| Tango01 | 30 Jul 2020 10:12 p.m. PST |
…Defeats
"Americans have never accepted defeat easily. Not in sports, not in politics, not in warfare. Defeats in battle have only been sustained, in the American psyche, when the enemy has resorted to treachery, or the soldiers defending a given position were overcome by overwhelming odds, despite heroic and inspiring resistance. The Pearl Harbor debacle is an example of the former; the fall of the Alamo of the latter. On a level field, with the odds even, Americans have always prevailed, or so it is widely believed.
Defeats in battle are forgotten, ignored by the history books, or explained in the manner described. MacArthur is forgiven the loss of the Philippines in early World War II, the worst defeat ever suffered by the United States Army. Pearl Harbor is blamed on Japanese perfidy, though there was ample warning that an attack was forthcoming and the harbor defenses and fleet were still unprepared. At both, as in most American military defeats, soldiers and sailors fought bravely, despite the miscalculations of their leaders. They did as well in these 10 all but forgotten military disasters of American history…"
Main page
link
Amicalement
Armand
|
| Uparmored | 31 Jul 2020 2:12 a.m. PST |
There are fightin nations and there are rather not fight nations. The USA is proudly and firmly in the former group. Even willing to fight and die for the liberty of people from other nations who hold the same values. |
| gunnerphil | 31 Jul 2020 3:46 a.m. PST |
Only movie makers and the not very bright expect to win all the time. Yes there were some errors made by US, but spoiler alert, they were on the winning side. Can we please start having some articles about the poor choices the Germans and Japanese made. A list of all their bad tanks, or bad commanders, just for a change. |
| PK Guy Brent | 31 Jul 2020 3:57 a.m. PST |
Disasters? Sounds like modern media covering a story. Nobody win's 100% of the time, and some armies spend the vast majority of the time losing (see Germany, WW2). Where's that list? |
| Thresher01 | 31 Jul 2020 7:18 a.m. PST |
I'm not really sure there was "ample" warning of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Some small hints perhaps, which weren't picked up on, back in the day, but clearly no REAL advance warning. |
torokchar  | 31 Jul 2020 11:22 a.m. PST |
The Philippines 1941 – how the hell MacArthur emerged as a hero baffles me. Abandon your troops to save your own skin – should have been court-martialed and sent back to fight as a private. Wainwright got screwed!! |
 Jlundberg | 31 Jul 2020 11:30 a.m. PST |
Historically, the US has been unwilling to sustain a large peacetime military. THis has lead to defeats in the early stages of wars due to the inexperience of the leaders and men. I even have a two volume set of books entitled "America's Unpreparedness for War" published in 1912. |
| Frederick | 31 Jul 2020 12:19 p.m. PST |
I am not sure Ball's Bluff or Dewey's Buff count given what else happened during the ACW I would take note that this does suggest it is dangerous to venture north of the border! |
| Tango01 | 01 Aug 2020 12:03 p.m. PST |
|
| advocate | 07 Aug 2020 6:01 a.m. PST |
America hasn't always been interventionist or ready to fight. Sometimes yes, but some world wars the USA were pushed into. Just saying. |
says 'thank you' one more time.