The Old Breed, K Company and Eugene Sledge

[@bassettio034]

I’m British and far as Eugene B Sledge is concerned he is an absolute hero. I have both his books and because of him, he brings my grandfather closer to me than anyone ever could. Everyone has that “you have six people you can invite for dinner “ Eugene is second on my list . Xx

[@jaredeastwood7814]

Also RV Burgin was one bad MF’er

[@davidringo1399]

@@jaredeastwood7814 agreed

[@OldStreetDoc]

It’s almost TOO difficult to describe the respect I feel for men such as Dr Sledge, his Marine buddies, and all of the men (& women) who answered the call of their country in the days of WW II. ‘Off-Scale High’ might be the best I can muster. Just as much as I’m left nearly speechless by the fortitude they showed in battle, I feel almost as impressed by the way these men came home after the war & immediately tried to get on with their lives. Hardly if EVER even mentioning their experiences, except when each other’s company. It’s a silence I almost cannot imagine being kept today, and it simply must have tormented them at times. We never want our Marines, Sailors, Airmen or Soldiers to suffer, and we especially don’t want them to ever have to suffer alone. It’s a different world today obviously, and we approach the psychological trauma of war in a far different way than in the aftermath of WW II. Largely BECAUSE of how we now know about the issues our WW II veterans faced. To all my fellow combat veterans, and not only those who saw combat but all our veterans, firstly I say ‘thank you’, and secondly I’d like to ask you to reach out when you’re having a difficult time. To all those out there in the ‘circles’ of our combat veterans, I’d like to ask you to reach out to your friends & families who served. It’s often simply an ear that’s needed for a bit. Our WW II ‘Greatest Generation’ has largely left us for what lies beyond. We should make it OUR mission to celebrate the service and the lives of those veterans that we still have among us. They truly were the greatest generation, and we most likely will never see the likes of them again.

[@jameskawaikaupejrcwo3usmcr573]

I totally agree. My former boss was a retired Marine Corps Sergeant Major Arturo Rodrigues. He served with the 1st Marine Division at Guadalcanal, Okinawa, South Korea with the 1st Marine Division again and finally in South Vietnam as the Sergeant Major for the 5th Marine Regiment. After Vietnam he served as the 1st Marine Division’s Commanding General’s Legal Advisor. Why, because he got his law degree from Boston College while stationed at Waymith Naval Air Station at Rhode Island. He was my friend, my boss and a very humble Marine. I will always remember him as that tough and kind man. I had first hand knowledge about what he did in Guadalcanal, Okinawa, the Inchon landing in South Korea and finally South Vietnam. He got his last combat wound in Vietnam. He was wounded in each campaign he fought in. Thank you for sharing your stories. As a retired Marine Corps veteran I appreciated by each speaker. Especially Dr. Richard Frank whom I personally met and respect. Semper Fidelis to Dr. E. B. Sledge, his son, and Dr. R. Frank, and Saul.

[@bray-ire]

Watching the series The Pacific added to the memories I have of my father. He served with the 2nd Marine Division, landed on Tarawa, wounded on Saipan. So glad these men keep these memories alive. History is something that I believe is lacking in our early education years. Two of my uncles landed on D Day, another was a B26 Marauder bomber pilot shot down over France and is buried there. I feel fortunate to grow up as a son of that generation, And when i came home from the jungles of Viet Nam that hero from the 2nd Marine division was there and knew exactly what was needed!

[@jtrocker9976]

Super proud of Henry.

[@michaelgrimes1131]

I've got his footlocker from Korea. I haven't looked into it in a number of years. He was in George company I believe with the 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He joined in July 1946. When I open this footlocker again I'm going to have a Six pack of beer. He died in 2013. I was the only one around before he died. I made sure he was buried in his dress blues! Once a Marine ... Always a Marine! Semper Fi daddy! I miss and love you to this day!

[@brantfrederick9917]

Dr. Eugene “Sledgehammer” Sledges “With the Old Breed” is one of the best books I’ve ever read along with “Helmet for my Pillow” written by Robert Leckie. Both great first hand accounts of what it was like to be on the frontlines of major pacific battles.

[@sparkey6746]

Outstanding discussion, thank you.

[@dennisweidner288]

Wonderful discussion. Dr. Frank is exactly correct. Far too often the barbarity of the Pacific ar is presented as the result of racism for which Americand Japan were both responsible. War in any circumstance is brutal. But the barbarity of the Pacific War is the work of the Japanese. They made it clear how they were going to fight the War, and they set the terms. And brutality was answered with brutality. As he points out if racism is what dominated American thinking--why was it suddenly switched off for the occupation.

[@thomaspaine374]

It's disgusting that all the genius academics and neo-Marxist activists criticize the Marines while whining about racism. None of them possess the stones to pick up a rifle and stand their ground in the face of a psychopathic and unbelievably sadistic enemy.

[@WW2AboveandBelow]

Thank you Rich Frank for the counterpoints towards John Dower's book.

