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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: i-node who wrote (625790)	8/26/2011 12:26:10 AM
From: THE WATSONYOUTH	1 Recommendation Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1572942

But from Truman's POV, I can see why it was done. Prior to dropping the Atom bombs, The US Military had plans for a full scale invasion of Japan. Having already won in Europe, the US Military was careful NOT to require (except for areas of critical needs) the transfer of European combat veterans to the Pacific for the Japan invasion. One exception was for combat engineers.....specifically demolition experts. My father was in the 313th Combat Engineers of the 88th Blue Devil division during the Italian campaign. By war's end........after nearly one year in combat in a brutal campaign....... his unit got wind of an eventual transfer to the Pacific for the upcoming Japan invasion. The estimate for survival for combat engineers on the Japanese beaches was near 100% casualties with perhaps 40% fatalities. Moral in his unit completely collapsed. By then a Master Sargent, my father queried all men in his area as to their intentions after an extended 45 day leave. Perhaps 1 in 3 intended not to return.....preferring to go AWOL rather than survive the European war only to meet their fate on a Japanese beach. Fortunately for all, the war ended in the interim. From their (and my) POV , I can see why it was done also. P.S....... Eugene B.. Sledge's (aka Hammer) WW2 memoirs published in the book "With the Old Breed at Peleliu" was possibly the best first hand account of combat in the Pacific....... characterized by its straightforward, almost brutal description of infantry combat and its physical and psychological effects . I highly recommend it.