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To: discostu
You are certainly entitled to your opinion on the role of women in the military, but don't let the facts get in your way...

Now back to points. Since women in hazardious zones started in WWII do you think Patton was a PC moron?

There is absolutely no comparison to the roles of women in WWII, Korea and Vietnam to their present roles in GWII -- and George Patton would slap you from his grave for pretending there is. Back then, women weren't called Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines; they were called WACs, WAVES, WAFs and WMs, and there were no illusions that their roles stretched beyond home front and rear area support to fighting men. They served admirably in medicine and administration, and ferried trucks and planes -- but they were never intentionally deployed near enemy forces. No longer cherished, today's females are just more meat for the slaughter.

The woman captured WASN'T in a front line unit, she was in a backup maintentance unit.

That is true. However, she was assigned to a mobile contact team which was assigned to a forward position in support of a frontline combat unit. This role is called Combat Support. Because of the likelihood of enemy contact, such units were all male until the late 1980s, when the United States government reinvented human nature.

...my view on women in combat zones comes straight from my mother, a Viet Nam era Marine whom I garauntee can STILL outshoot you, out pummel you, and out drink you. People that have the will and the skill should be on the frontline.

I'm sure your mother is a fine lady and was an outstanding Woman Marine. But never in your wildest Zena fantasies would she last a day in close combat with men. It has been tried before, my friend, and for myriad reasons always failed.

We can pretend about human nature all we want, but it is that same denial which has placed our young women in such an awful position to begin with. We've all seen the photos of the pretty young girl from West Virginia. If there is one among us who did not immediately think of what any enemy troops would do to her if they caught her, I'll call that person a liar. Let us not pretend about her, and let us not pretend about where we send our females in future wars...

81 posted on 03/25/2003 7:43:49 PM PST by Always A Marine
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To: Always A Marine
Regardless of the titles the women in service in previous wars were NOT in safe zones and could have and occassionally were (and especially in Viet Nam which lacked a cohesive front) injured, killed or captured. What's the difference between being captured at an aid station and on the frontline? Having an M-16 in your hand is the only one I can think of.

You can think that. But according to the citations from the Marine Corp you'd be wrong. I have the added bonus of my father also being a Marine and being able to compare their scores... she was a better shot than him, not as fast a runner but still within Corp limits.

I guess you're gonna have to call me a liar. I didn't think about what would happen to her in enemy hands, I have full confidence that all our captured soldiers will go through hell and it scares me to contemplate it. But I wouldn't insult any one who has earned a spot in our military by thinking of them with a double standard. I was taught better than that. It's the same rank insignia and the same accomplishment to get them.
84 posted on 03/25/2003 7:55:20 PM PST by discostu (I have not yet begun to drink)
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