A Brief Summary Of Company Commander By Charles B. Macdonald

In his book, A Higher Call, Adam Makos provides the readers with information on how even though their were many conflicts and hardships between the enemies during World War II, there was a chance that there were good men on both sides of the war. Adam Makos is a journalist, historian, and editor of Valor, a military magazine. Throughout his whole life he has been attached to what went on during World War II. When he was younger, him and his friends wanted to be journalists one summer and started up a magazine that eventually took off. The main purpose of the magazine was very similar to this book and its meaning. Adam and his friends would always interview people who were affected from WWII, as well as many WWII veterans. Throughout their thorough

Colder Than Hell: A Marine Rifle Company at Chosin Reservoir was written and published by Joseph R. Owen in 1996. This book gives us a riveting point-of-view of the early and uncertain days of the Korean War through the eyes of Owen himself, as a platoon leader (PL) in a Marine rifle company. As a PL of a mortar section in Baker-One-Seven-Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment- Owen witnessed his hastily assembled men of a few regulars and reservists (who to mention some that have not gone to boot camp) quickly harden into the superb Baker-One-Seven known today. He makes it known quickly (in the foreword and the preface) that some of the major problems he initially encountered was due to how unprepared his unit was. Owen makes the

position, however, the strain between the ranks compounded. In his book Company Commander, historian Charles B. MacDonald described his experience as a newly commissioned captain to a combat-experienced regiment during the Battle of the Bulge. Early in the campaign, after his first engagement as the company’s commander, MacDonald recalled, “I wondered what the men of my headquarters group thought of me as a company commander now? Had I been a complete failure? Had I done anything correctly? Was my fear as noticeable as I imagined it must have been?” His feeling of inadequacy subsided for a time, only to re-emerge further in his story. After being wounded and rotating back to a hospital for treatment and recovery, MacDonald again found himself a replacement commander, this time to a different company. MacDonald detailed several instances throughout Company Commander where he internally second-guessed himself after giving a particular order. Personal turmoil pepper his account of the campaign, and provide a glimpse into the mindset of a young, inexperienced officer during a tumultuous time.

Throught this powerful essay it is clear that MacArthur is passionate about his Country and the military who serves it. Being very vivid in the descriptions of the world at war, was a way that this essay provokes emotion. Stating “...many a weary march from dripping dusk to to drizzling dawn,slogging ankle-deep through the mire of shell-shocked roads, to form grimly for the attack,blue-lipped, covered with sludge and mud, chilled by the wind and rain, driving home to their objective…” Those striking words hit the audience like an arrow piercing the hearts of those in attendance. This diction drives home the the point through the use of the audience's emotions keeping their feeling on the surface to be further affected by the speaker's words.

In With the Old Breed, Eugene B. Sledge chronicles his departure from the Marion Military Institute, through Marine Corps boot camp, and through two grueling Pacific island campaigns during World War II. E.B. Sledge initially wrote this memoir to describe war to his family, later publishing the piece for the public. What started out as writing during “down time” in the war, Sledge later spent countless hours with military documents, fact checking his writing so that it matched what was happening in the war. Because of the additional research that E.B. Sledge sought out and included in his memoir, the piece is very well organized and readable. This memoir could be read by curious civilians, academic scholars, and even professionals looking to

World War I is a gloomy and cruel place; it obliterates the beliefs of fighting for one’s country and transforms the minds of the soldiers. This realization is found in Erich Maria Remarque’s book All Quiet on the Western Front. In the book, a young teen named Paul Baumer and his friends join in the war believing it’s going to make them become important and that fighting for their country is such a great privilege, but once they are in the war, they all realize it’s not the same as what they were told. The young soldiers witness what war is truly about and they reflect on what they were told, knowing the truth makes them see they were told lies, so they are the same which obliterates their trust in the adult world. Remarque employs symbolism,

Fiction is a category of writing that is often used to appeal to the reader's senses. It is a way for the writer to connect with the audience on levels that are hard to find in a simple piece of nonfiction. With a combination of historical facts and fictional attributes, O’Brien writes a compelling tale about the Vietnam War. In the book Going After Cacciato, O’Brien wrote about a real war including some historical attributes; however, the fictional story contains usage of symbolism to make the truths seem all the more real.

