True, but that goes for everybody, including us. I feel for everybody that has to die that way, even the “enemy.”
Ken
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got to remember his job was to kill you! Nothing else counts. I never killed anybody that I actually wanted to kill (well maybe twice). I also never shot anybody acting in a role of mercy (medics for one). I had a couple guys get on me about that, and just walked away knowing I did the right thing (in my mind). Usually I found out after the fact what damage I’d done, and Top finally figured out that it was not a welcome subject. I never counted bodies, and tried my very best to stay clueless to the subject. I have a rough idea cause some one counted the after action reports (I’ll never forgive them for that)
We talk harshly about whoever the enemy is. I did that for awhile as well. Then Top pulled to one side and gave me the “Love Thine Enemy” lecture. Give him respect, cause he’s not (respecting you) and will die over that issue. I can safely tell all of you that I too often get to watch of movie trailer of nothing but faces and figures in my mind. Be damned glad you don’t get a ticket to that video
gary
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Just looking at that 19 year old Russian kid who thinks he’s on a live fire exercise. He really has no idea what’s going on because his C.O. never told him. I was the exact same way. His C.O. certainly wins the “Black Jack Award” for the month. Mine did too! That kid’s mind is ruined for the rest of his days, just like our kids were.
Tony Herbert once said the most dangerous weapon in the world is a 19 year old kid with a full auto weapon. Why? Because he’ll do what you tell him without asking why! A 21 year old will from time to time question a blanket order given out by Black Jack. A 23 year old (now there’s a really old man) will tell you upfront that you got your head stuck in your butt. I was 22 going on an elderly age of 23, and remember questioning somebody’s latest scheme of things more than once
gary
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19 is practically senile in some parts of the world; using children as shock troops goes way back. ISTR an account by a 19th century explorer being told by an (East?) African warlord that grown men were best for defence, but for conquest one needed children. The only thing that’s changed is the AK means kids can be combat effective when they’re smaller/younger than before. The movie “Johnny Mad Dog” is a pretty authentic depiction, as many of the young actors were former child soldiers themselves.
Regards,
M
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It is what has to be done. Nevertheless, it is still a the act of killing. You can celebrate for the victory, but it should be it.
From my other home country, Vietnam, the people are very brutal. Yet, no vets really like the people who smile and laugh because they killed Americans. There were, but they are not great people. You wouldn’t like to see people laugh at your death friends neither.
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Sorta frightning to think the tank was hit, suffered a catastrophic fire, fire burnt almost completely out all by the time the time the tank costed to a stop. You know the crew burnt alive and never had the chance to get out of their seats.
I doesn’t matter to me what country the crew was from, as a tanker that’s a horrible way to go.
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Hopefully the initial concussion will have rendered them unconscious. There are a lot worse ways to go (many caught on video and shared with the world), anything that involves being conscious while something really nasty happens, be it being trapped in a burning vehicle or building, extruded through a die, assorted workplace accidents, unfortunate encounters with agricultural machinery, riding on two wheels in the third world or Daesh and the Narco’s trying to out-atrocity each other. For the military, a submarine passing it’s crush depth really deep is very nasty…
Regards,
M
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there is nothing great about taking another’s life.
gary
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Did anybody see the Russian convoy get hit by arty on You tube? There were a couple serious hits and a couple that were kinda funny/ One tank just went in reverse as a round landed maybe five feet in front of the driver. I will assume the hatch was buttoned down, but I’d most certainly imagine a change of shorts was direly needed! Imagine the inside of that tank really stunk! Then there was the tank on the side of the street that went into the panic mode, and drove right into the box.
gary
Yes and they just sat there. Is there an immediate action drill for tanks under artillery fire? Shouldn’t they be moving the formation out of the area at least? Many of these videos show the same reaction it seems.
Bad situational awareness?
Afraid to act without orders?
I’d go with ‘the plan isn’t working and I don’t want to screw up the plan and I have no idea what the plan actually is.’ The Russian officers are the only ones who know the plan; they don’t trust their men with it and they don’t teach their men to improvise. They also don’t have the NCO corps that the American military and other western nations have, men and women who can keep the plan going when the officers are dead.
H.P.
Ahh, but ze cage it protected ze tank from rolling over completely in ze creek …
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The cope cage is also useful in such situations for holding a fishing net to help the crew catch their next meal.
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don’t forget that it can be used for drying the waders and other gear that might get wet while fishing …
Actually, it’s been designed to be dismounted an placed in a river as a fish trap. The entire “Special Military Operation” is actually a mass poaching expedition… Caviar, anyone?
Cheers,
M
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well it looked like the trucks had the road blocked for the tanks, but they still should have been moving in one direction or another. They’d been toast had a good F.O. been there
gary
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or drying your shorts after a good washing that was caused by 122mm howitzers getting way too close
gary
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That’s what I was thinking. Could have been much worse for them