive defeat of the enemy and the utter annihilation of his forces. All other matters were secondary.

(Excerpt) Read more at navyseals.com ...


TOPICS: Heated Discussion
KEYWORDS: army; forces; infantry; navy; nimitz; patton; seal; sherman; special; vietnam; war; warishell
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1 posted on 09/01/2006 2:25:40 PM PDT by SuzyQ2
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To: SuzyQ2

And his only objective was always the combination of a decisive defeat of the enemy and the utter annihilation of his forces. All other matters were secondary.



We need a few more like that today...


2 posted on 09/01/2006 2:27:22 PM PDT by SE Mom (Proud mom of an Iraq war combat vet-prayers for the kidnapped Israeli Soldiers)
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To: SE Mom

Agree.
I think they are out there. But the current political climate does not allow them to surface.


3 posted on 09/01/2006 2:31:02 PM PDT by SuzyQ2
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To: SuzyQ2

Clearing a city is one thing, and many would say the glamorous job. Holding a city and winning the hearts and minds of the city's inhabitants is something else again. How was Patton at holding cities once his tanks took them?


4 posted on 09/01/2006 2:31:06 PM PDT by bnelson44 (Proud parent of a tanker! (Charlie Mike, son))
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To: SuzyQ2; zgirl; dixie1202; righthand man; TexConfederate1861; chesley; rustbucket; JamesP81; ...
Where are the likes of Confederate Generals Stonewall Jackson, J.E.B. Stuart, or Nathan Bedford Forrest?

Bump

5 posted on 09/01/2006 2:31:13 PM PDT by stainlessbanner
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To: SE Mom
We need a few more like that today...

for sure... the closest we had was Stormin' Norman but he's out of it.

But then, the white house needs to stop trying to micromanage the war from washington and let the military do its job.
6 posted on 09/01/2006 2:32:31 PM PDT by Silicon Cowboy
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To: SuzyQ2

It's true that audacity in warfare can bring victories -- but it can also lead to some exploitable weaknesses in certain situations -- such as outrunning your supply lines and then being counter-attacked.


7 posted on 09/01/2006 2:33:10 PM PDT by Dracian
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To: stainlessbanner
we could sure use "'ole Nate Forrest","Col Quantrell" or "Joe Wheeler" in Baghdad!

free dixie,sw

8 posted on 09/01/2006 2:35:53 PM PDT by stand watie ( Resistance to tyrants is OBEDIENCE to God. -----T.Jefferson)
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To: Dracian

Patton had a lot of experience in out running supply lines.


9 posted on 09/01/2006 2:37:28 PM PDT by bnelson44 (Proud parent of a tanker! (Charlie Mike, son))
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To: stainlessbanner

"Where are the likes of Confederate Generals Stonewall Jackson, J.E.B. Stuart, or Nathan Bedford Forrest?"

Yeah. Today we see more sissies than one could ever imagine. And those "sissies" usually find their way to the top brass, only to prevent others from being brave when the situation calls for it. Or, they trump up charges because the bravery of another outshines their sissy little self...


10 posted on 09/01/2006 2:39:52 PM PDT by Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin
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To: stainlessbanner

Heck, Southron as I am, I'll even give Bill "The Arsonist" Sherman his due in that regard. Not as great a tactical leader as many of the Confederate generals, but he didn't have to be. He had crushing superiority on his side and he had zero qualms about using it. You can say a lot of things about Sherman, but you surely can never accuse him of fighting with one hand tied behind his back.

The author references Chester Nimitz...I'll drag out another name. William "Bull" Halsey. A man whose motto was "Kill Japs, kill Japs, kill more Japs." You think a Halsey could survive in today's military?

What liberals fail to realize is that the best way to save civilian lives in a war is to end it QUICKLY. By the application of overwhelming, destructive, crushing force as needed, and yes, that includes against civilians. Civilians are going to die in war. That's been so for five thousand years and it will always be so. That doesn't mean we go out and target them (like, say, Hezbollah does?) but we cannot let civilian casualties stand in the way of victory. If we do, we only guarantee more civilian casualties down the road...theirs *and* ours.

}:-)4


11 posted on 09/01/2006 2:43:26 PM PDT by Moose4 (Dirka dirka Mohammed jihad.)
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To: stand watie
we could sure use "'ole Nate Forrest","Col Quantrell" or "Joe Wheeler" in Baghdad!

Why Quantrill? You have a city full of innocent civilians you want sacked?

12 posted on 09/01/2006 2:46:10 PM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: bnelson44; SuzyQ2
How was Patton at holding cities once his tanks took them?

How would Patton have fought an army consisting entirely of hidden kamikazis?

We won the "Patton Stage" of the war in Iraq. This is reconstruction in a seething cauldron, and the people there have nothing to show for their lives other than spilling blood.

13 posted on 09/01/2006 2:46:27 PM PDT by sam_paine (X .................................)
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To: ExtremeUnction

pinggg


14 posted on 09/01/2006 2:48:40 PM PDT by Silicon Cowboy
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To: Non-Sequitur
here we go again.

WHO in "Sadr City" do YOU believe is INNOCENT?? even CBS NEWS (NO friend of "W" or of the USA for that matter!) describes it as "a den of thieves & violent criminals".

in point of fact, i'd like to raise "CPT Bill Anderson" from his grave & send him into that hellhole. i'd bet his "merry band" would sort things out fairly soon.

free dixie,sw

15 posted on 09/01/2006 2:51:38 PM PDT by stand watie ( Resistance to tyrants is OBEDIENCE to God. -----T.Jefferson)
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To: Moose4; Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin; stand watie

Reading Omar Bradley's book now. Patton and Ike references are interesting. I also have an appreciation for the complexity in managing a multi-national force. Amazing stuff.


16 posted on 09/01/2006 2:53:24 PM PDT by stainlessbanner
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To: Non-Sequitur
C'mon Non - we can go one for one all day long.

Did you even read the article?

17 posted on 09/01/2006 2:54:32 PM PDT by stainlessbanner
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To: stainlessbanner
that is a GOOD book. i read it some time ago & was IMPRESSED!

as for N-S, he cannot resist defending the INDEFENSIBLE criminals who were justly punished by the cavalry raid on Lawrence.

free dixie,sw

18 posted on 09/01/2006 2:59:07 PM PDT by stand watie ( Resistance to tyrants is OBEDIENCE to God. -----T.Jefferson)
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To: stainlessbanner
Did you even read the article?

I did, actually.

19 posted on 09/01/2006 2:59:33 PM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: Non-Sequitur; Moose4
< snip >"when committed to it, we must fight to defeat the enemy as quickly, violently, and decisively as possible. And we do it with leaders who are not afraid to fight."

Describes men like Quantrill, Morgan, Forrest - fast, aggressive, effective.

20 posted on 09/01/2006 3:04:54 PM PDT by stainlessbanner
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