Re: [OT] We Were Soldiers

A flight sim forum just posted an interview with a German fighter pilot 
that's related to all this.

WWII: From what I understand, all chivalry and sportsmanship was absent 
from the war in Russia; is that correct?

Steinhoff: Absolutely correct. In fighting the Soviets, we fought an 
apparatus, not a human being-that was the difference.

http://forums.ubi.com/messages/message_view-topic.asp?name=us_il2sturmov
ik_gd&id=zvwce

Probably the most "tame" explanation for it. I expect a Wehrmacht 
officer would put it in different terms.

Michael Llaneza wrote:

> That happens during wars as well. During the American Civil War there 
> were numerous instances of Union and CSA troops trading Northern 
> coffee for Southern tobacco, making arrangements regarding sentry 
> posts (CSA territory by night, Union by day; the troops would leave a 
> load of firewood and a pot of coffee brewing for the next "shift"), 
> and impromptu 'converts' given by regimental bands on opposite sides 
> of a river. Similar events happened during lulls on the Western Front 
> during WWI, although this died out towards the end of 1915.
>
> As far as I have been able to determine these friendly acts happened 
> when the soldiers on both sides considered the conflict to be a 
> politician's war, not an ideological sruggle (which would require 
> indoctrination a la NVA/VC) or a war for survival (Germans vs Russians

> in WW1 or WW2). In such conflicts the "soldiers like us" attitudes 
> come out after the war, possibly long after.
>
>
> Please be gentle with replies, this is still a rough concept of mine. 
> I'm still roughing out the terminology.
>
>
> K.H.Ranitzsch wrote:
>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Brian Bilderback" <bbilderback@hotmail.com>
>>
>>>> Interesting story, worth seeing movie. Especially
>>>> notable in that it didn't seem to villify the North
>>>> Vietnamese.
>>>>
>>> The author, in the forward to his book, took a similar stance.  His
>>>
>> attitude
>>
>>> was "They were soldiers just like us."
>>>
>>
>> That seems to be the stance most soldiers adopt when a war is well 
>> and truly
>> over. Have heard similar comments from WWII vets.
>>
>> Greetings
>> Karl Heinz
>>
>>
>>
>
>