Originally posted by Enzo:
#10 is the one I enjoy. IMHO, I doubt that Bush was a good soldier and the guy did create quite an interesting record for himself during his time in the NG.
George W. Bush was the first reservist in history ever to go NES? It says he found work, and then went to Harvard Business School. How many lieutenants go NES from the Canadian reserves every year, when they find better jobs or school opportunities?
And if Canada was fighting an undeclared and unpopular war, and losing, would you be so quick to volunteer for overseas employment? I respect those that did, but given the eventual outcome of the Vietnam War - and you now have guys like McNamara back in the spotlight admitting they knew at the time it was all wrong - isn‘t it a bit hard to get really pissy about those who found other options? What good would George W. Bush have been had he got shot down over North Vietnam in 1970? Can you imagine Al Gore at the helm on 9/11?
Originally posted by Enzo:
[qb]There is a quote by someone I‘ve forgotten, but I concur with the sentiment. Those who decide to go to war should have experienced a war prior. Something along those lines. [/qb]
What, you mean like Gefreiter Adolf Hitler of the 16th Bavarian Infantry Regiment? Who served on the Western Front almost continuously throughout the Great War, was wounded twice, and decorated twice for bravery, and by all accounts was a very good soldier (though not cut out for non-commissioned officer status)?
What about George S. Patton, Jr., who fought in Mexico before WW I, then in the Great War, and finally as a division, corps and army commander in WW II, who advocated starting a war against the Soviet Union in mid 1945?
Douglas MacArthur commanded the 42nd Rainbow Division in the Great War, then was a theatre commander in the Pacific in WW II, and led a UN army in Korea. He advocated an invasion of China and use of nuclear weapons north of the Yalu River.
What about the US Secretary of Defence, Robert S. McNamara, who helped plan firebombing raids on Japan in 1945? He was one of the brains behind the War in Vietnam.
Lyndon Johnson saw military service in the Second World War, and so did his predecessor, John F. Kennedy, who ordered the Bay of Pigs invasion, and blockaded Cuba even at risk of starting a nuclear war.
Even if you could enforce "mandatory combat service" as a prerequisite to a leader declaring war, what do you honestly think it would change?
All of the men above served bravely, some like Adolf Hitler, Patton and MacArthur were highly decorated. John F. Kennedy was remembered for his personal courage also. Didn‘t seem to stop any of them from participating in brinksmanship, or feel any need not to use military might to achieve their goals.
Many of them killed people face to face, or at the very least experienced misery and saw friends die close up. Patton shot two banditos in Mexico and put them on the hood of his car like game trophies!
Here‘s another one - Harry S Truman served in the trenches of World War One - and in 1950 sent soldiers to fight and die in Korea.
