"Greatest In-Action Military Death? (Final Round)" Topic

Go Wolfe !

England expects !

I voted Harold because of all those listed it was the only death that actually had any real impact on the outcome of the battle. In all the other cases, the battle was going to be won/lost whether the guy died or not. For sheer drama (or maybe melodrama) I'd have to give it to Nelson.

"Go tell the Spartans, passers by,
that here, obedient to their laws, we lie."

Leonidas saved Western Civilization. Hard to top that.

"In all the other cases, the battle was going to be won/lost whether the guy died or not."

This might be true but in the case of Leonidas his death had a huge impact on the war. A Spartan king died doing what he did, it must have been important.

I'd argue that Themistocles saved Western Civilization but Leonidas did play his part.

Since the topic was "greatest" death and not most important I had to go with Leonidas. Harold's death was more important, but taking an arrow in the eye is nowhere near as cool as going down under a tidal wave of Persians while leading a bunch of Spartans.

I went with Gordon at Khartoum, based largely on Charlton Heston and the famous painting of Gordon staring down the Mahdists from teh stairway of the Residence.

Cool.

Went with Leonidas with Nelson a close second. Hard to choose since all were "Great" by TMP definition.

Yes but Nelson didn't die 'in-action'. Some hours after the shooting stopped wasn't it?

Leonidas is the best.

Leonidas.

why?

because he knew death was the only outcome but he faced it anyway

Custer was a glory seeking fool , Gordon a similar fate

Nelson and Woulfe were victims of circumstance

Harold and the nameless Viking who really knows

All belong

You are all wrong. The winner can be none other than Slim Pickens as Major Kong in Doctor Strangelove, riding the atomic bomb to the ground

YouTube link

This was a tough one

My first thought was Wolfe, but the battle had been won by then

Then Nelson – who I went with – largely because a loss at Quebec would have been inconvenient, but a loss at Trafalgar would have been disasterous

I think the Leonidas crowd make great points – although I also think that Themistocles was the actual key player here; as to marching to his death, very heroic – and very Spartan

Agree that Custer was a glory-seeker who managed to get most of his command killed in a heroic but ultimately pointless defeat

I missed what must have been earlier rounds. What, no Crockett at the Alamo?!?

I am not sure why anyone would have voted for that meathead Custer his Denise was doubtfully heroic. Disappointed that Shugart and Gordon dud not make the cut they were the epitome of self sacrifice. Next best thing I guess is Leonidas.

I have to agree with Stosstruppen so Leonidas will be my default choice.

All the slavers at the Alamo!

I see that Custer continues to be widely underrated and misunderstood. Be that as it may, I will throw in my lot with Leonidas.

"Go tell the Spartans,
Traveller, passing by
That here, obedient to their laws
We lie."

While perhaps not "great", the death of Lewis "Lo" (for "Lothario"!) Armistead at Gettysburg wouldn't be a poor nominee, if only for the poignancy of his fall.

And of course, Honorable Mention goes to John Sedgwick of "Take cover? Ridiculous! They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist-" fame.

Corporal John French VC

Missed the early rounds but what hppened to:-
1. Boy Cornwell
2. Lance Sergeant Baskeyfield
3. Wakenshaw of the DLI
?

I know its not a choice but what about Yi Soon Shin….he was basically Nelson 200 years before Nelson was cool. haha

Shingen. It would have been a Takeda shogunate, not a Tokugawa shogunate, but for his fondness for flute music.