Let us not forget Pearl Harbor

We had heard about China and the "rape" of Nanking. We knew about the Bataan Death March. We knew that the Japanese would not surrender. It was part necessity, part racism, and part revenge. Originally Posted by JD Barleycorn

Little detail was known as it was happening by the general public. Our government intentionally suppressed the information as being classified and/or not confirmed. People who write about it later are exercising hindsight.

It was in the interest of our government to suppress the information, just like is happening now. Locally, ask the Galveston Tourist Bureau of there are sharks along Galveston Beach. Then ask the fishermen on the piers. It's the same.

A "problem" today is .... so many people are carrying around a video/still camera and recorder with the ability to send it overseas in seconds. Suppression of information is almost impossible, unless government controls the internet, or transfers the control to a country that does and will.

Several years ago, my Daughter bought me a really nice ball cap with scrambled eggs on the bill, and "Vietnam Veteran" written on the front.

I put it away, I am glad that she is proud of me.

But I have never worn it in public. Originally Posted by Jackie S

My Dad landed at Tawara and the only thing of substance he said about it was that Eddie Albert was there also, other than mentioning the "tenacity" of the Japanese fighters left behind to protect the air field there. I wasn't "proud" of him for his service, but I respected him as a human being, and responded "yes, sir" and "no, sir" until he died.

And just to clarify ... he wasn't "proud" of his service, he perceived it as fulfilling a duty and he tried to do so with integrity and steadfastness within the context of the reality he faced daily while overseas...and continued to face until he died.

Most who served in WW1 and WW2 didn't talk much about it unless they were with someone who had served in the same war. Was in school with a Korean vet he just related funny shit that happened.

Most who served in WW1 and WW2 didn't talk much about it unless they were with someone who had served in the same war. Was in school with a Korean vet he just related funny shit that happened. Originally Posted by i'va biggen

Most who I know and have known who actually served in S.E. Asia didn't talk about it.

2000 Census:
"During this Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served in-country is: 13,853,027. By this census, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE Vietnam vets are not."
http://www.nationalvietnamveteransfo...statistics.htm

Most who I know and have known who actually served in S.E. Asia didn't talk about it.

2000 Census:
"During this Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served in-country is: 13,853,027. By this census, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE Vietnam vets are not."
http://www.nationalvietnamveteransfo...statistics.htm Originally Posted by LexusLover

It used to be that way. I see more and more of those hats in public now, even jackets.

I'm not going to be a Hypocrite. I was drafted when I did not want to go, and I had very little good to say about the entire experience when I got out. In fact, my attitude was they could kiss my ass.

46+ years has not changed that.

One of the shocking statistics in that link is only 1/3 of all service people who were sent to Vietnam are alive today. At 68 years old, I figure I am in the older part of that group..

My hope is to be the last living draftee. Anybody who was drafted would already be in their 60's, so I have a chance if I can make it to about 90.

My Dad landed at Tawara and the only thing of substance he said about it was that Eddie Albert was there also,...... Originally Posted by LexusLover

Eddie Albert? I thought he was killed at Omaha?

Eddie Albert? I thought he was killed at Omaha?

Originally Posted by TheDaliLama

Yea, but he resurrected in time to save a lot of good Marines.

...so I have a chance if I can make it to about 90. Originally Posted by Jackie S

I hope you make it and remember how old you are when you get there!

Keep that "kiss my ass" attitude and you will, sir.

My motto: Fuck 'em all and let God sort it out.

I have read a book for a former Japanese Lt. who reported that they had wiped out a filipino village. The village just ceased to exist one day. The only surviviors were a couple of people that the Lt. had told to run away for no apparent reason. Years later they found the local well full of skeletons. That was where the village had went one day. Killed and thrown down the well.

Sledge was right. It was a war of extermination for a lot of reasons. We had heard about China and the "rape" of Nanking. We knew about the Bataan Death March. We knew that the Japanese would not surrender. It was part necessity, part racism, and part revenge. Originally Posted by JD Barleycorn

E.B. Sledge's With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa is an outstanding memoir, and it was the basis for much that was portrayed in the excellent HBO series The Pacific.

Iris Chang's book, The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II recounts many of Japan's atrocities in China.

My Dad landed at Tawara and the only thing of substance he said about it was that Eddie Albert was there also, other than mentioning the "tenacity" of the Japanese fighters left behind to protect the air field there. I wasn't "proud" of him for his service, but I respected him as a human being, and responded "yes, sir" and "no, sir" until he died.

And just to clarify ... he wasn't "proud" of his service, he perceived it as fulfilling a duty and he tried to do so with integrity and steadfastness within the context of the reality he faced daily while overseas...and continued to face until he died. Originally Posted by LexusLover

Tarawa was a horrible battle.

I dont understand

when bad things happen to a person, people say forget it, move forward


so why do I want to remember 9.11/pearl harbor, d-day, when mlk got shot, when liconlon got shot, when jfk got shot, when bush vomited all over Originally Posted by bigcockpussylicker

So exercising your muscle memory to enhance your athletic performance in the future is okay, but exercising your brain memory hoping to do better for humanity and avoid similar pitfalls in the future isn't???

Tarawa was a horrible battle. Originally Posted by I B Hankering

I know.

If you haven't it is interesting, at least to me, to read about Eddie Albert's role and his demeanor in the movies. Similar to Audie Murphy in demeanor, IMO.

Quiet, unassuming, gentle, and gentile.

I know.

If you haven't it is interesting, at least to me, to read about Eddie Albert's role and his demeanor in the movies. Similar to Audie Murphy in demeanor, IMO.

Quiet, unassuming, gentle, and gentile. Originally Posted by LexusLover

I wonder if you went downtown, and just stopped people at random as they scurried about, and asked them who Audie Murphy was, how many would know.

I grew up idolizind Audie Murphy. Many from my generation knew of his bravery, and his humbleness about the tremendous amount of decorations he was awarded during WW-2.

I wonder how many History Books in our a high Schools even mention him?

If you meant to post:

"Was he the guy that Indiana Jones was based on."

Probably not:

Because it appears DL's was "over Nazis Germany" ...

...................and he probably didn't use a whip to kill Germans.

Those comic books can cook your brain, BL. Originally Posted by LexusLover

Did you ever meet the Dali Lama's father? You would not be so sure.

Did you ever meet the Dali Lama's father? You would not be so sure. Originally Posted by BigLouie

You're not too far off BL......

It used to be that way. I see more and more of those hats in public now, even jackets.

I'm not going to be a Hypocrite. I was drafted when I did not want to go, and I had very little good to say about the entire experience when I got out. In fact, my attitude was they could kiss my ass.

46+ years has not changed that.

One of the shocking statistics in that link is only 1/3 of all service people who were sent to Vietnam are alive today. At 68 years old, I figure I am in the older part of that group..

My hope is to be the last living draftee. Anybody who was drafted would already be in their 60's, so I have a chance if I can make it to about 90. Originally Posted by Jackie S

On this we agree, Jackie. I'm still pissed off about Vietnam, the draft, and stupidly having the ambition to get through school early, rather than milking the 2S as long as I should have.

It's a part of me and I think about it every day, but my attitude is still that they can kiss my ass.

If you want to know Eddie Albert was a bit of a spy before World War II. He owned his own sailboat, a pretty good sized one. He was sent to Central and South America to watch Japanese "fishing boats" doing soundings off the coast.