Re: Questions regarding NAC ground units, was SG IF morale

--- Alan and Carmel Brain <aebrain@austarmetro.com.au>
babbled:

> Take it from me, 

On what grounds of expertise, pissant?

>it's the name and regimental traditions that are
>important. 

I shout "First on Omaha" at batallion formations (or
did when I still went to them).  I wear 2 Presidential
Unit Citations, and three other unit awards, the last
one earned in action in Vietnam.  I'm at least vaugely
aware of the significance of unit history.  Asshole.

>Amongst military afficionados,

As opposed to what, real soldiers?  You've been on the
list long enough to hazily recall what I do for a
living.

> Chamberlain's efforts at Little Round Top rank up
>there with some of the happenings at Kohima-Imphal
and >Imijin river, for successful counter-attacks
against a >superior foe.

Congratulations, you have heard of three battles. 
First of all, what I know about Chamberlain is that he
wouldn't have been up there if it weren't for
Brigadier General Warren[1].  Second, it doesn't
change my characterization of the unit.  It's a
militia formation raised for a single conflict and
never ressurected.  It had a single engagement in
which it handled itself well--had the PUC been around
back then it would have gotten one.  But that doesn't
compare to, for instance, the 3rd Infantry Regiment
which is a Regular Army regiment that has honors from
every conflict from the American Revolution to WWII. 
Or 22nd Infantry, to pick a more obscure unit
("Regulars, By God") who had a more uniformly
distinguished Civil War record, fought in both World
Wars (including landing at Utah Beach), and kicked
some serious ass in Vietnam.  That's a lineage.  Not
one damn afternoon.

> Even people who know sweet fanny adams about the the
> US Civil War - e.g. my wife - know about the 20th
>Maine.

Congratulations.  The only reason that is is because
of that movie, the one with the bad beards and worse
accents.  Not any meaningful understanding.

John M. Atkinson
[1]20-points: Identify this man and his role.

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