My War Scrapbook

[evangilder]

I am not sure if the televised part was it or not. I do remember seeing it on television when I was young, and seeing my father get very angry at the screen. But the press in general was very powerful in turning the public opinion. The problem was also politics. Rule of Engagement and thinsg like that put a damper on alot of operations at that time and since as well.

I don't really recall what kinds of things were being shown about the war at the time on television, just a few faded memories. It wasn't very popular to start with and the press seemed to take that and run with it. It is tough to make a call on it for me as to whether or not the television press made the biggest difference. But I do recall that during the Tet Offensive, Walter Cronkite said that it was no longer winnable. He was one of the most trusted men in America at the time and that went a long way. Looking back through the window of time, the Tet Offensive was not very successful for the North Vietnamese, and the incredible courage of the Marines at Khe Sanh is still something that is studied in military classrooms. We could have been much more successful if the miltary had been allowed to do it's job and the politicians had left the military to do it's job.

Unfortunately, the press ae alos doing similar deeds now. When was the last time you read a press report of a good thing that happened in Iraq? Yet, if you correspond with some of the guys with the boots on the ground, there are good things happening that you never otherwise hear about.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

well that british guy got awarded the VC.........

 

[trackend]

Thanks for that Evan. I know Walter was very much the head honcho in the states for many years in the media world.
I find it very interesting what you say about Politicians getting in the way of command decisions it seems to be something that has gone on for years I'm just grateful we had Eisenhower in WW2 to me he was the only man for the job at least he didn't take sides if he thought some one was out of line he very quickly told them be it a General or a Prime minister and from any country.
He is my No 1 Commander of WW2 (not perhaps the greatest tactician) but what a brilliant coordinator.
I think some times Politicians have a habit of believing they know more than they actually do. if I want to know how to fly a plane I'll ask a pilot not the owner of the airline but politicians think they can do the flying as well.

 

[Karbine]

wow lots of replys,havent a clue what your talking about i know its on photographers but anyway.

I found out that the paratrooper was 82nd Airborne paratrooper John Steele.

Look at this photo i found dedicated to omaha beach:

 

[Nonskimmer]

What a cool sand sculpture! That took a lot of skill!

 

[cheddar cheese]

Thats a great work of art! 8)

 

[evangilder]

That is really cool. The sad part is it will eventually just wash away.

 

[cheddar cheese]

Or some arrogant youths will come along and destroy it.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

or some arrogant youthful wave...........

 

[Karbine]

yea thats the thing,i couldent put all that work in and let it get washed away.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

here's a thought, maybe, just maybe, they did it far enough up the beach for it to not get hit by a wave??

 

[evangilder]

Could be, but eventually, the elements are going to take it's toll. I saw guys doing sculptures on Daytona Beach years ago. Beautiful work that was gone in a few days with rain.

 

[Nonskimmer]

The same thing happens around here. There's an annual sand sculpture competition just up the coast aways, at Clam Harbour Beach. Some pretty cool stuff! I might try to get up there this year and get a few pics. We'll see.

 

[evangilder]

They also do the sidewalk art with some amazing work. Then it all washes away. I have some pics of some somewhere.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I believe that the Press should not be on the Battlefield and if they are they are responsible for there own safety. I remember evertime I had press on my aircraft, it drove me nuts knowing that not only did I have to worry about my safty and the saftey of my crew that I had a bunch of knuckle heads in the back who will do anything for a story including get in my way.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Better them than the civilian reporters. Those guys can get you killed quick.

True atleast they know how to shoot a gun and kill the enemy!

can't speak for the British reporters. I have just watched some American ones do some really stupid things during the latest war. Geraldo Rivera pretty much gave away the position they were in. I saw one where a Marine was in the prone position and a reporter walked up and asked what he was doing. The marine replied "I am protecting you, now get down". Egads!

CNN is by far the worst!

As for Rivera I completely agree with you that he was completely in the wrong adn should be shot. However it was not Marines he was with. He was with the 101st Airborne Division. One of the pilots in my unit had the honor of flying him out of the combat zone when they kicked him out when he was with the 101st.

 

[evangilder]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. It was 2 separate incidences I was talking about. Anyway, I totally agree with you, but I think that civilian reporters should be barred from the front-line units. If they sneak in there, they are on their own. If they get in the way, shoot them. The way I see it is if they do something stupid, which is almost a certainty, they could get a number of guys killed. Maybe it's harsh, but I have seen civilian reporters get guys killed in the field. I had one put his mike in my face once and started barking questions at me. I reached down and took my rifle out of safe, put the business end in HIS face and informed he that he had 3 seconds to get the fuck out of my face. He complied.

 

[trackend]

I haven't got a problem Evan with civvies getting some news but at the cost of a fellas life is ridiculous, either directly protecting correspondence or indirectly due to poor filtering by the Military press office (which has happened). I'm luck as they knew that the squaddies where under orders not to give any interviews at all so I never had a problem.
Apart from that I talk so much rubbish It would never have got on air in the first place.

 

[Nonskimmer]

I had one put his mike in my face once and started barking questions at me. I reached down and took my rifle out of safe, put the business end in HIS face and informed he that he had 3 seconds to get the f**k out of my face. He complied.

OUT - STANDING!!

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]