Fathers & Sons.

This is coolbert:

"Heroes and Sons" [this title taken from a web site entitled "Father and Son Heroes"!! See the entire web site by clicking here].

There have been a number of war heroes that had sons who tried to emulate the fathers.

Fathers who were high ranking military men of renown.

Sons that were persons of marked ability, as were their fathers. Sons that had the potentiality to go far as military men.

Sons that WERE NOT able to!

Sons that often met death in battle, or were wounded so badly they were not able to continue their military career.

Sometimes with very tragic circumstance.

Of course we are familiar with the story of the Japanese General Count Nogi.




Sent his two sons to death in battle during the siege of Port Arthur. In addition, it must not be forgotten that Nogi's personal man-servant and pet dog also were killed during the siege.

During World War One [WW1] this phenomenon of sons following in the footsteps of their famous fathers also occurred. As with Count Nogi, the fathers experienced much tragedy

General Castelnau [France] lost three sons killed in combat.



General Foch [France] lost his ONLY son and son-in-law in combat.



General Ludendorff [Germany] lost his two step-sons in combat.



During the Korean War, the son of the famous American General James Van Fleet was lost in combat.



The senior Van Fleet at the time was COMMANDING the Eighth U.S. Army, his son being a pilot in the Air Force. The B-26 aircraft the junior Van Fleet was flying being lost in combat, all three crewmen being declared dead after a period of two years.

There is controversy regarding the death of the junior Van Fleet. See this web site that details the INTELLIGENCE REPORTS dealing with the death of Captain Van Fleet. A variety of informants purport to have info on the younger Van Fleet, some saying he is dead, some saying he is alive. The truth will probably never be resolved. NONETHELESS, Captain Van Fleet is considered a KIA, BNR [body not recovered]!!

Almost everyone is familiar with the saga of John Mc Cain Jr. The now Senator from Arizona and Presidential aspirant. A man who was captured and severely tortured by the North Vietnamese. ALL THIS WHILE HIS FAMOUS FATHER, ADMIRAL JOHN MC CAIN SR. WAS COMMANDER OF ALL U.S. FORCES IN THE PACIFIC [CINCPAC].

The junior Mc Cain was SO severely tortured that his military career was ended! The record of all the orthopedic surgery Mc Cain Jr. has had to endure is over three hundred pages long!!

Most recently, there was the case of Lewis Puller Jr. Son of the famous Marine General Lewis "Chesty" Puller.



The junior Puller, as was his father, was an officer in the Marines, serving with distinction until his severe wounding:

"As a young lieutenant he earned both the Silver Star and two Purple Hearts but at a great personal loss. He lost both legs and part of his hands to an enemy mine in Vietnam, returning home severely disabled, his weight dropping to 55 pounds. Only his indomitable spirit assured his survival, following which he wrote an autobiography that inspired thousands of others and earned him a Pulitzer Prize."

"Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. - - Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. (1945 - 1994) was a noted attorney, author and former Marine Officer. He was the son of General Lewis "Chesty" Puller who is the most decorated Marine in the history of the United States Marine Corps. His son followed in his father's footsteps and became a Marine officer. Upon graduation from the College of William and Mary in 1967, Puller was shipped to Vietnam where he was badly wounded by a landmine. The young Puller lost both legs and most of his hands in the explosion and was medically discharged from the Marine Corps."



See even more about Lewis Puller Jr. by clicking here.

It seems the junior Puller was a most remarkable man. As was his father. Sounds like the type of person I would have liked to have had as a a friend. His loss MUST be counted as a big minus.

Given the coverage of the military career of the current President Bush, it is felt in some quarters that "favorite sons" of esteemed officials quite often are not found IN HARMS WAY. This is not always so!!

coolbert.