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In reply to the discussion: I didn't serve in Vietnam for freedom... [View all]Joe Chi Minh
(15,229 posts)Last edited Tue May 26, 2015, 05:42 AM - Edit history (5)
A sublime subject conveyed with just the right, matter-of-fact, mournful simplicity. And what a photo to go with it! I know infantry have it the hardest, though mercifully not by my own experience. Very high casualty turnover in WWII, not to speak of the mortality rate. And sent back into action, if possible, when recovered.
Strange though, I think there's a lot of truth in Dr Johnson's saying: 'Every man thinks the less of himself for not having been a soldier. But then, I was never 'at the sharp end' in a war. I don't suppose words could ever be adequate to describe the full horror of war, but Rick Atkinson probably comes as close to it as possible in the latter part of Volume III of his account of WWII, entitled, 'The Guns at Last Light'. A brilliant, fascinating book, particularly from the viewpoint of the quotes throughout the book from a vast range of people.