In the memoir A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo, Caputo enlists in the United States Marine Corps after he graduates college in the hopes to end his dreary days of comfort living in a small, suburban town in Westchester, Illinois. Growing up in the secure, comfortable, and peaceful environment his whole adolescence, Caputo hungered for danger, challenges and violence. He was eager to prove to the others around him of the fact indeed he was coming into his independent manhood, as well as the confidence about that the war should not last so long. War is always attractive to those who knows nothing about it. Due to John F. Kennedy who awakened missionary idealism among the youthful innocent Americans, the war in their minds were full of illusions

Every profession contains exemplars, human examples of the best possible person to represent the occupation. General MacArthur’s speech Duty Honor Country reflects the life and career of one of the most distinguished soldiers of the twentieth century. This speech outlines a moral code of chivalry and conduct for current and future service men. MacArthur’s main goal as a soldier was protecting his nation, respecting his nation, and prospering in his nation. These three goals support MacArthur’s whole philosophy: “Duty, Honor, Country”. Through the usage of rhetorical devices, General MacArthur points to the idea that all American soldiers should defend this country and advance this country by the method of MacArthur’s

Small acts of heroism are common in wars, especially in the United States Military. Our dedication to each other during battle and the ferocity of which we fight leads to many heroic stories of soldiers risking everything during battle. However true acts of heroism and dedication embody the attributes and competencies of the US Army and show true leadership in the face of unfathomable odds. A perfect example of this is the actions of Lieutenant Michael P Murphy, a Navy Seal SDV team commander during Operation Redwing on the slopes of Sawtalo Sar Mountain. Operation Redwing

The men of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, US Army, came from different backgrounds and different parts of the country. They were ordinary citizens, and over the years of 1942 to 1944 they were transformed into one of the world's most elite fighting forces, fighting across the front lines of World War II Europe including the Normandy Invasion, Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. This story is captured in the book Band of Brothers by American historian Stephen E. Ambrose, as he bridges the link between these social backgrounds and the attitudes and behaviors of soldiers. Ambrose compiled his work with extensive research and interviews with the men of Easy Company. While the book is

Marine Corp veteran. Unlike the rest of those drafted from his town, Krebs did not return until 1919 way after “the greeting of heroes was over” (Hemingway 1). This caused Krebs to refuse to talk about the war with anyone, but later as he felt the need to share his experience in Germany with someone, he learned no one wanted to hear about it. He found that if he was to be listened to at all he would have to embellish his stories; however, his lies were insignificant and not well received in the pool room or by other veterans. Krebs felt like an outsider and was secluded in the town he grew up in, the only place prior to the war he knew as home. This is also true of Tim O’Brien as he narrates from Vietnam, in the midst of the Vietnam war, how to tell a true war story. As readers find out though, a true war story is not always true, and “cannot be believed. If you believe it, be skeptical” (O’Brien 3). Through various memories, O’Brien proclaims that if one is going to tell a war story, although it is ironic, they must insert lies to make the truth sound real. He explains that “often the crazy stuff is true and the normal stuff isn’t because the normal stuff is necessary to make you believe the truly incredible craziness” (O’Brien 3). It is through trying to recount their experience in war that Krebs and O’Brien find that “home” no longer holds the same

They were ready for a fight. Hofmann had partied hard the night before and was feeling groggy the next day. “I was hungover, and I could smell the rum on my breath. My mind was not functioning, and the idea of the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor made no sense.” Hofmann found himself in the crosshairs of the debacle, being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unfortunately, Hofmann was there when the Japanese bombed the Cavite Naval Yard where he was. Hofmann does a beautiful job describing the sheer horror of being involved in a bombing. “It was an assembly line of broken and ruptured bodies being moved from litter to table to litter to ambulance.” He was such a brave

The article, “In honor of Veterans Day, let’s deal with the real costs of war” by Jean Scandlyn and Sarah Hautzinger, is about veterans and the real costs of war. The author’s argument is that the wars America has had, especially post 9/11 wars, have severely affected veterans and their families in emotional, mental and physical ways that most Americans cannot seem to understand. The fact that the military is now all volunteer based makes it even harder for people to understand the true costs of war and to talk about it (Hautzinger and Scandlyn). I think that the authors prove their point and I am persuaded by their argument.

Field Marshal Erin Rommel is remembered in history for his mastery of the Blitzkrieg tactics that were prevalent during WWII, having earned the nickname of “Desert Fox” (Harvey, 2008, p. 297) by demonstrating his ability while fighting in northern Africa. As with all the military leaders covered in our text, Rommel displayed many of the qualities necessary to reach and uphold maverick-tier leadership. His actions on the battlefield spoke for themselves; one of his character traits that directly connects to our book was his “outstanding and exemplary courage under fire” (p. xlvi), which is perhaps best exemplified by his persistence even after suffering a head injury from having his tank hit during the Battle out of the Ardennes. Further, some other traits he exhibited in that instance were