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Building Deuces Normandy 1944

J

JohnnyBM931A2

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Thank you! I had never seen that before. It's easy enough to focus on the main battles, etc. But you often forget the logistics behind it all, and all the hard work put in by those that weren't on the front lines.
 
Hunter2506

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120 Lb, 18 year-olds fought and won WWII. I would challenge our current generation of 18 year-olds to have as much sense of duty.
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Not that I don't have plenty of gripes about millennials, but I don't know that I'd rather be humping 100 lbs of gear through the desert in 120° heat and sandstorms worrying about unseen enemies and roadside bombs constantly than what our WWII vets faced in any of the theatres. In some ways it was tougher then, but Afghanistan and Iraq are no picnic.

Also, I seem to recall hearing somewhere that the WWII soldier saw an average 10 days of combat in a tour, whilst Vietnam troops saw 240 :shock:. I'm not sure what the figure is for Iraq or Afghanistan the last 12 years, but I'd bet still more than 10.
 
USAFSS-ColdWarrior

USAFSS-ColdWarrior

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USAFSS-ColdWarrior said:
Thanks for posting that up!

120 Lb, 18 year-olds fought and won WWII. I would challenge our current generation of 18 year-olds to have as much sense of duty.

God bless the Greatest Generation.
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Hunter2506 said:
Not that I don't have plenty of gripes about millennials, but I don't know that I'd rather be humping 100 lbs of gear through the desert in 120° heat and sandstorms worrying about unseen enemies and roadside bombs constantly than what our WWII vets faced in any of the theatres. In some ways it was tougher then, but Afghanistan and Iraq are no picnic.

Also, I seem to recall hearing somewhere that the WWII soldier saw an average 10 days of combat in a tour, whilst Vietnam troops saw 240 :shock:. I'm not sure what the figure is for Iraq or Afghanistan the last 12 years, but I'd bet still more than 10.
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I suppose I should have been more clear in my "challenge".

I fully respect and rate our current forces as just as capable as the Greatest Generation.
It is that greater percentage of our young adults who DO NOT serve in the armed forces to whom I meant to direct that challenge.
In WWII, a very high percentage of our young population were drafted or volunteered AND SERVED. This current generation not so much.

Thank you for prompting my clarification. (Too much turkey today is effecting my brain.)
 
rustystud

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Hunter2506 said:
Not that I don't have plenty of gripes about millennials, but I don't know that I'd rather be humping 100 lbs of gear through the desert in 120° heat and sandstorms worrying about unseen enemies and roadside bombs constantly than what our WWII vets faced in any of the theatres. In some ways it was tougher then, but Afghanistan and Iraq are no picnic.

Also, I seem to recall hearing somewhere that the WWII soldier saw an average 10 days of combat in a tour, whilst Vietnam troops saw 240 :shock:. I'm not sure what the figure is for Iraq or Afghanistan the last 12 years, but I'd bet still more than 10.
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The problem with that analogy is, that is averaging the total amount of troops with the amount of action seen. The reality is most troops where and still are "support" troops. It's a small percentage of the troops that actually see combat. There where infantry units that hit the beach at "Omaha" and went clear into Germany ! That is a lot of fighting ! General Pattons tank units saw tremendous amounts of combat. Ask any vet who served on "Iwo Jima" about fighting just 10 days ! Even in todays military it is a very small percentage that actually fight. So to say most WWII combat vets saw only 10 days of fighting is ridiculous.
 
CARNAC

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And the great video devolves into a THE great debate.

Military Police were established in 1941 as a foreseen need to maintain law, order and prevent desertion/AWOL. In 1944 the Army Criminal Investigation Division....it sure wasn't because everyone in the military was performing on par. They had shirks and jerks just like the Armys from the Revolution, Civil War, WW1, Korea, Vietnam and could you believe, today.

I personally would have preferred fighting in Europe in WW2 than any other period of time. The disease during previous wars was more likely to kill than a bullet. WWI was nothing but never ending mud and sitting in a trench waiting for the next whistle to go over the top or a snipers bullet or the next artillery round to drop my bunker on me is not on my want to do list. Korea wasn't fun even during peacetime and the yellow sand always made me sick and alternatively freezing the gonads like very few ever have the experience. Vietnam...walking around in zero visibility in a stinking jungle with sweat pouring off of me in 100% humidity is not my gig either. Point is every war has it's issues. Humping 100+ pounds of gear in 100+ degree heat with little to no water all the while some ignorant a$$ is telling you that you can't shoot the peaceloving and environmentally concerned people trying to kill you isn't my idea of a good time either. It's a tough time right now to be a SSG and a LT/CPT. One screwup by your troops and you're lucky if the only thing you lose is your career.

If we just got our enemies jobs and cleaned up the environment, all people would love us and we'd have nothing to worry about.
 
rustystud

rustystud

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CARNAC said:
And the great video devolves into a THE great debate.
If we just got our enemies jobs and cleaned up the environment, all people would love us and we'd have nothing to worry about.
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If only life could be that simple ! It's funny, my wife (who is a Liberal) and I (very conservative) where just talking about this issue yesterday. We (the U.S. government) forgot the basic tenants of combat, namely "know your enemy !" . We entered this quagmire in the middle east without knowing all the players and what they all wanted. The military totally blew-it not knowing anything about "Shiite's" and "Sunnie's" . Basically look at the 100 years war in Europe (Christianity: Protestants vs Catholics) Same thing here now. Also trying to turn "Tribal" people into modern thinking individuals like what happened in Afghanistan. Trying to turn Iraq into a democracy not knowing the cultural hatred between half the country and that "Hussein" kepted it together by brute force. Life is very complicated. Always has been, always will be.
 
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