Heavy?

This is coolbert:

One of the criticisms heard during the Vietnam War, muted, was that the American Army went into the conflict too "heavy"

This criticism was leveled, after the fact, by some high ranking, influential officers, such as Colonel Summers and Colonel Hackworth.

By "heavy" is meant attempting to create a little bit of the United States in Vietnam. The U.S. military, during the years of conflict, built officer and enlisted clubs, both replete with slot machines and freely flowing liquor, swimming pools, and mobile trailers for senior officers, equipped with air conditioners.

This was NOT a lean and mean fighting machine, as would have been envisioned by Summers and Hackworth. Rather a military bloated and top-heavy with unnecessary "things" NOT germane to the fight.

Consider just this one bit of trivia from Vietnam, courtesy of Al Nofi and CIC:

"At the height of the Vietnam War the U.S. Army was operating more than 40 ice cream plants 'in country.'"

Those plants existed just to provide ICE CREAM for the U.S. troops. Obviously a morale booster, or so the top brass thought. But one does wonder, would a lean and mean fighting machine NOT have been better?

It would seem that priorities were just mixed up in the case of the ice cream plants.

However.

Such a mentality does NOT confine itself to the Vietnam War or the American Army. It seems a profligate mentality has been present again, THROUGHOUT military history. In all ages you can find examples of "high living" on the part of armies and senior officers, presumably at the expense of fighting wherewithal.

Consider these other bits of trivia, as usual, thanks to Al Nofi and CIC:

"During World War II the U.S. constructed 233 outdoor movie theaters, 65 staged theaters, 95 softball and 35 baseball fields, 225 volleyball and 30 basketball courts, and 35 boxing rings complete with seating for spectators, on the 703.4 square miles of the Marianas Islands and Guam which works out to a total of 1.02 athletic facilities per square mile."

"Although reputed to be devoted to luxurious living, the citizens of the ancient Greek city of Sybaris, in southern Italy, were capable of "roughing it" in defense of their freedom, so that, for example, military regulations stipulated that a man on sentry duty was limited to one mattress, one sheet, one blanket, and no more than two pillows."

"During the Seven Years War, a rumor circulated among French troops in Germany that some of their generals had arranged to have special deliveries of water from the Seine, so that their coffee would taste just as it did in Paris."

"The typical Roman legionary fortress provided up to 7,500 square feet of space for the commanding officer, and about 50 for each of his legionaries."

"During the American Revolution, British Gen. Sir Henry Clinton was nicknamed "The Knight", because of his extremely frequent excursions into the country to go riding and fox hunting."

"In 1939 construction of a base on Wake Island was 730th on the Navy's list priorities, or, as one historian put it, 'far behind the officers club on Oahu.'"

It is reputed that when the Prussian Army took command of the battlefield at Rossbach, they found numerous pavilions of French noblemen who had fled the scene. Within the pavilions were found wigs and pomades of expensive taste!!

I have often thought that the actions of General Schwarzkopf were right on the money in the seven months leading up to the First Gulf War.

American troops were disembarked at the point of entry, and sent immediately to the desert.

NO luxuries awaited them.

They were kept away from the local populace, so there was no room for incidents.

Troops became acclimatized to the climate. This was important. They also learned to live rough in a harsh environment, and DID WITHOUT THE CREATURE COMFORTS. The emphasis was on preparing for soldiering and combat. This was done. And successfully too. Great kudos to the General and his handling of the situation.

coolbert.