the plight of the grunt
Here goes a reply. I kept reading, waiting to see a post from some of the vets I know who are here from time to time, but so far it's been quiet.
Having served in the hot, steamy jungles of South Vietnam, I would prefer
-the hot, steamy jungles of S.V.N. to frozen europe, or say, frozen Korea for that matter.
Having hunted deer in my home state of PA; the frozen woods; give me the jungle. Which I hated. Freezing cold makes operating any kind of machinery, firearms or what ever, difficult. I think more so than swamp humidity, dirt, etc.
I had done my advanced infantry training in Ft.Lewis during the winter and often with only long sleeve shirts to wear! More difficult, I believe.
I've slept where the mosquitoes were almost as bad as those old Humphrey Bogart encountered in the movie, African Queen, but I have also attempted to sleep in the bone cold ice and snow, on the ground, and for those conditions -surprise. I would take the cold. I thought I would loose my mind a few times with the mosquitoes, even though I was slick with DEET, and my poncho liner only made the blood suckers hunt for the areas where my arm, legs and head were under!
My unit ( the First Cavalry) had been patrolling for fourtyeight days straight without baths, change of clothing, or return to the fire base, and when we finally were informed that we would go back in for a hot Thanksgiving meal, showers, and such, we could hardly wait. Upon landing, we were all assembled, and informed that one of the national NEWS services would be filming the soldiers being given a hot, holiday meal -out in the field! Yes, we would not be given showers, and that, but would eat on the edge of the fire base while being filmed, and then go right back out again. The mood was what I would call grim. And never again would any of us view the spots on the evening NEWS in the same way. So, in this case, maybe I would select the european theater hoping for more civilized conditions.
I would opt for the M1 because of the versatility of such a fine weapon.
Long range, house clearing, assaults, jungle or frozen mountains, the M1 would "comfort" me, more than others mentioned. Yes, it's a little unwieldy for in a house, or heavy for humping, but what a weapon. I would be glad to have one -more than the M16.
So it goes, back and forth, depending on the circumstances.
I had faced the NVA troops mostly, and the oriental military mindset on training is, well, the troops are replaceable. The NVA were better marksmen than the VC guerillas -on the whole, and I'm presuming here that the Japanese soldier was similar; in that they were not on par with the GI.
So then, screaming squads of sacrifical soldiers, while horrifying, are not the threat that disciplined and accurate shooting troops such as were the Wehrmacht troops. This case -give me the Pacific theatre.
No one had mentioned, but choosing between hordes of Nipponese, and facing Tiger tank combined infantry of the Germans. Then, the Pacific again.
I had actually heard armor being started near the border one night, and it probably was "ours," but the the thought of facing it with only puny LAW rockets which is all we had at the time, made me "anxious." -Jungles again.
The mention of the various commanders was stated, and what ever one was not looking for publicity and press recognition would be my choice.
The posters who happen to be of a minority background consider what happened to the 442; brave Japanese Americans. They were "used" -wasted horrendeously for that publicity. And so were the black regiments during the Civil war. Used in some impossible assault by some grandyose general for his glory. And to no military advantage either. Just cannon fodder. You cannot choose you commanding officers either, but hope you get one who values his men more than his carreer.
All the theaters in most every war have instances of this abuse. So, where do you choose now? And what service branch?