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Re: Learning more
There is certainly some truth to what Blair claims, but as much as we
all may crave simple explanations there are rarely single causes or
results of any historical event, or single motivations for the actions
of any historical actor. The checks and balances in our governmental
system work most of the time. It's true that presidents find ways
around them or we wouldn't have "police actions" and "conflicts" rather
than wars, but they do so with the cooperation of Congress and the
people - sometimes implicit, sometimes explicit - but consent,
nevertheless. Blair's work is a fine place to begin in any effort to
understand the Korean War, but one shouldn't stop there. In fact, one
shouldn't confine their reading to military history or to studies of
that decade, but consider works on foreign relations and domestic
politics, as well as books on Truman and his advisors. Fixing blame may
sometimes be more desirable and is generally much more easily arrived at
than "truth," but the latter is almost always more satisfying.
Nothing says you will, or necessarily should, change your opinion of
Truman - but I expect you'll have a great time with the process.
Cheers,
Janet V.
Gernilee Carter Gramling wrote:
>
> Hi Janet!
> All that you say may be accurate, however according to the facts and
> events reported in Clay Blair's book, Turman had a pesonal hatred and
> distain for the military and its leaders. He felt personally very strongly
> about hobbling them and haranguing them - basically with money, but also
> lack of respect and due interaction.
>
> He may have been a practical, simple minded, common sense country boy
> and it sure did show when it came to the military. Put simply: he was
> jealous of West Point and Annapolis and other high achievers, and suspecious
> of higher education.
>
> This is an attitude that high school graduates can afford for a brief
> time, until they see the advantages not only in financial terms, but
> knowledge and networking that higher education affords those who through
> luck, birth or hard work have achieved it.
>
> One should not be prejudcious against college grads anymore than one
> should be prejudicious against high school only grads. Both attutitudes
> show a lack of w isdom.
>
> Turman hurt our military and consequently the boys who arrived in Korea
> with his attitutde that he was superior just BECAUSE he did not have a
> college degree.
>
> GerneyLee Carter
>
> >From: Janet Valentine <valent03@bellsouth.net>
> >Reply-To: KOREAN-WAR-L@raven.cc.ku.edu
> >To: KOREAN-WAR-L@raven.cc.ku.edu
> >Subject: Re: Learning more
> >Date: Fri, 04 May 2001 10:15:53 -0400
> >
> >Surely anger is a natural response when discovering the unpreparedness
> >with which the US military entered the war. But, it's useful to keep in
> >mind that Americans have a long history of not wanting a large standing
> >army in times of peace. While reductions in force strength always worry
> >military men, the majority of Americans tend not to get too worked up
> >about cuts in the size of the military until after the fact - that 20/20
> >hindsight we hear so much about. During the Cold War years we became
> >accustomed to a large military with fairly substantial (if not always
> >entirely adequate) budgets. That was an anomaly. The deep post-war
> >cuts, and the recent reductions in force are far more typical.
> >
> >Cheers,
> >Janet V.
> >
> >Gernilee Carter Gramling wrote:
> > >
> > > Thank you for the recommendation. I shall get it from the Library (or
> >buy
> > > it!) .
> > > 'reading Blair I am apalled that a) I know so little, and b) that
> >Truman
> > > eviserated the military! I have always thought of myself as a Truman
> > > admirer. My brother who is 62 took me to the train station and held me
> >on
> > > his shoulders to see Truman.
> > > Well, after reading Blair's account of his treatment of the military
> >I
> > > have, within 24 hours, developed this strong feeling in my chest that
> >can
> > > only be called angry.
> > > Bear with me while I catch up - you all have to let me catch up on
> >51
> > > years of history, but you sure are assisting me in so doing.
> > > See, even I who thought I KNEW about the Korean War, actually know
> > > little!
> > > Keep the information and recommedations coming.
> > >
> > > And thank you for being there then and here now!
> > > GerneyLee Carter (Don Carter's 3/21/24 sister)
> > >
> > > >From: "Jack Baker" <jbak@peganet.com>
> > > >Reply-To: KOREAN-WAR-L@raven.cc.ku.edu
> > > >To: <KOREAN-WAR-L@raven.cc.ku.edu>
> > > >Subject: Re: Learning more
> > > >Date: Fri, 4 May 2001 00:18:17 -0400
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >----- Original Message -----
> > > >From: "Gernilee Carter Gramling" <cartergramling@msn.com>
> > > >To: <KOREAN-WAR-L@raven.cc.ku.edu>
> > > >Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2001 11:22 AM
> > > >Subject: Learning more
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Hello,
> > > > > A man with whom I work just discovered I was reading Appleman -
> >he
> > > >saw
> > > > > it on my desk - and he ran upstairs and brought back to me:
> > > > > "The Forgotten War - America in Korea 1950 -1953"
> > > > > by Clay Blair.
> > > > >
> > > > > What are your comments on this book?
> > > > > Any more books I should know about?
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks,
> > > > > GerneyLee Carter (Don Carter's 3d/21/24d sister)
> > > > I'm writing to recommend a book on the Korean War, THIS KIND
> >OF
> > > >WAR, by T.R. Fehrenbach. While I don't recall that he specifically
> >mentions
> > > >the actions which occurred, on Jul 10,11 & 12, involving Co M. 3/21,
> >his
> > > >descriptions of the early days of the fighting, in Korea, are the very
> >best
> > > >& most accurate that I have seen, in print The book will give you some
> > > >degree of understanding in regard to what occurred, during that period.
> >I
> > > >just checked BooksAMillion & the book is currently available, so you
> >may be
> > > >able to obtain it from your Public Library. Best regards, jb
> > > >_______________________________
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
> > > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
> >
> >--
> >"Well behaved women rarely make history."
> > Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
> >
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
--
"Well behaved women rarely make history."
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich