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To: JasonC

I'll agree with you as regards Rommel, but most of his shortcomings were due to superior's actions, not his own.

As to Douglas McArthur, let's keep in mind several factors:
First, by the time of the Chineese intervention in Korea, McA was an elderly man - He had retired from the US Army before WWII, and was the Marshal of the Philippines on Dec 7th 1941. He was Chief of Staff of the US Army when Ridgeway was a Captain! McA was a hands-down military genius. From his exceptional delaying tactics in the Phillipines to his Island Hopping methodology in the war in the Pacific, from his administration of a defeated Japan (and keeping the Russians out of there!) to his amazing response to the invasion of S. Korea - when he had nearly nothing to respond with. His invasion of Inchon, in the face of opposition from Collins and Ridgeway, was a military master stroke! His admittedly pi$$-poor response to the Chineese intervention shocked him to the core. He didn't believe the Chineese would be willing to risk nuclear war over N. Korea. I blame that more on crappy intel than McA's ineptitude. Sorry, McA was the BEST military commander in modern times.


391 posted on 11/14/2004 8:27:28 PM PST by clee1 (Islam is a deadly plague; liberalism is the AIDS virus that prevents us from defending ourselves.)
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To: clee1

Well said.


393 posted on 11/14/2004 8:30:04 PM PST by Zechariah11
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To: clee1
From his exceptional delaying tactics in the Phillipines to his Island Hopping methodology in the war in the Pacific,

Very little is known about this today.

With regard to Inchon -- words of admiration fail me. To think that the Allied Forces were all but beaten when he pulled it off. He turned a sure defeat into a huge victory. And lasting consequences -- just look at the stark contrast in the two Koreas fifty years later.

409 posted on 11/14/2004 9:04:00 PM PST by Zechariah11
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To: clee1

McArthur was an old man when Korea was thrust upon him, the man was a general in ww1, (most decorated American officer in that war by the way)Truman administration screwed McAuthurs command in so many ways during that war that it bordered on treason. Just one example, all those Chinese troops that McAuthur had to fight were guarding against a possible invasion from Tiawan, until Truman order the 7th fleet to patrol the straight to make certain Tiawan did not invade. In other words Truman order American forces to guard the enemy flank! Freeing it forces to enter Korea, WHF!


558 posted on 01/08/2005 1:11:55 AM PST by jpsb
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