"The most inspirational last stand?" Topic

1) Rorke's Drift
2) The Alamo

3) Other

3) Newcastle's whitecoats on Marston Moor

A 'last stand' is usually used to define a heroic defeat in the face of overwhelming odss. Using that criterion, Rorke's Drift doesn't qualify.

Thermopylae

Attilas choise

As we seem to be counting last stands where the last standers were still standing at the last, then Outpost Snipe.

Rorke's Drift with Panzers and 6pdrs instead of Zulus and Martinis.

Camerone and Wake Island. Do these count since there where
survivors?

The stand by Major John Fuller's 'C' Company, 152 (Indian) Para, on the hills between Burma and India, during the first days of the Japanese offensive against Imphal.

PDF link

Fuller's company was exterminated atop the peak of Point 7378, but inflicted a two-day delay on the Japanese advance. Without Fuller's sacrifice, there would have been no formation of the Sangshak Box (which itself, was another heroic last-stand) and without the delays caused by the 50th Indian Para Brigade at Sangshak there would have been no time to form the Kohima Box. Without Kohima, it's possible that Imphal might have fallen and history might have been rather different.

Old Guard square at Waterloo.

I vote for Thermopylae too.

Hard to argue with Thermopylae as most inspirational.

For something more modern I'd nominate the Glosters on Hill 235.

Alamo. Or Little Bighorn.

I don't think that Custer's last stand is very inspirational. Wilful ignorance, arrogance and stupidity are nothing to inspire.

Little Round Top at Gettysburg.

Snipe

Or Frost at Arnhem

Saragarhi (sp?) during the Tirah Campaign of 1897 is a stonker – 21 sepoys of 36th Sikhs beseiged by 10,000 Afghans, all killed, all awarded the Order of Merit (the Indian Army's VC), the last Sikh offing 20 tribesmen singlehandedly before the fort burned to the ground around him.

Thermopylae.

The Glosters on Hill 235.

Camerone

Tough one.

French Old Guard at Waterloo.

Godwinson's Huscarls at Hastings.

On a much smaller scale (which IMO magnifies the personal valor involved), I'd nominate MSGT Gary L. Gordon and SGT1C Randall D. Shughart's heroic last stand in defense of downed helo-pilot CWO Mike Durant in Mogadishu, Somalia, 1993.

Shawn.

Horatio at the bridge.

Hoser

I was thinking of then, too, Shawn.

My vote is for the Alamo.

As for as I know the battle cry "Remember The Alamo" is still used today.

Coabeous

Massada. Totally hopeless situation and total disregard of self in the face of the inevitable. Probably not the answer you were looking for as it wasn't really a final fight in the end.

Sorry but Little Big Horn is inspriring. How Custer got in the situation is not though.

I would definitely say The Alamo.

There was no last stand at the little big horn, the archaelology clearly shows a rout, which is supported by the ignored indian accounts.

Alamo fits the criteria.

Jaz
6sided.net

Dien Bien Phu
Camerone

The female Colonial Marine and injured Colonial Marine officer holding up the Aliens so Ripley and Newt could escape.

I agree with Shawn

Having been the the Alamo Museum, not so much. "Let's fight for the right to own slaves!" doesn't inspire me. (You may argue about the ACW, but the Alamo was much more straightforward and the museum admits it.)

Iron Brigade on the first day of Gettysburg.

Operation Bodenplatte – Luftwaffe Strike on the Allied Airfields – 1/1/45

The Battle of the Bulge

Thermopylae and the Alamo.

Plevna always gets me. It always had a bit of everything in it.

Alamo.

Brian

3) Camerone

Thermopylae. Its even got rhinos!

The Last Stand of the Swiss Guard, May 6, 1527

Battle of Shiroyama, September 24, 1877

The Battle Off Samar, October 25, 1944

Historically, Thermopylae. Still inspires after 2000 years.

More recent, Alamo. Camerone, the Glosters, all the others – Regionally inspiring, very brave, but don't have the emotional impact of a phrase like 'Remember the Alamo'.

"Merdre!" beats "Remember the Alamo." ^,^

The First Battle of The Marne, September 5th to 12th, 1914.

The Paras at Arnhem in WW2, 17th to 26th September 1944.

Thermopylae, Alamo little bighorn

and have to agree with PDA Arnhem

Alamo

I'd add Gandamak to the list.

Thermopylae 480BC for Western Civilization
Thermopylae 1821 for the Greeks
Saragarhi for the Sikhs
Camaron for the French Foreign Legion
Shiroyama for the Samurai

Roland at Roncesvales

Thermopylae

Camerone

and agree with Shawn on Mogadishu

Vasquez in the airducts….

I knew you were a bad soul, Norman….

Thermopylae and Numantia.

S.S. Beaverford (CPR) – HX-84.