The B12 (XII) Forum, home of the 'Front Porch, y'all' at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

The more I read about various battles, the more I realize the apparent fact they have a huge random factor, with some exceptions.  Commanders are apt to make mistakes due to misinformation or assumption or just make mistakes because perhaps their brains are full.  The opponent might not be aware of the mistake and perhaps make their own mistakes, and randomly someone takes advantage of the gap created.

Regarding that last point, I am reminded of the self-induced gap in Rosecrans' line and Longstreet's fortuitous timing in ordering a charge at the point where the gap had just been created.
Because we are discussing the Korean War in my Military History class I am reminded how the hero can quickly become the goat (not the GOAT). MacArthur's bold (some might have said foolhardy) and brilliant landing of X Corps at Inch'on on Korea's western coast in Sep 1950 was quickly followed by the foolhardy (some might have said bold) decision to pull X Corps back out through Inch'on, interfering hugely with Eighth Army's logistics in the process, wasted two weeks for mine-clearing to conduct an amphibious landing on the eastern coast at Wonsan, which the ROK Army had already captured 2 weeks earlier, and then encouraging X Corps to drive to the Yalu even as the Chinese were intervening in great numbers.  Appointing his good friend and chief of staff Maj. Gen. Ned Almond as CG of X Corps, and then keeping X Corps separate from Eighth Army after the Inch'on landing, seems positively nepotistic when looking at the disastrous Chosin Reservoir campaign.  Especially with our knowledge that Almond continued to order 7th ID and 1st Mar Div forward, even as they were being surrounded by Chinese who outnumbered them 10-to-1.  "Don't let a few Chinese laundrymen stop you," said Almond.
I am retiring from my 2nd career in 2 weeks. I received my equivalent of the gold watch--a wooden apple in a block of Lucite--in a retirement ceremony Wednesday.

I am retiring from my 2nd career in 2 weeks. I received my equivalent of the gold watch--a wooden apple in a block of Lucite--in a retirement ceremony Wednesday.

Congratulations CW


Are you planning anything big upon retirement


or just watch the world go by

Congratulations CW


Are you planning anything big upon retirement


or just watch the world go by

Thanks, 320.

My plan is to do what my core faculty advisor--in my master's program at Vermont College (Monpelier, VT)--suggested that I do: expand on my my research papers on the development of American strategy in World War II and write a book on the subject.
I was able to easily use the FDR Library at the time, as I was teaching at West Point. Now, I'm within driving distance of the Truman Library in Independence, MO, and the World War II Museum in New Orleans, so those could be two resources.

CD:

W.E.B. (William E. Butterworth) Griffin's Brotherhood of War series--about the Army--is very good too.  He did it before The Corps series.  Did he ever finish The Corps?  If he did, I missed it.

You're right about MacArthur, I think.  More politician than general.  He was the senior-ranking officer in the U.S. military establishment in 1941, having retired after his stint as Army Chief of Staff, gone off to be Field Marshall of the Philippine Army, and then gotten recalled to active duty.  He was really senior by 1950.

There was a little dereliction of duty on the part of the JCS in 1950, I think. They deferred to MacArthur, their subordinate in the normal order of things, because he was senior to them and because he was a (somewhat self-created) legend.  Even Truman was wary of taking him on.  Until he wasn't any more, after "God's Right Hand Man" finally went indisputably too far.

MacArthur had wangled for the GOP nomination for president while a serving officer, and he was wangling for it again in 1952 after his relief and 2nd retirement.  I think we are fortunate that he didn't get it either time.  His judgement was not sound.

FDR, when MacArthur was CoS, said that he was the most dangerous man in America.

Apropos of nothing at all, the buzz here is that OU and UT go to the SEC in 2024.

I think I remember Utee posting something to that effect 2-3 months ago.

Also, the SEC commissioner has apparently said that there will be a scheduling set-up that involves all teams playing all other teams more frequently than is currently the case in the SEC.

That, to me, says "4-team pods."

I am retiring from my 2nd career in 2 weeks. I received my equivalent of the gold watch--a wooden apple in a block of Lucite--in a retirement ceremony Wednesday.

Corngrats CWS,haven't stopped over here in a while.Keep moving,a rolling stone gathers no moss.Unless of course you have a good Military History Book in front of you. try Eisenhowers Armies by Nial Barr PHD,if you haven't already.

Congrats to the oSu Cowgirls, who knocked off the #1 Oklahoma Sooners 4-3 today in the Big 12 Tournament championship game.