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Post by jodak on Aug 29, 2016 6:25:12 GMT -6
August 29, 1945
1) The American battleship USS Missouri anchors in Tokyo Bay 2) U.S. airborne troops land in transport planes at Atsugi airfield, southwest of Tokyo, beginning the occupation of Japan 3) Gen MacArthur 1s named the Supreme Commander of Allied Powers in Japan 4) Secret Army and Navy reports of official enquiries into the raid on Pearl Harbor are made public. The blame is placed on a lack of preparedness, confusion and a breakdown of inter-service coordination. Former Secretary of State Hull, General Marshall and Admiral Stark are criticized. President Truman objects to the findings on Hull and Marshall.
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Post by jodak on Aug 30, 2016 6:22:55 GMT -6
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Post by jodak on Aug 30, 2016 9:25:34 GMT -6
When I log into YouTube with my "Smart" TV, it remembers my past viewing habits and makes recommendations based upon that. Last night a recommendation popped up for "The Road to War - Japan", which presented things as they led to war largely from the Japanese perspective. It was quite interesting and informative, and I recommend for anyone interested in the Japanese point of view. It can be found here www.youtube.com/watch?v=zReDar65umQ, or, if you have the capability of viewing YouTube videos on your TV, just search for the above title from the search screen. It is about 50 minutes long.
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Post by dave on Sept 2, 2016 10:48:54 GMT -6
On this day in 1945 Japan formally signs the terms of surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Regards Dave
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Post by montrose on Sept 3, 2016 6:15:58 GMT -6
My favorite teacher at Navy Postgraduate School was Claude Buss. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_A._BussHe was a diplomat, captured by the Japanese, and later exchanged. He was the State Department rep at the surrender, and can be seen in the pictures. A truly remarkable man. He and I attended the same college, though he was there the year my dad was born. He kept telling me the school had fallen apart after he left. His proof was another Penn alumni he thought was a moron. Guy called Trump. And this discussion took place in 1994. Small world, sometimes. I miss Claude, his health was weak, so we would talk at a local bar where he would drink watered down drinks, I mean a drop or two of scotch. He said it was just for the taste, and the memories. Respectfully, WJB
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Post by Mike Powell on Sept 4, 2016 13:24:38 GMT -6
Regarding Mr. Trump, I have a friend of some 35 years who had business dealings with him in New York City.
My friend and I met during graduate school at Northwestern. He was and remains among the very brightest people I know and especially insightful of the human condition. His background before Northwestern was commercial real estate in Chicago and after graduation he moved on to New York.
Recently I inquired if he had ever crossed paths with the Presidential candidate. He told me they had been mutually involved in a couple of deals. His comments on the man were that he was innovative and that he did what he said he would do. Those qualities are of course valuable in business as well as elsewhere and often lacking among the political class.
Though my friend, like many, is greatly dismayed by much of Mr. Trump's mannerisms of expression and the views contained therein, he is even more perplexed by them, completely unable to square the bombast with the demeanor and intelligence of the man he met.
My own perception is that Mr. Trump is likely a man of many parts and quite uncrafted politically. His choice of an extreme persona served him well but not perfectly against his many opponents in the primary and, with only a little moderation since, the Rasmussen as of the end of August gives him a slight lead nationally over his opponent, though she is not without her own difficulties.
The debates should be revealing and critical. We seem to live in interesting times.
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Post by jodak on Sept 23, 2016 5:57:05 GMT -6
September 23, 1944
USS West Virginia reaches Pearl Harbor and rejoins the Pacific Fleet, marking the end of the salvage and reconstruction of 18 ships damaged at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.
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Post by tubman13 on Sept 23, 2016 13:13:15 GMT -6
Will,
Response to Stilwell and Chennault. Chennault was given quality pilots, volunteers, and to some degree made cowboys out of them, some began to believe their press clippings see Greg Boyington a highly decorated ace who probably began to believe he was invincible. I may be wrong here but Merrill and others carried Stilwell. The relationship between Stilwell and Chennault was dysfunctional, much like spoiled children.
