[ealgeone]

Imagine if all of the G.I.s with poor officers living in bad conditions were given carte blanche to desert to the enemy. Gee, I guess those conditions never happened in military history.

We'd had a lot of deserations at Valley Forge, Tarawa, the Bulge, just to name a few right off the top of my head.

[rlmorel]

Valley Forge, yes.

Can you provide a list of a “lot of desertions” at Tarawa and the Bulge.

I would be most interested to see that list. If you are talking about people who fled their post in the line of fire and such, fine. Men often run for their lives in combat regardless of what their orders were, but it isn’t the same thing that Bergdahl did.

If you can name someone who did what Bergdahl did, I would be all ears.

[RWGinger]

We’d had a lot of deserations at Valley Forge, Tarawa, the Bulge, just to name a few right off the top of my head.

actually desertion at VF was a huge problem for Washington.
but that makes sense as they were closer to home instead of being thousands miles across an ocean

[Rashputin]

Tarawa ?

Man, you're fuller of chit than the Rocky Mountain is full of goat turds.

[Vermont Lt]

Where in the hell would someone run to on Tarawa?

I can understand the fear. I can understand the desire to run. But most men do not. But to try to desert on an island. Its almost funny.

[Popman]

-——We’d had a lot of deserations at Valley Forge-——

Humm... There is a difference between a professional soldier like today and a bunch of farmers, tradesman...cold, Hungry , raggedy and barely trained...

[stocksthatgoup]

Valley Forge’s Army dwindled because many of the soldiers time of enlistment was up.