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re: What would have been your plan if you were on a Normandy landing boat?
Posted on 11/21/17 at 6:19 pm to upgrayedd
Posted on 11/21/17 at 6:19 pm to upgrayedd
I worked with an old guy in the late 70s (now I'm the old guy) that was a former Marine and made a couple of the landings in the Pacific. Peleliu for one. He never talked about the actual combat, and I knew better than to ask. One day I saw a picture of some Marines going over the side of a landing craft instead of out the front, like on a Higgins boat. So I asked him about that. He told me he would always drop his pack before he went over the side of the LC. I remember I asked him, didn't you need your pack? He looked at me and said, there was always extra packs on the beach, and walked off. The look in his eyes said it all.
He had a reputation for being the old grump in the shop. When I finally had a chance to research Peleliu, because I had never heard of it, I realized why he was the way he was. Some of the survivors of those campaigns never looked at life the same again. Some for the better and some for the worse. But since Peleliu was fought for no reason, I can just imagine how that might make you a little bitter.
He had a reputation for being the old grump in the shop. When I finally had a chance to research Peleliu, because I had never heard of it, I realized why he was the way he was. Some of the survivors of those campaigns never looked at life the same again. Some for the better and some for the worse. But since Peleliu was fought for no reason, I can just imagine how that might make you a little bitter.
2
Posted on 11/21/17 at 6:38 pm to Tigerhead
quote:
He looked at me and said, there was always extra packs on the beach, and walked off. The look in his eyes said it all.
That's a motherfricker who has seen the other side
Posted on 11/21/17 at 7:16 pm to Tigerhead
quote:
since Peleliu was fought for no reason, I can just imagine how that might make you a little bitter.
There were several islands taken, when viewed in hindsight, that could be considered as "unnecessary" and should have been bypassed. Some say Iwo Jima was unnecessary because Okinawa was taken a few months later. There's a strong argument that the whole Philippines campaign was conducted just so MacArthur could say "I have returned" to the newsreel cameras.
Posted on 11/22/17 at 9:05 pm to beerJeep
quote:
Think of those whom died on November 11th, 1918. The peace had been signed. The generals and men in charge KNEW the war was over. KNEW the armistice would start on the elventh. Hell, that morning they knew exactly what time the armistice would go into effect.
Yet they still sent men out of the trenches to die. Up until the last minute.
A couple of them have plaques in the Memorial Oak Grove.
Posted on 11/26/17 at 10:37 pm to FightinTigersDammit
quote:
quote: At first, bomber crews had to fly 25 missions. Losses were so heavy the Army couldn't train replacements fast enough, so they upped to mission requirement to 30, then 35, and so on. However, air crews quickly figured out it was statistically improbable to fly 35 missions without being killed or captured
Actually, early on, losses were so high it was almost impossible to finish 25 missions, More and better fighter escorts, and the defeat of the Luftwaffe allowed the number of missions required for a complete tour to be raised to 30, then 35.
I'm watching a documentary called "Fog of War", which is basically Robert McNamara giving a lessons learned session from his years in the USAAF and as Secretary of Defense.
He just told a great story about working in the USAAF Office of Statistical Control. Early in the war, as we've discussed, American aircrews were taking a beating. They were losing an average of 4% on every mission. They were also averaging a 20% abort rate. McNamara says that when they investigated, the reasons given for aborting were largely bullshite. Pilots were afraid.
Curtis LeMay was a colonel in command of a B-24 group. He issued an order saying he would fly lead on every mission and that every plane assigned to a mission would bomb. If they didn't, he would court martial the entire crew. McMamara said LeMay's abort rate dropped to zero overnight.
Posted on 11/27/17 at 12:41 am to White Roach
There is no gameplan for that shite. It is hell on Earth. Every single mother fricker that got out of a boat or jumped out of a plane that day is the epitome of an American hero
I still get chill bumps watching the scene with Speirs in Band of Brothers when he tells Blithe that the best way to function as a solider is to realize you're already dead.
I still get chill bumps watching the scene with Speirs in Band of Brothers when he tells Blithe that the best way to function as a solider is to realize you're already dead.
Posted on 11/27/17 at 12:45 am to weagle99
I would have made myself a shield.
Posted on 11/27/17 at 5:09 am to Ponchy Tiger
quote:
As another poster said. I don’t like this game. That being said. A friend Dad landed on Utah beach. He told us a story about how their were guys in his unit that claimed they were atheist and there was no God. He said when they loaded onto the landing craft all of them guys were openly praying to God and every one of them were Christians when the door dropped.
Desperate people often do desperate things. I'm an atheist and, hell, I might have sent out a prayer in that life or death situation too. It can't hurt and that's probably the reason most people do it.
But I don't think anyone - including believers - wants to really test their faith by passing up something that can tangibly help them and rely on prayer instead as a better option. In a life or death combat situation, I'd rather have a gun and some type of cover than a prayer. In a life or death injury situation, I would rather have a doctor than a prayer.
Let someone get badly injured in a car accident and instead of calling an ambulance let's just hang out and pray for them instead. Yeah, right. Even the most devout Christian is going to call 911 first and then only pray when there's nothing tangible they can do to help the situation.
I don't know why we even bother working on medical advancements when we have prayer.
Posted on 11/27/17 at 5:16 am to weagle99
quote:
What would have been your plan if you were on a Normandy landing boat?
No plan to have. Just do your job and pray.
Posted on 11/27/17 at 5:44 am to weagle99
My plan would have been to get my arse to the beach and under cover to start firing on the hills.
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