Posted on 06/02/2005 7:42:52 PM PDT by mdittmar
Edited on 06/02/2005 9:15:02 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
GRAFENW
(Excerpt) Read more at estripes.com ...
They can't all be enemies.
I've read stories where their new recruites were raped by their officers and the other men in their platoons. Some real honest to God horror stories about their military. If they enjoy firing our tanks, and our military allows it, I don't have a problem with it.
I'm not talking about the upper echelon, I'm talking about the grunts.
The "monkey model" shiped to the Iraqis, and manned by Arab troops, were indeed a joke. Wether Russian T-72s, or the follow on T-80, manned by Russian troops, who after all creamed the Nazi Panzers with their T-34s, might be another thing. The same could be said of Chinese Type 98 tanks.
No problem with the friendship thing - But the "Comrades" seems to be a MSM spin.
Actually it was the Soviets, which isn't quite the same thing.
I have read of at least one instance of several sailors of the Russian navy dying of scurvy on a island outpost along the coast .I realize Ivan might have trouble growing citrus in large parts of the country but they can grow onions for cryin out loud.
I stand corrected,this is why I love FR,nothing goes unchallenged.
I remember being out there, that was fun. It would have been a lot more so if the Germans didn't put insane rules on every damn thing you did or thought about doing.
By the way, there is no precident in Russian history of military coups.
Actually, the Soviets sold it and it was 25 years ago.
This sort of thing is just dumb. The press loves it.
I keep telling you guys: Never, never, never trust the Russians.
I'll do it now...thanks.
You probably remember a US Major from the USMLM in Pottsdam who died getting out of a T-80 tank warehouse years ago (after getting lots of interior photos). My company got the alert call and retrieved his body that Friday night from the Russians.
Likewise, at Spandau prison, we'd take the guard rotation from the Russians there. I'll never forget that ceremony. We had lots of interactions with Soviet forces there - always competitive - always good-natured.
Except when we went to see their barracks area. Talk about living in Hell. They slept in hay beds, had no running water, shit literally running down the walls of their buildings where the latrines were. The individual soldiers had no idea where in the world they were - since the only maps within a company were kept by the LT and the platoon sergeant.
Their officers had fat, ugly wives. They lived in decent quarters, and the enlisted men were essentially their servants. The NCOs - the few that they had - had killer looking wives and worse quarters. But their women.......damn.
I have to wonder what the Russian people are like now compared to several years back. I have been around Ukrainian's and Russians when they visited for medical tours. It was a real eye opener as to see how much a Communist upbringing can effect a person work ethic. They all thought that American's seemed driven and worked too hard. They seemed not to understand taking pride in your work. A profession to them was an assignment and not a choice.
ping
Graf was always a hard ass place.
The fact that the Russians are being allowed in is stunning to me.
My how the world has changed from 1980.
Cheers,
knews hound
http://knewshound.blogspot.com/
I tried and tried and couldn't get it to work.
I thought we were prohibited from post Stars and Stripe.
I agree with that. We are a friend kinda country...not comrade.
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