Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

WWII vet doesn't need movie; he lived it
Los Angeles Daily News ^ | October 11, 2006 | Dennis McCarthy

Posted on 10/13/2006 5:53:36 PM PDT by concentric circles

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-56 last
To: rlmorel

Indeed.


41 posted on 10/13/2006 8:26:03 PM PDT by streetpreacher (What if you're wrong?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel

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


42 posted on 10/13/2006 8:26:31 PM PDT by ladyjane
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: kms61

"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.


43 posted on 10/13/2006 8:32:13 PM PDT by Belasarius (Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. Job 5:2-7)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Belasarius

Spiers is an interesting person.



The most interesting person in BoB, IMHO, and deserving of a book of his own. Unfortunatley, he's never been interested in telling his story.


44 posted on 10/13/2006 8:37:01 PM PDT by kms61
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: ladyjane

"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.


45 posted on 10/13/2006 8:38:09 PM PDT by Belasarius (Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. Job 5:2-7)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: Belasarius

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.


46 posted on 10/13/2006 8:45:53 PM PDT by ladyjane
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: ladyjane

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.


47 posted on 10/13/2006 9:12:59 PM PDT by boop (Now Greg, you know I don't like that WORD!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: Monterrosa-24
"If the Confederates in their worst showings of the war at Island #10, Fort Henry, and Fort Donelson had fought half as tough as the Japanese on Iwo Jima, I would be writing this in the CSA today."

Confederates and Japanese lost for the same reasons. Never get in a fight with someone who is bigger than you better equipped and has many more of brothers (as back-ups) than you.

The South believed quality meant more quantity and the Japs thought "Spirit" meant more machinary The only resort the South had was to go "Guerrilla" and fight as the Viet Cong did.
48 posted on 10/13/2006 9:31:29 PM PDT by RedMonqey (Liberal Agenda : "You've got it, I want it, you owe me,")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Belasarius
Earl started out with an airweight .50 cal machine gun... Lost one of his friends coming up the beach just after they landed (first wave, IIRC) to a guy with a samurai sword. Towards the end, he was using a flame thrower, too. He started out delighted to do it, but by the time it was over, he was sick of it. They'd toss a grenade into a cave, and then he'd squirt it down with the burner. Started doing that after they lost the second guy checking wounded in the caves.

I read about it, and sometimes I cry, sometimes I don't. I got lucky, as a kid. I enlisted during Nam, and volunteered to go, and never made it. By the time Desert Storm started, I'd grown up, and I was support, way back from the front lines. I've got some friends still on active duty, and a couple of my cousins are in. One was in the firefight that took out Saddam's sons. I'm too old, and the arthritis is giving me hell just getting out of a chair these days. I've got to accept that it's in other hands now.

I'm a teacher now, and maybe I can help prepare the kids who'll be fighting when my cousins are retired, Lord Willing.
49 posted on 10/13/2006 9:32:05 PM PDT by Old Student (We have a name for the people who think indiscriminate killing is fine. They're called "The Bad Guys)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: Old Student

bump


50 posted on 10/13/2006 9:41:21 PM PDT by Centurion2000 ("Be polite and courteous, but have a plan to KILL everybody you meet.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: RedMonqey

"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.


51 posted on 10/14/2006 2:01:50 AM PDT by Constantine XI Palaeologus ("Vicisti, Galilaee")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: AlaskaErik
You are right I had the humbling honor of visiting that hallowed piece of ground myself.
52 posted on 10/14/2006 5:29:47 AM PDT by Warrior Nurse (I am starting another underground railroad to help blacks escape from the Democratic plantation.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: 91B

Maybe the claim on MOHs should be for "more MOHs that day in combat with FOREIGN enemies than any other"......


53 posted on 10/14/2006 5:35:04 AM PDT by Gaffer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Monterrosa-24

Why ,the japanese Lost


54 posted on 10/14/2006 6:07:07 AM PDT by ballplayer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Centurion2000
Re your tagline: being polite and calling them sir or ma'am doesn't make them one whit more bulletproof, if it comes to that, either, does it?
55 posted on 10/14/2006 10:51:46 AM PDT by Old Student (We have a name for the people who think indiscriminate killing is fine. They're called "The Bad Guys)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: Constantine XI Palaeologus

"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.


56 posted on 10/30/2006 3:06:20 PM PST by RedMonqey (Liberal Agenda : "You've got it, I want it, you owe me,")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-56 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson