I had the opportunity about a year and a half ago to speak at length with a veteran of several of the island battles in the Pacific, stemming from my mentioning to him in passing that I'd read EB Sledge's "With the Old Breed". If you've never read the book, I highly recommend it.
As horrific as that book was, it was nothing compared to seeing the look in that veteran's eyes as he recounted some of his experiences to me. Sixty years had not erased the horrors that he witnessed and his disbelief at the atrocities perpetrated by the Japanese. He described the terror he felt that he'd be captured and 'skinned alive' by them. He also detailed the ruthless efficiency and heroism of the men who drove the Japanese from the caves in what for many were inevitably suicide missions. None of it is for the squeamish. And I would be loathe to judge anyone for their wartime actions based on his account alone.
After enduring the candy-cane view of Charles Lindbergh that one receives in public school in this country, I grew up and expanded my horizons a bit.
Prior to the US entry into WWII, Lindbergh was what one might call his era's Cindy Sheehan (Jimmy Stewart's portrayal notwithstanding). He went out of his way to prevent the US from aiding the Brits or preparing our defense, and nearly cost them - and us- everything
Personally I wouldn't be offended if the guy had simply STFU in 1928.
You make me see Cindy Sheehan in a whole new light.
Lindbergh was isolationist, as his father, a US Senator, had been in WWI. His opinion was the majority opinion, which was why FDR was petrified that Lindbergh might run for President, and could possibly win. As the son of a US Senator, that possibility was very real.
There are those that claim FDR engineered Pearl Harbor in order to get us into the war in Europe. That might be a bit far fetched, but he did bait the Japanese with trade policies, and once Pearl Harbor got us into the war, FDR spent the first part of it agressively going after Germany, not Japan.
Back to Cindy Sheehan. Could you ever imagine Cindy Sheehan flying a fighter aircraft, strafing a Japanese barge with 20mm and .50 caliber machine guns? Could you imagine her dive bombing in a Corsar at 500mph with several thousand lbs of bombs that are aimed at killing people?
I don't think so.
Comparing Lindbergh to Cindy Sheehan doesn't quite cut it.