Regards, Tom
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Post by jodak on Sept 23, 2016 14:59:43 GMT -6
Tom,
If I may interject my two cents, you are correct that Stilwell and Chennault had a very poor relationship, exacerbated by the fact that Stilwell did not care for Chiang Kai-shek, while Chiang and Chennault were buddies, thought highly of each other, may have shared the affections of Madam Chiang, and usually sided with each other against Stilwell. Chennault had basically been drummed out of the Air Corp (as only a captain I believe) due to his frequent clashes with superiors and having been rated as unqualified for promotion. When he formed the AVG I don’t think that he made cowboys out of the pilots as much as he attracted pilots that were already cowboys and troublemakers, like himself. In fact the pilots that he was able to recruit were largely ones that their commanders in the U.S. forces were glad to be rid of and willing to let go. Even so, he had some innovative ideas and was able to meld them into an efficient organization, and, as I said, was close to Chiang. Stilwell was almost the exact opposite. He had had a distinguished career and was a Lt. General corps commander at the time of his selection to go to China. In fact, he had been selected to plan and lead the first proposal for the invasion of North Africa, Operation Gymnast, as he was regarded as the best corps commander in the army at the time. However, that was not necessarily saying a whole lot as there were only a five or six corps, which were primarily training commands, with very senior (i.e., old) commanders. Stilwell was significantly the youngest of the bunch (which is an indication of his perceived abilities) and the only one really suited for field command. When Chiang asked that a senior American officer who could speak Chinese be assigned to him as an adviser, General Marshall first offered it to Hugh Drum. However, Drum let it be known that he considered the assignment beneath him and was able to turn it down. Marshall then told Stilwell, who was then serving on his staff, that he had a day to find someone else suitable for the assignment or he would have to take it himself. Although sorely disappointed in losing the plumb North African assignment, Stilwell dutifully accepted the China assignment, which he considered as being a no win situation that would turn out to be either an unimportant backwater of the war or else he would not be provided sufficient support to succeed – either way a career killer. He turned out to not have been a good fit for the assignment, not due to a lack of military skill but lack of political acumen. In that sense he fit the mold of what I have come to think of as the “Benteen Model” of a capable officer who had little skill or interest in the personal and political niceties that command often requires. Like Benteen he did not have much patience with those that he considered his military inferiors, which, in his opinion, included about everyone. He clashed with the British, particularly Wavell, but liked Bill Slim, who he characterized as “the only British commander willing to fight”. Likewise, he developed a very low regard for Chiang, of whom he stated - “The trouble in China is simple. We are allied to an ignorant, illiterate, superstitious, peasant son of a bitch”. He came to view Chiang and his regime as being totally corrupt and, like the British, reluctant to fight and more concerned with positioning for the post war than in defeating the Japanese. He also clashed with Chennault over strategy, tactics, priorities and resources, but Chennault had Chiang’s ear and would run to him to mediate disagreements, which usually went in Chennault’s favor. This put Stilwell in an untenable position and became a catch 22 situation, where his frustrations led to additional conflict, which led to additional frustration, and so on. In the end his relationship with the British and Chinese had soured to the point that he was replaced by General Wedemeyer, but that officer’s relationship with his “allies” soon began to resemble Stilwell’s. To his credit, like a good soldier and just as he had when accepting the assignment, Stilwell took his dismissal gracefully and never complained of the hand that had been dealt to him. Although he had relationship problems with his allies, I have never seen any indication of conflict with his superiors, and he was fond of his men and they of him. All-in-all Stilwell appeals to me as, like Benteen, a no-nonsense officer that I rather think that I would have liked, both personally and professionally. Unfortunately, he was not well suited for the position that he found himself in, which, as he had feared, was a no win situation.
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Post by tubman13 on Sept 24, 2016 4:52:50 GMT -6
Jodak,
Thank you for that, being a topline student, I have gathered as much or more on the above topic from your post, as I did from my limited reading. It was a miserable theater of operations and would give anyone operating there in an ongoing headache.
Regards, Tom
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Post by jodak on Sept 24, 2016 5:58:15 GMT -6
Tom,
Barbara Tuchman's Stilwell and the Anerican Experience in China is one of those classic books that everyone should read at some point. I highly recommend it if you would like to get a better overall understanding of the entire "experience".
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Post by benteen on Oct 17, 2016 14:48:21 GMT -6
Forum Members,
I ran across an interesting story which I would like to share with you.I am sure it will have special meaning to Steve,Dave,Daves Uncle Ernie, as well as myself, as this iconic photo symbolized the US Marine Corps during WW2.
The photo of course is of the flag raising on Mt Suribachi on the Island of Iwo Jima. It was thought for over 70 years that the names of the men were Marines Frank Sousley, Harlon Block, Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, Mike Strank, and Navy Corpsman John Bradley. However,
2 historians saw a discrepancy in the photo, after 2 years of research presented it to the Marine Corps for their determination. After their investigation, the Marine Corps determined that the historians were correct. John Bradley was NOT one of the flag raisers, the sixth man was another Marine named Shultz.
Let me make it clear, I do not intend to demean Corpsman Bradley in any way. Every Marine/Soldier knows thier Corpsman/Medic (DOC) is among the bravest and most valuable people on a battlefield. John Bradley was no exception as he was awarded the Navy Cross. He just wasnt one of the flag raisers.
As a sidebar, I am sure you know that the flag raising was not the end of the battle. There was more heavy fighting before the island was secured. Unfortunatly 3 of the flag raisers Frank Sousley, Harlon Block, Mike Strank were killed before it was over. Rest in Peace.
Be Well DaN
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Post by benteen on Oct 17, 2016 17:06:53 GMT -6
I would like to add to my previous post in regards to John Bradley. The flag raising in the photo was the second flag raising. Someone decided that the first flag was to small and wanted a larger one put up. John Bradley DID help raise that flag (The smaller one) but not the one in the iconic photo.
Be Well Dan
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Post by jodak on Nov 23, 2016 7:16:49 GMT -6
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