The American Soldier [antikvár]

Introduction Citizens of rhe Unired States of Amcrica do nor consider themselves warlike, yet the US Army has engaged in wars both large and small just about once every decade of its existence. In most instances, such as in IS98 tor rhe Spanish-American War and in 1861 for the Civil War, conflict was widely welcomed. Sometimes, such as in 1846 for rhe Mexican-American War and in the I96()s for the Vietnam War, there was considerable opposition. In each case, however, the Army and public entered each war anew. Because of fears of a professional military and the threat such an organization poses to civilian liberties, the US Army has always been small and under civilian control. A civilian head - until after World War 2 the Secretary of War and thereafter the Secretary of the Army - is and always has been in charge. Moreover, because of the small size of the traditional peacetime US Army, civilians have had to reinforce its ranks during any major war. These civilians have joined the Army either as individuals volunteering or by being drafted into the Army or as whole militia, volunteer or National Guard units. Only the high-ranking professional officers and a scattering of senior non-commissioned officers have maintained any sense of Army continuity. It was said during the Vietnam War, when each officer and enlisted man served only one year before being rotated back to the States, that the Army there didn't fight one war for ten years - it fought ten wars for one year each. In much the same way, the Army may have been said to have fought each of its wars as new body. Volunteer units which fought in the Mexican-American War didn't fight in the Civil War 13 years later, although many veterans did return to the colors. The result, generally, has been a similar pattern to America's major wars. Initial defeat (Bunker Hill in 1775, Detroit in 1812, First Manassas in 1861, Kasserine Pass in 1942), leads to a swell of enthusiasm and renewed dedication which eventually overcomes the enemy. True, small wars such as the Mexican-American, Spanish-American and Grenada were wholly successful, with nothing but victories until final conquest. Vietnam, where a string of small victories ended in eventual defeat, was different; but since that was a civil war in which Americans intervened, the situation was quite different from other American wars - as was the result. Today the US Army makes an attempt to maintain traditions of past unit glories. However, because of rhe frequent transfer of officers and men within its ranks, there is little real US Army unit pride stemming from past wars. This is not true of the US Marine Corps which, though not a part of the Army, appears in these pages. The Marine Corps is proudly traditional, with an independence demonstrated by the fact that its commandant sits with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, even though he is technically under Naval command. Nevertheless many of American's wars were fought with joint Army/Marine units, such as the 2nd Infantry Division of World War 1, which was led by a Marine general officer and included both soldiers and Marines. Philip Katcher Devon Pennsylvania October 1990