Question of the month. Could the US fight a war like WWII again.

[Blitzkrieg]

My Grandpa served alongside Audie Murphy. Swears to this day that the only reason he (my Grandpa) got home alive was that he was the only one that knew how to cook, so everyone fought like hell to keep him alive. Only thing he'd ever say of Audie Murphy was "I dunno what happened to that poor boy 'fore he signed up, but he was dead inside. You could see it in his eyes. He had no intention of ever coming back. He did all he could to get himself killed and it musta been the grace of God hisself that kept him safe."

So I'm inclined to believe we might have a few Audie Murphy's around. The real question is if any of them would have the luck to suppliment their courage and resolve (or possibly just suicidal tendencies) that Audie apparently had.

The only other story my Grandpa would tell was how an officer came by to send 50 men from his unit back home for R&R, but only 16 were left. They were unable to allow the entire unit to leave the field, so they were told only one could go home. They drew straws and my Grandpa won.

Maybe the 1,000 yard stare. I've never been to war but with what I've been thru I'm halfway there

 

[The B]

Desperation and communism don't make for a good combination for a free people. Women are not "equal" even if they can fight out of desperation

I'm all for equal rights, equal recognition, equal respect... but men and women are most definitely not equal, in many areas. Capacity for physical strength and endurance not least of all, nor emotional stability.

 

[trainsktg]

Desperation and communism don't make for a good combination for a free people. Women are not "equal" even if they can fight out of desperation

You need to expand your research more...

Tomoe Gozen and Augustina de Aragon to name some individuals, the Kunoichi and the Dahomey Amazons to name some groups. My research indicates that these women were neither desperate nor Communist.

I'm all for equal rights, equal recognition, equal respect... but men and women are most definitely not equal, in many areas. Capacity for physical strength and endurance not least of all, nor emotional stability.

Obviously the average woman is not as strong or as fast as the average man, but a well-trained woman with the right attitude is gonna be able to ventilate any average man's skull with blade or gun pretty darn quick and without much trouble.

OK, back to the men...

All this talk of the 'Greatest Generation' (a nickname, btw, interestingly bestowed upon themselves by themselves) once again proves that with most people, history only began on the day they were born. Let's step back just a little bit and look at a few of some of America's other great heros with big nuts who came before the Big One:

WWI hero Henry Lincoln Johnson, now buried at Arlington cemetery, performed a one man stand in the Argonne Forest against a platoon of thirty German soldiers. In the ensuing melee, he killed four, wounding twelve others and drove the remainder back into the forest, armed only with a bolo knife, and only AFTER being wounded 21 times by bullets and grenades. Before the war, he worked as a redcap in a subway.

Lawman Bass Reeves captured or killed over 3,000 hardened criminals in the American West and was not once ever injured in the performance of his duties. He was an escaped slave.

Revolutionary War patriot Peter Francisco fought in numerous battles throughout the war swinging a five foot broadsword given to him by George Washington himself. He was 6'5" and weighted close to 300#, all muscle. He was known as 'the Virginia Hercules' and once drug a half-ton cannon out of a field of engagement by himself (just him, no horses!) to prevent it from falling into the hands of the British.

My point being...no event has transpired in the last 60 years that all of a sudden prevents America from producing men such as this. They are always among us and will rise to the occasion if our country ever needs them again.

Keith

 

[Grunwald]

Tell you what (and no threat implied) I don't know how big or old of a guy you are but I am betting my sister in law (Captain, UP Army MP, retired) would take you and many of the guys on this site to the cleaners. I am not a small guy by any means and she can lift and move just as much as I can.

I'm about 6'2" and 205 lbs. Is your sister in law capable of picking me up and doing a 100 yard dash while carrying that weight?

There is a youtube video of a female state trooper getting a beatdown from a guy she stopped. It happened because political correctness put her in a position where she should not have been. It used to be that positions like that were limited to only certain sized men (big guys). If you were a woman or some scrawny guy you would not be able to get that position. Those days common sense was used instead of political correctness.

 

[Father of four]

"Men and women are different, we have different strengths and weaknesses. We can not do the same jobs all the time."

A quote from my wife.

 

[hatchj]

I see no reason to belittle a generation like this...Mr. Beckerich up above I think has hit the nail on the head a few times. How is my generation so useless if you older folk seem to see yourselves as so much better? I question parenting and egos.

But, I'm not gonna dive into this much further.

If you yourself never went to war...How can you say that as a whole, we couldn't?

 

[Sling Blade]

Desperation and communism don't make for a good combination for a free people. Women are not "equal" even if they can fight out of desperation

The 19th century just called. It says you'd fit in a lot better there.

 

[Sling Blade]

I'm all for equal rights, equal recognition, equal respect... but men and women are most definitely not equal, in many areas. Capacity for physical strength and endurance not least of all, nor emotional stability.

Why, it's just a wonder that they have the vote, being all that unstable and such. doG forbid any country lets one become Prime Minister or something.

