So Doolittle, LeMay, Eaker, Spaatz, et.al. were also war criminals? In WWII the whole philosophy of strategic bombing was to dislocate the enemy home front, their production and productivity, "de-house" the German and Japanese workforce, and to EDEMORALIZE the enemy civilian populations and teach them a lesson on what war was all about.
Would you want Lt. Joe Schmoe who flew B-17's to get charged with murder like that poor serviceman in Iraq is, just because he shot first?
You're reasoning is specious. Sherman was a great field general, cut from the same mold as Patton.
"We're going to cut out those g_ddamn Krauts' intestines from their bellies and use 'em to grease the treads of our tanks!"
What the heck kind of conservative are you? THINK!!!!!!
I'm a Lincoln conservative. What the heck are you? Ever hear "with malice toward none, with charity to all"? Sherman made a joke of that statement. Using Sherman's logic Patton would have broken away from the Werhmacht to go to torch undefended Bavarian cities. Strategic bombing during WWII was instrumental in winning the war. Strategic burning of homes, farms, crops and towns at the end of a war already won did nothing but make reconstruction near impossible in this area. I'm still waiting for someone to show me how not pursuing Johnston, Hood or Lee in order to "make Georgia howl" ended the war any sooner.