"What Would 'Chesty' Do?" Given the current state of affairs...

[drumcorpssnare]

Lt. Gen. Lewis B. 'Chesty' Puller was probably one of the most opinionated Marines to ever wear the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor. In your OPINION, what do you think HE would say, in regards to 9/11, global terrorism, Iraq, President Bush, etc.

You Marines sound-off first. I'll chime-in later.

SEMPER FI :flag:

[10thzodiac]

"Staying the course" is not a battle plan for success in Iraq.
It's a recipe for more dead Marines."


Good night Chesty Puller - where ever you are.

SF
10th

[drumcorpssnare]

Knowing what I do about "Chesty," I think that as soon as we had captured Saddam Hussein, Gen. Puller would have said, "Saddle-up Marines! We're out of here! The Iraqis have their country back. Job well done!"
Though he often boasted that HIS Marines suffered the highest casualty rates, he hated the thought of ANY of HIS Marines being killed or wounded.

Good-night Chesty Puller, wherever you are.

SEMPER FI
drumcorpssnare:usmc:

[Dave Coup]

I don't think Chesty would have been that simplistic. Pulling out now and saving lives sounds good, but someone tell me what the result of a pull out woud be please.

Semper Fidelis

Dave

[10thzodiac]

I don't think Chesty would have been that simplistic. Pulling out now and saving lives sounds good, but someone tell me what the result of a pull out woud be please.

Semper Fidelis

Dave


HERE IS WHAT HAPPENS IF WE
"STAY THE COURSE"

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/casualties/2006-10-03-october-06-toll_x.htm

[drumcorpssnare]

Dave Coup- "My opinion" on Iraq...I really am not sure at this point what the best course of action is. However, my opinion on what "Chesty" would do...

He was thoroughly fed up with the whole political BS of the Korean conflict. He wanted to either kick ass, or...get out. Very black & white. No middle ground. He just didn't want his Marines to die in vain...for nothing. I think he would probably feel the same today.

I understand that America, or at least President Bush, would like to see a democratic government installed in Iraq. The essential question is, do the people of Iraq want a democratic process? Or do they prefer being led by their clergy, who would make the social, ecenomic, political, and military decisions?
If Iraq wants the freedoms, and democracy that WE enjoy, then they MUST be willing to fight for, and bleed for, and die for that privelage...

just as WE have, for the past 230 years! If they aren't willing to earn that right, is it right that America try to earn it for them?

drumcorpssnare:usmc:

[10thzodiac]

http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/coffin_photos/dover/casket10.jpg

[Ironrider]

Given what I've been taught, and Read about Chesty. I'm inclined to agree with Drum. He'd either want to fight, or go home. And on the other side of the house, I think Patton would have been the same way.

Jim
Vegas:iwo:

[hrscowboy]

Patton would have rolled on through and started for afganistan, No doubt old Chesty would have said lets stand and fight or lets go home, non of this political bull crap is allowed, not on my watch its not..

[Ironrider]

Yeah, Patton would have wouldn't he? I think Chesty would have too, and leading from the front and not the rear...:marine:

[drumcorpssnare]

Slightly OT, but...my favorite story of Chesty leading from 'the front', was on Guadalcanal at the Battle of the Tenaru River. Pitch-black, 0100, quiet. Puller goes between the US and Japanese lines, stands up and lights his corn cob pipe, then dives and rolls in the kunai grass. The enemy machine guns open up, and the Marine riflemen shoot at the Jap muzzle flashes! This scenario was repeated over and over, for the next three hours!!!
Chesty was one BAD MOTHER%&*#@+!!!!

[Dave Coup]

Zodiac:
Who said there was anything wrong with saving lives?
What you say will happen is already happening. My question is, what will the
result for the country be if we cut and run. I concede,(grudgingly) that going in may have been ill advised but we're there so what now?

[drumcorpssnare]

Gen. Puller was a serious student of military history. That being stated, he would know that if America were to 'cut and run,' the problems regarding Islamic terrorists would not simply 'go away.' Chesty was smart enough to know that you must 'fight fire with fire' if you expect any chance of winning.
So, while it's completely 'politically incorrect,' Chesty might suggest that we fight insurgents with insurgentcy. If we started using IED's against them, and had armed drones flying into their buildings, and blew up their airliners, etc....then maybe they would re-think the whole issue.
They have the upper hand right now, being on the offensive. Compared to the US, they are spending almost nothing on weapons, logistics, uniforms, etc. They can survive with a mere skeleton of a command and control structure. Without uniforms, insignia, etc. they can easily melt into the populace, and become invisible.
My analogy is that the US is playing baseball by major league rules, with uniforms, umpires, announcers. They are playing 'stick-ball' by sandlot rules.
No uni's, illegal substitutions, disregard the rules when it suits them, etc.

If they don't want to play by our rules....WE NEED TO PLAY BY THEIRS!!!

drumcorpssnare:usmc:

[10thzodiac]

Zodiac:
Who said there was anything wrong with saving lives?
What you say will happen is already happening. My question is, what will the
result for the country be if we cut and run. I concede,(grudgingly) that going in may have been ill advised but we're there so what now?

A Marine and good friend of mine whom I completely agree with and who is far smarter than me, said this:

"The "road" is thoroughly mined and the bridges are out. It is high time to leave, with lessons learned. With loss of pride ? Absolutely. But pride ever comes before a fall. And, de facto, Baghdad has fallen. It is time to come home, unless a new wall bearing the names of those who fell in war for no reason is wanted. Better that those named Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Rove, along with all their minions, be duly overridden by the will of the people, condemned for the wrongs they have visited upon the United States of America, and sent into history's dustbin. Now is the time."

SF
10th

[Camper51]

be duly overridden by the will of the people,

10th

and how do you justify that this is the will of the people? I understand it is YOUR will, but I haven't seen that it is the will of everyone else, or even the majority. I think we will see more of an answer next Tuesday, or even more so in two years when the presidential elections are held...

If every single republican up for election isn't voted out of office next Tuesday then how can you possibly make the claim that it is the will of the people?

[drumcorpssnare]

10thzodiac- Make no mistake sir, I do not relish the concept of war. It saddens me to tears to see the young Americans dying and being maimed every day. But I believe they are trying to fight a "good fight." In all that I have personally heard from troops who are/were there...they WANT to be there, and they want to finish the job. The discontent comes from friends and loved ones of those already killed, or who are in harms way. These soldiers, sailors, and Marines are convinced that if America 'cuts and runs,' the terror will not stop.

I agree. They will continue to terrorize and kill Americans, until we take away their will to make war.

drumcorpssnare:usmc:

[sgt tony]

If Chestty was in charge The first thing would be take the area clear it and then advance and do that till there was no more people that would raise arms against and American. <br />
The politics is the...