View Full Version : The toughest man on the longest day
We should all know about this.
https://www.insidehook.com/article/history/teddy-roosevelt-jr-toughest-old-man-wwii/amp
Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr. requested three times to lead the first wave of the assault on Utah Beach before permission was granted. Under a barrage of artillery fire, he proceeded to lead the men across the beach, returning for the ensuing units. He greeted each newly arriving regiment, pointing them towards their changed objective. His humor and confidence encouraged and inspired all, calming the nerves of the young troops.
They certainly don't make them like this anymore.
In today's world he wouldn't be appreciated at all.
Thanks for posting.
Compare this son of a president to the son of the "president" we have now.
Might want to compare him to Uday and Qusay Trump. I damn sure wouldn’t follow them up San Juan Hill.
Everybody agrees TR Jr. was as brave as a lion. But...
His superiors to a man considered him "unsoldierly" which was Patton's favorite term for him. Patton repeatedly tried to have him relieved of command, going directly to Eisenhower on the matter. Omar Bradley did have him and his superior, Gen. Terry Allen relieved of command for lax discipline including excessive fraternization with his men which Bradley believed had compromised the combat effectiveness of his division. One of the final nails in Allen's and Roosevelt's coffin was the failure of men in the division to salute Eisenhower's command car, four star flag and all, when it drove into a 1st Infantry Division camp.
Patton, Eisenhower and Bradley all respected TR Jr. as a man. In fact Bradley said that relieving him was the most unpleasant thing he had to do in WWII, They just did not believe that, at the bottom, he was a good commander. Patton was one of Roosevelt's pall bearers.
Some of the above may have been attributable to personal jealousy, but one way or the other Allen and Roosevelt gave their superiors the sword used to cut off their careers, though Allen did resurrect his.
barretcreek
06-28-2022, 04:45
Read a nice biography of Allen.
Cota was the guy who performed that day, yet he was relieved later on.
Read a nice biography of Allen.
Cota was the guy who performed that day, yet he was relieved later on.
Cota was an interesting fellow. He hit the beach on Omaha with the second wave. While speaking to the commander of the 5th rangers (under heavy fire) he saw a body of men sheltering behind the shingle and asked "who are you?" They yelled back "5th Rangers." Cota shouted back, if you're Rangers lead the way." From that day the moto of the Rangers has been "Lead the Way."
Also on D-day he said "We're being killed on the beaches, lets go inland and be killed."
In the movie "The Longest Day" Robert Mitchum played Cota.
Vern Humphrey
06-29-2022, 02:35
Might want to compare him to Uday and Qusay Trump. I damn sure wouldn’t follow them up San Juan Hill.
Roosevelt charged up Kettle Hill, not San Juan Hill -- that was stormed by the Buffalo Soldiers, the 10th Cavalry.
Roosevelt charged up Kettle Hill, not San Juan Hill -- that was stormed by the Buffalo Soldiers, the 10th Cavalry.
Why did so many of the old time "greats" charge up hills?
Wouldn't it have been much easier to charge down hills?
barretcreek
06-29-2022, 05:07
Why did so many of the old time "greats" charge up hills?
Wouldn't it have been much easier to charge down hills?
May be wrong but I think Chamberlain and Millett charged downhill.
May be wrong but I think Chamberlain and Millett charged downhill.
The smart ones. At least they were more rested to go into battle.
Vern Humphrey
07-01-2022, 03:46
Why did so many of the old time "greats" charge up hills?
Wouldn't it have been much easier to charge down hills?
The enemy wouldn't cooperate and dig in at the bottom of the hill.:icon_jokercolor:
Yes, the rough riders were charging up hill because that os where the enemy was.
Yes, the rough riders were charging up hill because that os where the enemy was.
I was joking.
Vern Humphrey
07-02-2022, 08:03
I remember a symposium on the Civil War with a West Point Professor. One of the issues was "Why did Lee fight at Gettysburg?"
I couldn't stop myself -- "because that's where the Union Army was!"
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