Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe general who apologized to the dead soldiers on Memorial Day
https://www.cnn.com/2015/05/23/opinions/mills-memorial-day-apology-to-the-dead/index.htmlThe general who apologized to the dead soldiers on Memorial Day
By Nicolaus Mills
Updated 4:03 PM ET, Sat May 23, 2015
snip//
"When Truscott spoke he turned away from the visitors and addressed himself to the corpses he had commanded here. It was the most moving gesture I ever saw. It came from a hard-boiled old man who was incapable of planned dramatics," Mauldin wrote.
"The general's remarks were brief and extemporaneous. He apologized to the dead men for their presence here. He said everybody tells leaders it is not their fault that men get killed in war, but that every leader knows in his heart this is not altogether true.
"He said he hoped anybody here through any mistake of his would forgive him, but he realized that was asking a hell of a lot under the circumstances. . . . he would not speak about the glorious dead because he didn't see much glory in getting killed if you were in your late teens or early twenties. He promised that if in the future he ran into anybody, especially old men, who thought death in battle was glorious, he would straighten them out. He said he thought that was the least he could do."
Truscott's words echoed the reaction to the bitter fighting in Italy of others who had experienced it close up. "I had been feeling pretty much like a clay pigeon in a shooting gallery," Ernie Pyle, America's most widely read World War II correspondent, wrote after landing with American troops at Anzio.
But making Truscott different from Pyle and Mauldin, as well as everyone in attendance at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, was his belief that as a commander he bore a special responsibility for the dead lying before him in their fresh graves. He was unsure if apologizing to them was enough, but he could, he knew, guarantee that he would not romanticize their passing.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
8 replies, 2350 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (50)
ReplyReply to this post
8 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
The general who apologized to the dead soldiers on Memorial Day (Original Post)
babylonsister
May 2019
OP
Dennis Donovan
(18,770 posts)1. Recommended
Chin music
(23,002 posts)2. Solemn and empathetic.
Hotler
(11,415 posts)3. who's cutting onions.
Peace
keithbvadu2
(36,765 posts)5. More onions... The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
love_katz
(2,578 posts)4. Huge kick and rec.
As citizens, we need to do what we can to prevent wars. THAT is the best way that we can support our troops. VOTE for peace.
jimmil
(629 posts)6. Having been in war
there is nothing glorious about it. as Lincoln said, "Young men die for old men's pride." I truly hate war as much as anyone here. Yet, there are people who call me out when I say I support the troops 1000% and hate war 1000000%. They can't see my support for troops on the ground and not the war they were sent into.
defacto7
(13,485 posts)7. Kick... recommended
Response to babylonsister (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed