The FReeper Foxhole Remembers the Rangers at Pointe du Hoc (6/6/1944) - Dec. 30th, 2003

www.army.mil/cmh-pg ^

[Iris7]

Does not surprise me about Eleanor Roosevelt. She never received justice here in this world. I am confident she has since.

Am something of a student of the Pacific War. It was more emotional than Europe. My point of view is that fear and anger (real anger, not the milksop thing called anger by most) are closely related, perhaps the same thing.

One thing about my reading program, most of which has been conducted off of the beaten path, (I look for personal stories, not "official" history, which I have chewed over until the flavor is gone) is that I find a lot of unpolished but sincerely believed points of view.

I talk to the WWII guys when they feel like it. Had a good long talk (about six slow drinks) with a Chosin Reservoir Marine, got two silver stars there. He was lecturing me on Duty, and telling his story. I remember the occasion well, about 1985. A lot of writing is like his story, very from the heart, but also not that interested in other than his personal experience.

Pegasus Bridge talks about the elite glider troops that made that drop being used later as firemen because they could get the job done. Those men were all used up. Later the Arnhem bridge needed capture, and the Market Garden operation failed when this could not be accomplished. The glider borne bridge specialists consumed in Normandy could have done the job easily had they still been around.

Much of the stuff seen as malevolence is in fact stupidity. As Einstein said, "Genius has it's limits, but there are no limits to stupidity." - Very roughly, just the gist!