Clint Eastwood's recent films about Iwo Jima have served to recall an important page of American military history. Should Iwo Jima now be celebrated as an example of American courage and bravery? Or, was it another shameful chapter in the wanton loss of American lives in a Pacific War battle that had virtually nothing to do with defeating Japan?
It is important to understand why the area commanders decided to invade Iwo Jima. The B-29s needed a safe haven, an emergency landing site, midway between their home base in the Marianas Islands and Japan. After the battle, Iwo Jima did in fact serve as a safe haven for the crippled 2,400 B-29s that landed there during their 3,000 mile round trip.
But which was the objective in taking Iwo Jima? To win the war? Or, was it to save the lives of the B-29 air crews? This muddled military thinking was no doubt influenced by the record of a trouble-prone plane that had been plagued with problems, one after another ever since inception, especially with engines that overheated, destroying the plane's wing assembly.
Long before Iwo Jima, the Japanese High Command had decided there was no hope for victory. Their objective, accordingly, was to make America pay dearly in blood for each battle hereafter. Iwo Jima would exact the bloodiest toll of American lives up to that time.
The battle plan for General Kuribayashi, the Iwo Jima Commander, called for "a gradual depletion of the enemy's attack forces." He told his troops, "Even if the situation gets out of hand, defend a corner of the island to the death!"
Another order exhorted his soldiers to "kill ten of the enemy before dying!" In one of his last letters to his wife, the General told her, "Do not look for my return."
The Japanese had learned well from each battle how to build up their defenses, how to thwart each of the oncoming assaults of the American juggernaut. What had America learned? Had we altered our battle plans, especially in view of what we knew about Japan's increasingly more formidable redoubts? Had we decided how best to deal with their dogged defenses?
In all of our amphibious assaults before this one, US forces had always landed in direct. massive assaults on the beaches. Iwo Jima would be no different; the Marines would debark from their landing craft on Iwo Jima's 3,000 yards of beaches under the same withering Japanese gunfire they had encountered in all battles before this one.
What about "softening up" bombardment? Renowned Marine General Holland Smith had urged sustained bombardment by the Navy's heavy guns prior to the landings. When considering the high esteem with which Smith was held by his fellow senior officers it seems incredible that his sound advice was completely ignored. No, the landings would proceed just as they had in battles before this one.
There are many who contributed to the sad legacy of Iwo Jima: the Boeing Company, which continued to manufacture faulty planes all during the war; the US Air Force, whose procurement agents seemingly chose to look the other way as these lousy planes were handed off to the air crews; and those in command whose decision to take the island resulted in 26,000 US casualties, a fateful decision with no direct connection to the defeat of Japan. In no small measure, these casualties came about by the order to launch a direct, frontal assault on an island US commanders knew to be heavily prepared against such assaults.
Leon Cooper has had a varied work career in civilian life: inventor, with patented products used throughout the world, including a product used by all air lines that tests for the proper operation of fire alarm systems aboard their commercial airplanes; CEO of his own computer company, CFO of major corporations; now a successful writer, including co-author of an award-winning screenplay.
www.warinpacific.net
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leon_Cooper
Friday, July 13, 2007
The Life Of A Medic With The 10csh - The Real Story!
To whom it may concern: I would like to express my deepest sorrow about the conflict between the United States and both Afghanistan and Iraq. As a combat Medic that participated in both conflicts in the same year (2005), I would like to be extremely humble with my thoughts and emotions to the American public, who condone or abject with this ongoing struggles to choice sides for the price of freedom.
I have been in the military for 20 yrs. And could not imagine what my life would be like not protecting my country. Just a little about myself before I explain why I choice to “Open up a can of worms”. I joined the Army National Guard in Buffalo, N.Y. The year was 1985 and as my recruiter explained to me so directly, (I’m looking over your score’s from the A.S.V.A.B and you will be a foot soldier (infantry) 11B. I had no education or guidance at the time and was excited that someone would give me employment and (He did say that I would see the world) Ha! That was a joke, but basic training at Ft Benning, GA was no joke and it started my long affair with the Army. I did my 4 Yrs. and got out and stayed lost for some time, Until I made up my mind that the military was my calling, But not Infantry because I’m a lot older and my legs and back, would not survive the long trail to retirement. That was in 1996 with Desert Storm at its completion, and still having dreams of seeing the world that was promised to me a decade ago.
I decided to stop learning how to KILL and help save others lives along the way.
I have to say, that I was not ready for the experience life had in store for me. The only reason for me to write this story is to tell the complete truth and try (if anyone listens) helps my fellow Combat medic’s and for that matter, the foot soldier that we treated for a year. That could have been I being transported out of some unknown location in Baghdad to the green zone. With my new military occupation working with the 10th Combat support hospital in the Emergency room, I had the shock of my life.