 

[jordanvraptor]

Interesting thesis for discussion. As a long time student of military history and Infantry combat veteran, I will say this. The military can make good servicemen and women out of anyone so I don't question the current generation's fitness for combat. I do question the political will or public support it would take. Consider that in WW2 over 16 million served (about 11% of the population), and over 400,000 died during the war. Today we have around 300 million in population and even if you count active and reserve forces, you would be lucky to approach 1% of the population who have served in the current wars. This is why when I came back home I saw a country that didn't know or cared very much what I had been through. Not to mention the conversion of civilian industry to wartime production that occurred in WW2. My dad was 17 and welding armor for heavy cruisers before he enlisted in the Marine Corps. 400,000 casualties. Remember when the press was griping about 5,000 dead in ten years of war. I think the Marines lost 5,000 in a week on Iwo Jima which is a rock about 5 miles long... I don't think the US of today would be willing to fight a war on the scale of WW2. The larger point is, we don't have to and shouldn't. Blitzkrieg would be my modus operandi as well but I didn't see much of that going on in Afghanistan... That is a political decision, not a reflection of the capabilities or dedication of our military.

 

[Sincere]

Check out the demographics that won WW2 and see if it matches today.. the answer is no

LOLOLOL

In case you guy don't get his veiled language: He's saying that America won WW2 because of all the White people in the country and that all the 'colored folk' today couldn't do the same.

History is hard huh? 442nd Regimental Combat Team Historical Society

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I'm all for equal rights, equal recognition, equal respect... but men and women are most definitely not equal, in many areas. Capacity for physical strength and endurance not least of all, nor emotional stability.

I love our women and have been married to a very special one more than 3 decades.. she is the first to agree with us

 

[Blitzkrieg]

LOLOLOL

In case you guy don't get his veiled language: He's saying that America won WW2 because of all the White people in the country and that all the 'colored folk' today couldn't do the same.

History is hard huh? 442nd Regimental Combat Team Historical Society

What war have we "won" since, pal? My Gma said the proof was in the pudding

 

[Blitzkrieg]

The 19th century just called. It says you'd fit in a lot better there.

I agree, modern men are fools. You are a perfect example

 

[Blitzkrieg]

You need to expand your research more...

Tomoe Gozen and Augustina de Aragon to name some individuals, the Kunoichi and the Dahomey Amazons to name some groups. My research indicates that these women were neither desperate nor Communist.



Obviously the average woman is not as strong or as fast as the average man, but a well-trained woman with the right attitude is gonna be able to ventilate any average man's skull with blade or gun pretty darn quick and without much trouble.

OK, back to the men...

All this talk of the 'Greatest Generation' (a nickname, btw, interestingly bestowed upon themselves by themselves) once again proves that with most people, history only began on the day they were born. Let's step back just a little bit and look at a few of some of America's other great heros with big nuts who came before the Big One:

WWI hero Henry Lincoln Johnson, now buried at Arlington cemetery, performed a one man stand in the Argonne Forest against a platoon of thirty German soldiers. In the ensuing melee, he killed four, wounding twelve others and drove the remainder back into the forest, armed only with a bolo knife, and only AFTER being wounded 21 times by bullets and grenades. Before the war, he worked as a redcap in a subway.

Lawman Bass Reeves captured or killed over 3,000 hardened criminals in the American West and was not once ever injured in the performance of his duties. He was an escaped slave.

Revolutionary War patriot Peter Francisco fought in numerous battles throughout the war swinging a five foot broadsword given to him by George Washington himself. He was 6'5" and weighted close to 300#, all muscle. He was known as 'the Virginia Hercules' and once drug a half-ton cannon out of a field of engagement by himself (just him, no horses!) to prevent it from falling into the hands of the British.

My point being...no event has transpired in the last 60 years that all of a sudden prevents America from producing men such as this. They are always among us and will rise to the occasion if our country ever needs them again.

Keith

This is simple treason to the survival of a free state. Grima Wormtongue lives

 

[gearhead]

LOLOLOL

In case you guy don't get his veiled language: He's saying that America won WW2 because of all the White people in the country and that all the 'colored folk' today couldn't do the same.

History is hard huh? 442nd Regimental Combat Team Historical Society

Demographics involve far more than race - Sociology plays a large role as well. Before we go throwing the race card around here, it might be better to consider all elements in the equation first.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Demographics involve far more than race - Sociology plays a large role as well. Before we go throwing the race card around here, it might be better to consider all elements in the equation first.

We can translate "sincere's" post thusly

I want him to shut up so I'll call him names

 

[trainsktg]

This is simple treason to the survival of a free state. Grima Wormtongue lives

It is treason by talk about great women warriors and great Americans of the past? Sir, I'm concerned. I implore you to have your prescription checked .

Best regards and wishing you a speedy recovery.

Keith

 

[slimmer13]

This is simple treason to the survival of a free state. Grima Wormtongue lives

Sweet! Dust off the old LOTR reference. Nice!

 

[teflon6string]

We could, but we wouldn't.

 

[Leather]

As my uncle (WWII vet) always said, "You can't know what a person is made of until he gets good and mad".

That is so true, very well said.