Stillwell & Johnson.

This is coolbert:

Some interesting quotes from not-so-long-ago history tell us something about the American soldier.

1. "Why can't our men keep up?"

This quote is attributed to General Stillwell. Leading his staff out of Burma in 1942, the General, age sixty [60], came across an interesting and disturbing phenomenon.

Men half his age and younger could not keep up with the pace the older man kept during an one hundred fifty [150] mile march over mountainous terrain.

After having the Japanese defeat, soundly, the combined forces of the British and Chinese in Burma, Stillwell made a four hundred [400] mile march with his staff to reach British India and regroup.

The last phase of the journey was on foot, the previously mentioned one hundred fifty miles, and a portion of this epic march required the crossing of an 8,000 foot [2,500 meters] mountain range called the Chin "hills".

To the chagrin of Stillwell, the younger men could not keep pace with him. It was necessitated that Stillwell, a General officer of perhaps three star rank at the time, to count cadence for the staff on their march. Otherwise they could not keep pace and would fall behind, putting the entire column in jeopardy. Thanks to the bullying, cajoling, and counting cadence of Stillwell, the staff did make it out safely.

2. "Now, you take your average, everyday Viet Congs, and set him down in a water filled ditch, and he will wait two days just to ambush and kill an American soldier. Take your average everyday American soldier, and put him in the same situation, and within twenty [20] minutes, he will want a cigarette!" 

This a quote attributed to President Lyndon Johnson during the early days of the Vietnam war. Probably some General officer in a briefing told him this, as a way of illustrating the nature of the enemy the U.S. was fighting in Vietnam, and also illustrating the lack of resolve on the part of some American soldiers.

I would like to believe that the situation has changed. That the professional army we have now is much more ready to handle taxing situations. Perhaps for combat arms units the situations is good. For the rest, who knows?

coolbert.