"U.S. Military Figure Who Most Deserves a Tank" Topic

Which historical U.S. military figure most deserves to have a modern tank design named after him?

(Excluding those already honored, officially or unofficially, by the US or other countries…)

Bo Gritz. :) ;)

Since they pick so many ACW generals:

Custer

(he said knowing it could start a firestorm)

Sgt. Bilko?

Chuck Norris (and then the Chinese will come up with the Bruce Lee and will begin to win all land battles)

Oddball

Actually, Crazy Horse.

Audie Murphy.

John S Wood.
So far, the only serious answer.

Col. Danny McKnight. A very humble man. I had the pleasure of speaking with him at length. He is decorated though :). Still…the McKnight Main Battle Tank has a nice ring to it.

General Schwarzkop, just for the laughs you would get saying watch out for that schwarzkop. Or here comes a schwarzkop etc.

Lt. General Matthew Ridgway

'So far, the only serious answer.'

Interested to know why America's most decorated hero isn't a serious answer. Likewise, it's probably about time that some of the 'Native American' chiefs got some recognition.

But surely the Native American chiefs fought against the US Army?

So to name a US tank after one of them would be not unlike calling a British tank Cetshwayo or Mad Mahdi!

But your helicopters are named after them.

Gavin. "We've got Gavins on the horizon!"

The native american names would be excellent, I think it would be appropriate now, and rather inclusive.

Of course the big debate should be what platforms use those names. Big assed, heavy tanks probably aren't the right vehicles to name after some of the worlds best light cavalry.

Wade Hampton

Joe Wheeler

Hugh Gaffey

Stand Watie

McClellan

George Washington

How about naming one after Gen. Dynamics?

They are both dead and that makes them historical and thus eligible: Shughart and Gordon.

Mattis

Sheridan should be allowed a do-over.

McClellan

Surely you must be making a joke here.

Jim

McClellan would be an excellent name for so many military projects – costs a lot of money, promises much, fails to deliver!

May we borrow it for use in UK?

Beetle Bailey

But surely the Native American chiefs fought against the US Army?

So to name a US tank after one of them would be not unlike calling a British tank Cetshwayo or Mad Mahdi!

Well, we've named them for R.E. Lee and J.E.B. Stuart, and both of them fought against the US Army, so what's your point?

I thought of T. Jackson, but recalled that the 90mm
M36 TD was called 'the Jackson.' I don't know if that
was 'official' or not

The McClellan would be for parade use only.

I think helicopters have dibs on Native American names though.

Seems like we're due for an Eisenhower, at any rate.

If we want an ACW theme, then what about Buford, even Meade?

-Will

Or a self propelled "Eisenhowitzer"?

Interested to know why America's most decorated hero isn't a serious answer.

It is serious, but Audie Murphy was an infantryman, so not likely to give his name to a cavalry vehicle!

As for a Native American, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Chief Joseph come to mind. Though how the US Cavalry would feel about tanks named after two chieftains who wiped out five cavalry companies is another matter.

I thought it was the Brits who named all the US tanks?

We name helicopters after native tribes, so maybe shift that to leaders? Iroquois, Apache, Blackhawks, Kiowa, Lakota.

Back to the original post, maybe after Hal Moore? Or Dick Winters?

Theodore Roosevelt, though you would pretty much have to call it the "Rough Rider" to have the least ridiculous tank name.

Benedict Arnold.

How about honoring The Marquis de Lafayette. That would really be an interesting choice.

McClellan

Surely you must be making a joke here.

Well spotted

We name helicopters after native tribes, so maybe shift that to leaders?

Sadly, it appears the next gen of rotary wing aircraft won't continue that tradition. They all have names like Raider, Valor and Defiant, which means we're either trying to appeal to the video game generation, or fans of the Royal Navy.

As to the OP, Henry Knox could do with more recognition. It also sounds good. Let's be honest, there is a marketing angle and no matter how deserving the individual, there is no way in Hell the Army is going to call a tank "the Wood", or "the Murphy". The Stryker is named for two MoH recipients who, by strange coincidence, happen to have the badass name of Stryker. Guess how many MoH recipients named Smith have a combat vehicle named after them.

Thinking outside the box, I'll float Edwin Stanton. Never donned a uniform, but he was the organizer of victory in whupping the Secesh.

Benjamin Grierson.

Ernest Harmon.

Lucien Truscott or Joe Collins

Patton, of course.

I think he only had two, or three variants named after him, so definitely time for an update.

Why not Perkins, after LTG Perkins who as a Col took his tank heavy brigade into Bagdad. If you have any questions about this event and the intense combat, read Thunder Run.

Well, we've named them for R.E. Lee and J.E.B. Stuart, and both of them fought against the US Army, so what's your point?

No, we didn't. Our British allies were responsible for those names. Further, both Lee and Stuart were officers in the US Army before the ACW. Lee was even one of the "names" from the Mexican War.

AFAIK, none of the Indian leaders mentioned ever served in the US forces. Now, if you wanted to use the names of the Crow scouts who died with Custer …

Buford would be the best choice, cavalry leader in the ACW did well at Gettysburg. Also George Crook who did a lot of fighting in the Shenandoah Valley.

Well, Let's name something after Bedford Forest. Some sort of scouting vehicle used by the 1st Cav.

Agree with naming a tank after Nathan Bedford Forrest….but it will not do…too politically incorrect, and he was never an officer in the US Army. Many bases in the south are named after Confederates, but those were named in the late 19th-early 20th centuries. He was a true genius for mounted warfare, and quite aggressive.

It seems as if we're about done making tanks. New armored vehicles feature large wheels instead of tracks. Maybe we could give a snazzy name to the Striker variant with a turret mounting a tank gun.
This is not me putting down tanks. I've pretty much lived in a few in my time. Love the old beasts. But they seem to going away in favor of other ideas.

Not to mention that Nathan Bedford Forrest was a founding member of the Ku Klux Klan! I think there would be much consternation if someone tried naming a vehicle in his honor.

Colonel Travis?

Nathan Bedford Forrest was responsible for the Fort Pillow Massacre and was the the first Grand Wizard or whatever they called themselves of the KKK. So doubt anyone with any sense would go along with his name. Perkins would get my vote, a new MBT should carry the name of a leader that served after WWII to reflect the traditions and honors of the armor branch since WWII.