We learned lessons that would in two decades lead to the rise of two of the greatest world powers since Rome - one succeeding the other.
We would see a leader at 23 eventually promoted to Colonel.
Who fought in a loosing battle with that eventual Colonel, Colonel Washington? Together then - but on opposite ends of the field later?
Horatio Gates, Charles Lee, Thomas Gage, Daniel Morgan, Daniel Boone and others.
Go see the details of a field of Fullbore at RedState, about the Battle of Monongahela. The Fullbore in this case though belongs to the French and Indians.
Defeats are a wonderful teaching tool.
If you are under 60 - learn there what was not taught in school.
We would see a leader at 23 eventually promoted to Colonel.
Who fought in a loosing battle with that eventual Colonel, Colonel Washington? Together then - but on opposite ends of the field later?
Horatio Gates, Charles Lee, Thomas Gage, Daniel Morgan, Daniel Boone and others.
Go see the details of a field of Fullbore at RedState, about the Battle of Monongahela. The Fullbore in this case though belongs to the French and Indians.
Defeats are a wonderful teaching tool.
If you are under 60 - learn there what was not taught in school.
8 comments:
Frostburg, MD, my wifes' hometown, is part of that history. Braddock and Washington passed through the area that would eventually become that town, and just 5 miles west is Little Meadows, Washingtons first victory. To the east you find Braddock Run, a bubbling stream around which supposedly the payroll chest for Braddocks expidtion was buried during the long and horrible retreat from Fort Duquense. Further to the east, 10 miles from Frostburg is Cumberland, Braddocks base camp he established during the long march from Virginia. And in a cemetary on Dan's Mountain, one that the wifes family has kin buried in, is a Hessian soldier.
My Maternal side of the Family had a Grand pere French, (Vermont and PA) and my GrandMother was Indian (Mohawk - Penobscott).
My Paternal side angry drunk Scotts and English..
Glad they didnt wipe each other out here...
You never know who you'll inadvertently train to come back at you in two decades. Here's a link to an article I wrote for Vietnam Magazine on our OSS team that trained Ho Chi Minh and Giap - in 1945.
http://www.historynet.com/ho-chi-minh-and-the-oss.htm/1
Well, a big what if is: what if US negotiated with Viet Minh in say 1949: we will recognise you, allow unification, but please no Chinese/Russian bases. If it could be done with Tito, why not?
When Ho Chi Minh declared himself a Communist in 1945, it would have been political suicide for Truman to have negotiated with him and seen as a betrayal of France. At the time, Muscovite Bolshevism was seen relatively accurately as quite monolithic, as the Sino-Soviet split did not occur until 1955-56.
After a long world war, only to lose both Eastern Europe and then China to the Reds, any negotiation with Ho would have been curtains for Truman.
And that would be assuming that the Viet Minh would have had the means to resist Soviet pressure. And if not, they could only do so with our backing. Not bloody likely.
Very well done history!
Salty's 16th cousin was Daniel Boone. HOOYAH! Didn't even know he was there. Guess I'll be doing some pushups now.......
I was enjoying the post until I got to the dig at public schools at the end. It may surprise you but I actually did learn about the French and Indian wars and the people that fought in them. Both in junior and senior high (late 90's and early 00's). It would be nice to keep the stereotypes to a minimum sometimes.
Post a Comment