Not Using the Airstrip?

When we were watching The Pacific on the invasion of Peleliu, I was horrified and extremely upset. How could the US command our marines to do such a task!? And since they did how could they do it without appropriately supplying our troops with enough food or water? I was fairly disturbed that our country would do that to its own men. Practically killing them while sending them out to their deaths. As I was watching the video, I could not stop thinking how I could never do what those men did, how they could keep going when the person next to them was shot in the head, or was blown to pieces. And after all of the battles in World War I that consisted of running across an open field at the enemy, which never worked successfully, doesn't our country learn that is a terrible idea? It was basically, as I said before, sending them out to their deaths. I realize that it was important so that we could get to the  airstrip, but we never even used it!!!!! This is the fact that completely blows my mind! We send troops out practically dying of dehydration, while commanding them to run across an open field straight into Japanese fire, all for an airstrip that we never use. I do not understand how the US could do that. Why did we have to lose so many men, for something that we did not even use. We could have used those men while invading Japan or maybe sent some to Europe, or they could have stayed home! With their families!

Operation Cartwheel

Today's game about Operation Cartwheel was very interesting to me. It really interests me that the US was so successful with all of the different battles on numerous islands. The way that the US was island hopping around the Pacific and just destroying all of the Japanese forces. When I first started reading about the operation I thought that it wasn't going too be too successful for the Japanese already because of the article about them bombing the US and because I did not think they could withstand our forces. I also thought that playing the game instead of just sitting down and taking notes really helped me to learn about the subject much easier.

Part 3 D-Day

I just read part 3 of the prologue of d day and I definitely agree with mr. Ambrose, especially when he said that mathias and brotheridge are one of he primary reasons for our freedom. What they did, I cannot even comprehend. How they volunteered to jump out of planes with 30% chancE of surviving. And I don't understand how the allies could train eighteen and twenty-eight year olds and expect them to just go out and fight. And without even training them as professionals. I am guessing that these men also became terrified and unable to fight once they saw their friends get shot. Which, for most of them, was the first time! I really thought that the allies did fairly well against the attack but I think if they took better precautions they could have done better.

Internment Camps

After watching the Nanking film I actually realized how the Americans could be so racist against the japanese because of all of the actions they participated in. However I do not think that he Americans should have put them into camps. I find that to be absolutely degrading and unfair because these were American Japanese. And I feel that putting them into camps is going against what we're fighting for later on, and that was getting the Jewish out of camps in Germany. And although we did not burn and work them to death, it is still the idea of isolating one race. And that is not what we are about in America. I think that these camps were a complete mistake and I do not understand why we would do that, even if they were our enemies. They are still people, real people.

The most horrifying movie in my life

So I know that his might be somewhat extreme but I now finally realize why he americans were so negatively racist towards the Japanese. As we watched the events of the attack on Nanking unfold my stomach dropped, my eyes filled with tears, and my heart broke. The Japanese stormed into the capital thinking that they could what they wanted and they wanted it. They destroyed homes and businesses and then looted them. The Japanese took everything that they wanted. When thy found men thyr would tie them up in groups of tens and bayonet them to death. Or machine gun them by the thousands. What got me the most though, was hearing about all of the rapings that occured. 20,000 accounted acts of rape occured during the taking over of Nanking. 20,000 girls my age (17) and younger were being taken out of their homes and forced to be tied up while men took their turns. Then they would kill them, slowly and painfully. Most accounts involved girls from 14 to 12. I could never imagine what that could be like. And I immediately felt sympathy for them because these were girls my age and younger. I couldn't even comprehend what that must have been like, and then to live through it? Another story that really opened my eyes was when a man was telling the story of his mother and baby brother. And how the Japanese soldier stab the baby and threw him off. And beat his mother. And watched his mother die right before his eyes. At age 9. How would you be able to get through that? I wouldn't.

