Wake Island inspired some. As the Marines aboard ships coming to reinforce were set on swimmming the last 100 miles or so when the ships were recalled. The Marines on Wake island stood their ground. It was also later an Island hopped by MacArthur.
It was used as a traget range for bombers. Later it was taken. There are only 5 or 6 of those men left alive today.
In every instance though as in Iraq, for every Marine killed or wounded, there were 10 "Japs" killed. On Okinawa 12,000 Marines became casualties. 120,000 Japs were killed.
A reporter with the Marines after a battle said 70 marines were casualties, We counted 700 dead "japs"
In Market Garden the American Airborne Units took all their objectives. The British Airborne Units took theirs. They were supported by British Armor that would not drive as would have Patton's 3rd to hell to support their troops. 101 and 82 men were outraged by the Brits who actually stopped for tea while their guys were being overrun at Arnheim.
Those in the Huertegen and the attrition that occured saw morale drop and saw combat vets, the old men finally break down, were used for one purpose to avoid an attack so the Germans could open the dams and flood the valley. Yet the plan to take the dams was cancelled.
We had Operation Cobra, "The Breakout" a plan that worked to get us out of the attrition of the Bocage. But in all the instances US Soldiers, Marines, and Sailors made the difference. In a free thinking Army, Navy, and Marine Corps the lowly private with a good idea is not hindered from making it up on the run.
Freedom allows for good ideas as with new tactics to take the hedgerows. Tactics in the Huertegen, In the Pacific...
The best of us did their jobs. Stood between tyranny and evil, not for themselves not for their country but for their buddy and so their kids would not have to.
There were battles lost, but freedom allowed those on the battlefield to learn from that and change. The tactics of the Germans and Japs was too rigid.
As Patton said, to Omar Bradley when told to hold off taking Trier because Ike thought Patton would need three armored divisions to take it, Patton replied,
"Well Brad I already took it with two, what do you want me to do? Give it back?"
It was the Commanders, the Generals like Patton, Bradley, Rose, Abrahms, and the Company Commanders, and Platoon leaders who let the conditions determine the course, and it was the Soldiers, the Marines, the Sailors, the Airmen who got the job done.
I salute those before, and those now who serve. Those in Iraq and Afghanistan know the truth. They know what it means. I would say with all they were not taught in schools, with the media the way it is, with liberalism and the lack of morals, these young men and women today in the US Military are the "Greatest Generation"
Not because during WWII there were 16 million men under arms, but because today I doubt we could ever reach that number. So those who wear the uniforms today must take up the slack.
Great comments. I just felt I could use my knowledge of how dire WWII was for this country for most of our involvement in it and place that into a perspective vis a vis the Iraqi situation. I am sick of hearing how this is an endless quagmire in which we can never succeed. This could be another self inflicted defeat like Vietnam. (I am a vet of the SE Asia war games by the way)