Posted on 10/13/2006 5:53:36 PM PDT by concentric circles
Indeed.
You're right. Almost as hot as the Terry Schiavo threads.
e.g.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1717856/posts?page=1#1
"That incident was related to Ambrose by some of the Easy Company soldiers as the truth. What actually happened that day is still unclear, and Spiers, the only man who really knows, has never talked about it"
If you look around there is quite a lot of BOB discussion that includes the vets themselves or their close relatives. "Sparky" Spiers step-son answered a number of questions as did Dick Winters in the book "The Biggest Brother." Spiers is an interesting person.
I have been reading military history for 40 years now and I think I have read practically every autobiography, personal story etc published in English. Recent books published on WWII are including a lot of things that wouldn't have been admitted 40 years ago. U.S. soldiers shot prisoners sometimes without a good reason or much provocation. I think nearly all the most recent books I have read mention it at least once. I think Ambrose mentioned in his d-day book the paratroop company commander who had nearly 150 dead Germans nearby his command post, all shot in the head, most shot by him personally.
Spiers is an interesting person.
"Machts nichts" I don't really know how he meant it though. I think it could mean either in this situation, "It doesn't matter" or "Never mind."
I've read before that some German troops would die before they would accept blood that came from black or jewish veins.
My uncle was clear, the young soldier was saying it didn't matter.
The young kid made an impression on my uncle because he was so young. He was just barely old enough to be in a uniform.
The young boy was expected to live because of the care he received. Hopefully he made it home safely to a grateful mother and father.
From what I've read, as brutal as the Nazis were, they treated their POW's fairly well. The Japanese, on the other hand, words can't describe how truly sick they were to their prisoners.
bump
"The only resort the South had was to go "Guerrilla" and fight as the Viet Cong did."
Well, I would point out that the peace movement was pretty strong at least until 1863 (probably even 1864 itself). Had the Army of Tennesee and co. been able to hold back the northern invaders, I think there's a good chance that McClellan (or whatever other Democrat would be running in his stead) would've won in 1864 and the decision would be in favor of the Confederacy.
Also, as historian Bevin Alexander writes about, had the Army of Northern Virginia pressed its advantage at 1st Manassas they could have possibly ended the war quickly. He also suggests that the Army of Northern Virginia had the opportunity to force the surrender of the Army of the Potomac at 2nd Manassas, but the opportunity was lost due to dawdling. He also contends that Jackson intended to cut off the Army of the Potomac's primay route of retreat at Chancellorsville, but Jackson was felled (not to mention quite a few immediate subordinates!!!) before his plan could come to fruition.
I believe artilleryman E. Porter Alexander did suggest the guerilla route as the outcome of the war became apparent.
Maybe the claim on MOHs should be for "more MOHs that day in combat with FOREIGN enemies than any other"......
Why ,the japanese Lost
"Well, I would point out that the peace movement was pretty strong at least until 1863 (probably even 1864 itself). "
While I agree had a couple ofimportant battles been won BEFORE the Elections of 1864 could have resulted in a McClellan winning the White House, the South had to win virtually every battle thereafter until the next presidential elections four years later. Something the South simply could not do.
After the Elections of with a solid win for Lincoln and the Black Republicans the fate of the was sealed. Lincoln would have continued to hammer the South until She was bled white of men material and wealth.
The industrial North had the will, the power and the means to do it. In many of the important economic sectors of The South looked like Germany after WW2. She just couldn't win a war of atrition with the North.
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