Adolf Hitler Avatar

This is my version of Adolf Hitler. I would first like to point out that I know his hair is the wrong way and yes it bothers me too because I tried everything to see if I could switch it. Anyway, I am not the biggest fan of Adolf Hitler. I think that he is an incredibly cruel man. I do realize that the Treaty of Versailles was not fair at all to Germany however, I think that Hitler is going too far with his revenge. Especially with the Blitz on London because he ordered his air raid to destroy the whole city including citizens. Because of him, several innocent civilians lost their lives in this unnecessary event. And then he starts the holocaust which we all know was a disgusting and horrifying series of events. Overall, Hitler is a terribly repulsive man and I cannot believe that everyone in the world let him go on for as long as he did.

Germany during WWI vs. US during War in Iraq

When we were talking about all the reasons why Germany lost WWI I made some connections to the war going on today with our own country. The biggest similarity I noticed was that the Germans lost because the public just did not support the war anymore. They wanted it to be done, enough people had died. I find this situation very similar to the one happening today. In my eyes, the war should be over and I think that a lot of U.S. citizens would agree that they are just not supportive of the war any longer. Granted we are not losing as many lives per day as the Germans did, but we are losing lives nonetheless. And for what cause? We've already caught the conspirators that planned 9/11 and why do we have to establish and make them a great government? It's not our country! We should be more focused on our own government and our economy. I definitely feel a sort of connection to the German citizens during WWI. Asking myself, why are we still doing this? Why are we in this still?

Treaty of Versailles

So in class we have been discussing the Treaty of Versailles for quite some time and I really feel like after all of the discussions I have come to my (somewhat) final conclusion, I think that the Treaty of Versailles was very fair to the Allies. The different countries all put what they wanted to see happen in the treaty and so they made it happen. However, they also participated in the war, and they as well started some battles and kept the fighting going. I do not think that it is fair that all of the blame for WWI is being put on Germany. I think that they were a large component to blame because they invaded France and they gave a blank check to Austria-Hungary to do whatever they needed them to do. But Austria-Hungary could have just simply had a friendly talk with Serbia about what they wanted, or they could have just not called anyone in for support and WWI could have simply been a war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. Overall, the treaty is completely unfair to Germany, they deserve some of the points that were said however, I think that Austria-Hungary should have been blamed and punished for starting the war as well. Because if A-H never had a dispute, than Germany would have never given a check.

Memorable quote! :D

While watching the movie the Red Baron (which is fantastic so if you have not already, you should watch it), there were several different quotes and actions that caught my attention. One of the quotes I have still been thinking about is when Manfred(the main character) is on the frontline with the General and they are arguing. Manfred was complaining to the General that the way they were killing their enemies was too brutal and disgusting. He was trying to tell the General, "Ummm hello! you're killing people out there! Real people! Like us!"(did not actually say it). The General says to him, "My soldiers do not kill people, they destroy the enemy!". Manfred calmly responds back with, "It still has the same effect." This part really caught my attention because he is right. It doesn't matter if the person is your enemy or anything like that, they're still a person. What do you think about this quote? Do you agree or disagree?

Was that necessary?

Today in class we discussed the Battle of Verdun, Germany against France. The Germans plan was to destroy all of the French. The Germans were going to attack Verdun, the most important historical military place. They were going to attack here because the Germans knew how sacred it was to the French and they expected the French to keep sending troops out. The Germans wanted this, they wanted the French to keep resupplying soldiers so that they could destroy them all and "make a mountain of French corpses". The Germans attacked with a great amount of weapons. The two sides started fighting, however the Germans lost the element of surprise fairly quickly. Both sides were suffering from high casualties, yet they kept trying to slaughter one another. Finally the Germans had to retreat because of Russians on the Eastern Front, but the Germans did not gain anything, the fort was still in French hands and they did slaughter all of the French. Both sides suffered about half a million of casualties and wounded men. So my question is, why was this massive bloody battle necessary? Why did it have to happen? It did not change anything for anyone.