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To: rednesss
My grandfather could have been awarded one or even killed, but thankfully we dropped 2 atomic bombs and ended the war before he had to ship out.

Talk to folks of this generation - particularly those who served in the armed forces and who were slated to go overseas (My Grandfather too!) - and you won't find much sympathetic talk. I read "Semper Fi, Mac" - an oral history of the Pacific conflict - and found that (while the language was pretty salty, as befitting Marines) it was pretty insightful as to what people who were actually there, thought.

For an interesting read, bone up on "Operation Olympic" - the codename for the invasion of the Japanese home islands. It planned for the 2nd and 4th Marine divisions to spearhead the invasion. By H+36 (36 hours into the invasion) neither of these divisions was mentioned in the planning, because they were expected to be annihilated.

Interesting food for thought. But don't count on someone intent on rewriting history to pay much attention.

158 posted on 03/17/2008 1:15:47 PM PDT by wbill
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To: wbill
"Talk to folks of this generation - particularly those who served in the armed forces and who were slated to go overseas (My Grandfather too!) - and you won't find much sympathetic talk. I read "Semper Fi, Mac" - an oral history of the Pacific conflict - and found that (while the language was pretty salty, as befitting Marines) it was pretty insightful as to what people who were actually there, thought."

The Japanese were very lucky that they were not facing a foe who was devoted to the Bushido way, otherwise their surrender would have been an invitation for us to perform death marches and to behead people with samurai swords.

162 posted on 03/17/2008 1:25:22 PM PDT by rednesss (Fred Thompson - 2008)
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