Military History Thread

[Kepler]

Welp.

The US Army is dropping its high school diploma requirement.

It’s the most recent announcement from the military branch.

The news came after the Army had difficulty with its enlisting numbers.

TIL there had been a HS diploma requirement for joining the US Army.

[joecct]

Those are real good.
One of the coolest spots in Normandy is when you get to St Lo. The bridges over the river all feature a US flag prominently displayed and many places around have signs that say, Welcome, our liberators" That, and the the posts that every kilometer count down the " road to freedom" are really moving.

It's hard to imagine how devastated that town was as you drive into it today.

Right now I'm reading " A Peace to end all Peace" by David Fromkin. About the end of the ottoman empire. This figures in prominently in Greek history which I became a fan of while there.

Battle of Lepanto

[manurespreader]

Re: Military History Thread

Those are real good.
One of the coolest spots in Normandy is when you get to St Lo. The bridges over the river all feature a US flag prominently displayed and many places around have signs that say, Welcome, our liberators" That, and the the posts that every kilometer count down the " road to freedom" are really moving.

It's hard to imagine how devastated that town was as you drive into it today.

Right now I'm reading " A Peace to end all Peace" by David Fromkin. About the end of the ottoman empire. This figures in prominently in Greek history which I became a fan of while there.

[MountieBoyOz]

Re: Military History Thread

Awesome. Post if there are others.

Best contribution I can make is the following (most probably aware of it anyways):

http://www.realclearhistory.com/

Between this and Sporcle, I'll never be productive again.

[5mn_Major]

Re: Military History Thread

Figured I'd revive the thread with this.

http://www.collegehumor.com/article/...o-world-war-ii

Awesome. Post if there are others.

Best contribution I can make is the following (most probably aware of it anyways):

http://www.realclearhistory.com/

[MountieBoyOz]

Re: Military History Thread

I'm officially jealous.

As am I.

The St. Lawrence men's hockey beat writer at the Times is a big war history fan. He goes to air shows all the time and he got his picture with Spitfires and other aircraft. We make jokes about the wars. (He did a good one last night about the Napoleonic wars.)

[Old Pio]

Re: Military History Thread

glad you did. I had a great trip this year and visited not only Normandy and a number of little known spots, such as bloody gulch, but also visited the battlefields at Thermopylea, Salamis, leuctra, Marathon, and Pleatea. Now that was interesting.! MOAON AABE!

I'm officially jealous.

[manurespreader]

Re: Military History Thread

Figured I'd revive the thread with this.

http://www.collegehumor.com/article/...o-world-war-ii

glad you did. I had a great trip this year and visited not only Normandy and a number of little known spots, such as bloody gulch, but also visited the battlefields at Thermopylea, Salamis, leuctra, Marathon, and Pleatea. Now that was interesting.! MOAON AABE!

[MountieBoyOz]

Re: Military History Thread

Figured I'd revive the thread with this.

http://www.collegehumor.com/article/...o-world-war-ii

[Old Pio]

Re: Military History Thread

I remember a joke going around shortly after Reagan went to Normandy for the 40th anniversary of D-Day. Along with French dignitaries were the British and Canadians. Someone commented that it would have been politically correct and reconciliatory to have invited the Germans. Someone then said, "We did invite the Germans, but they showed up 3 days late, and went to Pas de Calais instead".

Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt: A landing at Normandy would be against military logic. It would be against ALL logic.

Major General Gunther Blumentritt: This is history. We are living an historical moment. We are going to lose the war because our glorious Führer has taken a sleeping pill and is not to be awakened. Sometimes I wonder which side God is on.

[joecct]

Re: Military History Thread

I made a joke at my wife's expense. She loves France and said she wanted to go to Paris. I told her the quickest way was to march in from Berlin. Needless to say, she wasn't thrilled with me.

Actually, it's via Rotterdam and Brussels.

Also, the "Wave" actually started in France in late 1870 / early 1871. French civilians, wanting to show their support of the military, started the surrender gesture at football games.

[Wol4ine]

Re: Military History Thread

I made a joke at my wife's expense. She loves France and said she wanted to go to Paris. I told her the quickest way was to march in from Berlin. Needless to say, she wasn't thrilled with me.

I remember a joke going around shortly after Reagan went to Normandy for the 40th anniversary of D-Day. Along with French dignitaries were the British and Canadians. Someone commented that it would have been politically correct and reconciliatory to have invited the Germans. Someone then said, "We did invite the Germans, but they showed up 3 days late, and went to Pas de Calais instead".

[Old Pio]

Re: Military History Thread

It fit Gen. MacArthur's personality to a T. He was the Shogun.

William Manchester titled his biography of MacArthur "American Caesar." Also on the nose.

[Timothy A]

Re: Military History Thread

Watch an excellent British produced documentary called The First World War. I didn't realize how new some of the techniques and weapons that were used in that war. I also gained a lot of respect for Marshal Foch of France. He was only 65 days off of his prediction of a Second World War.

That is an excellent, excellent series. There is this haunting image in my head of this dressed up soldier standing in front of this normally dressed woman who was executed, hanging there like she was dragged out of her house and strangled. That picture was in one of the early episodes about all the genocide type things that happened early in the war in he Balkans. It just crushes me that humans treat other humans as if they are from another planet and kill them because of their heritage. It's been a flaw in mankind since sin entered the world. The "smarter" we get as no effect on this flaw. I just don't know why we all can't get along....(I do know why, but that's for another thread.)

[joecct]

Re: Military History Thread

Yes, certainly. Give some credit also to Douglas MacArthur, whose enlightened administration of Japan paved the way for the peaceful, democratic nation we know today.

It fit Gen. MacArthur's personality to a T. He was the Shogun.