The FReeper Foxhole Profiles - The Cigarette Camps - US Army in Le Havre - September 26th, 2003

skylighters.org ^

[snippy_about_it]

My hands are shaking--I better preview this.

LOL. Just the thought of not being on FR does that to you!! We've got to be allowed some vices or we wouldn't have any fun!

[SAMWolf]

Now--absent drink, drugs, tobacco, honky tonks, gambling--my only addiction is Free Republic.

FR sure is addicting isn't it? They'll have to pry the keyboard from my cold dead hands.

[colorado tanker]

Nice read. G.I.'s have a way of importing a little bit of America where ever they are around they world, don't they?

I've heard, "amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics." I am in awe that the advance on Baghdad was supported the way it was. The mishap of the 507th was tragic. The column did have to hold up a couple of days to regroup and resupply. But to go the distance in the time the 3rd I.D. and Marines did means the logisticians were definitely on top of their game.

Phil, you are a hoot.

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks tanker. Phil is a hoot isn't he. We love his nightly posts here and Foxhole, wouldn't be the same without him! Glad he's addicted.

[SAMWolf]

The Foxhole is gonna cover some "logistics" next Tuesday.

[colorado tanker]

Logistics is so key to victory. It was my secondary specialty. Even though Patton is criticized for ignoring logistics, I disagree - I think Patton had a keen understanding of how American logistics and our massive industrial capacity were going to crush the Axis. Patton's issue was that he was so aggessive on the offensive that he was willing to play his logistical string out to the last thread and then some. But Patton was right that aggressive behavior wins wars and saves lives.

[SAMWolf]

Patton was smart enough to have good people to worry about his logistics, he took bliztzkreig back to the Germans with a vengeance.

IMHO, Eisenhower's "broadfront strategy" prolonged the war and allowed the Russians to overrun most of Eastern Europe, Churchill was right about trying to meet the Russians as far East as possible.

[colorado tanker]

IMHO, Eisenhower's "broadfront strategy" prolonged the war and allowed the Russians to overrun most of Eastern Europe, Churchill was right about trying to meet the Russians as far East as possible.

I'm a fan of Ike's, but I have to agree with you. The broadfront strategy was politics, plain and simple. I doubt that Ike could have done it, in the sense that he would not have gotten support from Marshall and Roosevelt, but a more decisive commander would have shut Monty off for lack of results and reinforced Patton. Reinforce success and starve failure. It wasn't even always Brits versus Yanks. The Yanks should never have been ordered into the Hurtgen (sp?) Forest - they should have bypassed it as Nimitz and MacArthur were doing in the Pacific. Turn Patton loose on the North German Plain? Is there a better definition of pure joy? Rant over.

[SAMWolf]

Eisenhower was probably the only American general who could have pulled off working with Monty, Patton, LeClerc and De Gaulle without a major falling out among the Allies.

(Although during and after the Bulge it came real close)

They needed a "politician" in Europe and he was good at it.

The Foxhole has upcoming threads on Eisenhower (Biography) and another on his decison to not go for Berlin.

[colorado tanker]

I couldn't have done what Ike did without going starkers, for sure.

IMHO because of his experience as Supreme Commander and dealing so many "difficult" politicians during WWII, Ike was probably the best prepared President of the 20th Century. (I guess in these times I should add, UNLIKE Wesley Clark, who was a problem person, not a problem solver.)

I'm anxiously awaiting those threads. Thanks for all you do on the Foxhole, Sam.

[SAMWolf]

Your welcome, It's the folks like you who give me an Snippy the motivation to do the Foxhole threads. (Plus we like doing them). Actually , you gave me the idea for the logistics topic.

I can't believe anyone would try and compare Eisenhower and Clark.

[ihcronos]

uss carl vinson - the photo with jason reyes. would anyone know if jason has a brother called robert cruz?

[SAMWolf]

Those pictures where poasted from Yahoo News. The only thing I know about any of the people in them is what is in the caption. Sorry I can't be of any help.