I hope the introduction didn’t drag on for you, because if you made it this far, the rollercoaster ride will help you understand from my view point, the death of a medic that worked with us saving thousands of life’s, just to die two weeks before we were to re-deploy back to the states. The cover-ups of politics in the military to make the higher ranking individuals blame it on soldiers and others (I will explain it all). The drugs and alcohol uses from the care takers in the E.R just trying to cope with reality. I’m not going to say anything bad about the group of talented doctors, nurses, and medics that made the 10th CSH. 94% recovery rate of saving lives, the best in theater yet. I’m sharing the other side of the story, the one nobody wants to tell.
Everyone is so focused on the trauma and how we do the job, the media and celebrities (that were treated by the 10th CSH) failed to remember the first real treatment, in a trauma unit. The very first aid happened on site, before the helicopter arrived. That was me in Afghanistan living in an unknown forward medical base. So were to start about the horrible trauma and the unbelievable drama at the best combat support hospital in Baghdad 10Th CHS. I will put my experience when 302 different medical professional arrived in Baghdad. Most of the Soldiers never had trauma experiences, let alone been in a combat zone.
The 10th CSH had literally three days to learn our individual roles that we would be playing for 365 days and it was a long year without family. We received a lot of support from the states, helping with clothes for the wounded soldiers, personal items and movies and anything else you can think of, the support from America was unbelievable for the CSH. There are a lot of great agency’s supporting our troops and the American people should be proud for there generosity under these extreme circumstances...
I'm a combat medic that seen to much. I would just like to help other medics to come forward with the truth! I have a one of a kind story and need to share!!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeffrey_Wittrock
I have been in the military for 20 yrs. And could not imagine what my life would be like not protecting my country. Just a little about myself before I explain why I choice to “Open up a can of worms”. I joined the Army National Guard in Buffalo, N.Y. The year was 1985 and as my recruiter explained to me so directly, (I’m looking over your score’s from the A.S.V.A.B and you will be a foot soldier (infantry) 11B. I had no education or guidance at the time and was excited that someone would give me employment and (He did say that I would see the world) Ha! That was a joke, but basic training at Ft Benning, GA was no joke and it started my long affair with the Army. I did my 4 Yrs. and got out and stayed lost for some time, Until I made up my mind that the military was my calling, But not Infantry because I’m a lot older and my legs and back, would not survive the long trail to retirement. That was in 1996 with Desert Storm at its completion, and still having dreams of seeing the world that was promised to me a decade ago.
I decided to stop learning how to KILL and help save others lives along the way.
I have to say, that I was not ready for the experience life had in store for me. The only reason for me to write this story is to tell the complete truth and try (if anyone listens) helps my fellow Combat medic’s and for that matter, the foot soldier that we treated for a year. That could have been I being transported out of some unknown location in Baghdad to the green zone. With my new military occupation working with the 10th Combat support hospital in the Emergency room, I had the shock of my life.
I hope the introduction didn’t drag on for you, because if you made it this far, the rollercoaster ride will help you understand from my view point, the death of a medic that worked with us saving thousands of life’s, just to die two weeks before we were to re-deploy back to the states. The cover-ups of politics in the military to make the higher ranking individuals blame it on soldiers and others (I will explain it all). The drugs and alcohol uses from the care takers in the E.R just trying to cope with reality. I’m not going to say anything bad about the group of talented doctors, nurses, and medics that made the 10th CSH. 94% recovery rate of saving lives, the best in theater yet. I’m sharing the other side of the story, the one nobody wants to tell.
Everyone is so focused on the trauma and how we do the job, the media and celebrities (that were treated by the 10th CSH) failed to remember the first real treatment, in a trauma unit. The very first aid happened on site, before the helicopter arrived. That was me in Afghanistan living in an unknown forward medical base. So were to start about the horrible trauma and the unbelievable drama at the best combat support hospital in Baghdad 10Th CHS. I will put my experience when 302 different medical professional arrived in Baghdad. Most of the Soldiers never had trauma experiences, let alone been in a combat zone.
The 10th CSH had literally three days to learn our individual roles that we would be playing for 365 days and it was a long year without family. We received a lot of support from the states, helping with clothes for the wounded soldiers, personal items and movies and anything else you can think of, the support from America was unbelievable for the CSH. There are a lot of great agency’s supporting our troops and the American people should be proud for there generosity under these extreme circumstances...
I'm a combat medic that seen to much. I would just like to help other medics to come forward with the truth! I have a one of a kind story and need to share!!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeffrey_Wittrock
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