Rosenthal Iwo flag pic

[DaveHH]

One guy I worked with flew the spotter plane directing guns onto Tarawa. He said that after about 10 minutes you couldn't even see the island. The Iwo Jima guys all said one thing: there were so many people crammed on that island that every time the Japanese fired a weapon, it hit somebody. What a lot of people fail to realize was that the attacking force going into Iwo Jima had trained for months, many months, to take that one island. When the took off, they had everything they needed in the way of weapons, supplies, medical care and food in one powerful task force. Once they left Australia, they didn't stop for anything, even when a Marine fell off the ship.

[Mongo32]

I've never seen Eastwood's movie, but James Bradley's book the film was made from is a helluva read. I recommend his next book "Flyboys" as well, both great reads and sources to clarify a lot of history, and how Japan saw their treatment of prisoners. It shows we don't have quite the moral high ground to criticize them, if you consider some of our own horrible treatment of those we held in previous conflicts.

Stickhauler, I want to take a moment to add my two cents here... I only speak for myself, but I know many veterans and active duty that take a different view here, including myself. The Geneva Convention, The Hague and other treaties agree to "Humane" treatment of POWs or specific races during wartime. Now be real and ask what country follows that as closely as the United States? Prime example... The three Navy SEALS accused of abusing A KNOWN TERRORIST... A man that earned the nickname "The Finisher" by his own people for his horrific acts against mankind! By the way, all three have been acquitted, thanks to God for enough people that do not buy in to the political correct thoughts that our government seems to insist is required in today’s world! War is never just, it will never be just.. insted a violent means sometimes required, and never fair or humane. If you play fair and humane, the English language would be spoken about as much as Latin is in today's world.

Respectfully,
Tim McElhannon
OSCS (SW/AW) USN RET.

[imarangemaster]

We have had our own issues, but it still pales to the atrocities of Stalin (80 million of his own dead), Hitler, and Tojo. Their crimes were on a biblical scale. We only seem to have occasional lapses on individual scale. Mai Lai can not be compared to Bataan death march. We too, are only human. We do as a country, though, tend to take the moral high road.

My favorite quote:

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." George Orwell ...