[@OmahaSand]

Frank was kind and shouldn't have been. Dower = so much narratve, so little truth. Tired of folks trying to blow up a giant plastic fake doll so they can have an enemy that doesn't exist in real life... to fight.

[@OldCorps]

Former Marine, read the old breed. I was infantry in Vietnam. The old breed was on the commandants books to read. Great book. Semper fi Eugnee

[@Michaelcaba]

Slides please.

[@fearlessfreap8093]

These presentations would have been much improved by finding a way to display the slides.

[@bobreece5842]

I agree. A wonderful, moving and at times inspirational presentation - especially by Sledge - that lost its impact without showing the slides accompanying the speakers. I don't understand how a world renowned museum - built at costs of hundreds of millions of dollars - cannot incorporate slides of a presentation on our TV screen. What a waste.

[@bruceradford9031]

Gratitude

[@stephenbehl9178]

I was with k co 3/5 in Vietnam m60

[@piedpiper8355]

Welcome home, Bud!

[@bittnerbs]

Semper Fi, Devil Dog!

[@antonioperez2623]

Great video.

[@davidkreutzer4778]

Thanks for the video

[@bittnerbs]

“Possibly, I lost faith that politicians in high places, who do not have to endure war’s savagery, will ever stop blundering in sending others to endure it.” 60yrs later, in my war, I learned the exact same thing. The war machine will always turn, politicians will continue to get rich from the death of others, and the military industrial complex will be the undoing of the world. S/F

[@GeorgiaBoy1961]

@bittberbs - If you haven't heard of it, consider reading "War is a Racket" by General Smedley Butler, USMC. Published in the 1930s, this slim but hard-hitting work is still in print and just as potent as ever. Butler, who had recently retired from the Marine Corps after a distinguished career in which he received not one but two Medals of Honor for heroism in battle, reflected on his career and what he had seen and done, and the book was the result. Having become something of a pacifist in retirement, Butler set out on a speaking tour after writing the book. The book has many insights worthy of your time and attention, but in brief, Butler writes that almost all wars are elective or "cabinet' wars, which do not have to be fought, but are started to further someone's agenda or fatten the bank accounts of the rich and fatten the bottom line of the war profiteers. Butler mentions two causes for which Americans ought to be prepared to fight: Defense of our homes and families, and defense of the Bill of Rights and Constitution. Perhaps the most-famous quote from the book is: "War is the oldest racket and surely the most-profitable, one whose gains are measured in dollars but whose costs are measured in blood." I'm paraphrasing, but that's pretty close.

[@WLBarton4466]

Very true about West Virginia making good fighters. Also western Virginia from the James River to the West Virginia and Tennessee borders. Bedford Co. VA had more servicemen as a percentage of population than any county in the United States. There is a memorial built in Bedford honoring all servicemen from WW2.

[@michaelgrimes1131]

My daddy was a Marine in Korea. He's named after his uncle Tom that was a Marine in WW1. They were "devil dogs".

[@captainamerica3814]

Great 👍🏽

[@michaelgrimes1131]

Dad was in the 1st Marine division 7th Marines.

[@carlT1986]

Eugene Sledge, RV Burgin and others have given us a glimpse at of our Marines thrown into hell and coming out the other side side.

[@christopherkennick7275]

As informative as this talk was, I think we, the online audience, would have benefitted from seeing the graphics that were being shown to the attendees that day. And yes, I had previously read Mr. Sledges books on the subject.

[@garudain77]

Wonder graphics, maps, photos! Too bad you couldn’t share them with US! THUMB DOWN.

[@susanjones2701]

As I woke up this morning I was dreaming of a man who wanted to talk to me He leaned down and said" If we go to war" and I woke up I thought what was that about and why was I being told that and wondered who the man was as I opened my laptop there was the picture of the man.E Sledge.the message I guess is for his son to know he is ok.

[@thebosscatman7]

i beg to differ on what you call middle class i have never seen middle class have a butler and a cook.

[@patavinity1262]

Yeah of course you don't *now* - those were different times. Having servants was much more common.

[@piedpiper8355]

It's just called something different. Today's middle class has a cook and sometimes a nanny. It's called Grubhub and daycare.

[@OmahaSand]

I don't have a Butler or a Cook ....... But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. Lol

[@patricktully1874]

If you haven't noticed marines America is finished not much time left find Jesus

[@WhatnotChaser]

This book made me really sad.

[@OmahaSand]

Well .. the Pacific War was the most brutal in US History from my viewpoint..... Just creeping up on the 100's of US Company/Casualty ratios of 75 to 85% should have given yoiu an idea of how bad it truly was. Against an Enemy who wouldn't surrender .. I can't think of harder duty than a Pacific Marine had in WW2.

[@nicohands9171]

Psh, you should interview a real hero. I’m a war hero and have the best story never told to the public. It’s time to get it off my chest.

[@bittnerbs]

🤣 Said no war hero ever! The men with whom I served alongside were not braggarts, although many deserve to be. I saw some MOH actions, yet none of them talk about their heroics.

[@nicohands9171]

@@bittnerbs tell your wife to stop calling me now thats she had a taste, just a nibble of a real mans touch.