The godlike reference by Bill O’Reilly to the supposed massacre by the 82nd Airborne Division of German prisoners at Malmedy during the Bulge is on this page. In fact it was soldiers of the 1st SS Panzer Divsion, specifically the Regiment Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler who massacred AMERICAN prisoners at Malmedy. Their commander (Jochen Peiper) was tried for this crime after the war and condemned to death, then later released for "time served" in part because of the testimony of an American officer prisoner held at Peiper’s headquarters who said that Peiper never knew about it. Amusing.
As Clark said in this exchange, O’Reilly should apologise to the 82nd. Either that or they should go visit him.
But the "real deal" here is the segment on TDS in which Myers tells McCain that people who served in the VN war don’t understand Iraq. McCain was annoyed. Now I am sure that it is true that Myers served in VN and that he does not understand Iraq. Myers was a fighter jock or some such flying creature in VN. The fighter guys’ life consisted of getting up in the morning, having a nice breakfast, getting briefed, taking off, flying to the target, doing "whatever," landing at the base, having a nice dinner, watching a Filipino floor show complete with watching nice looking girls perform "Country Roads," and then going to bed early to get enough "crew rest." The next day – the same thing. You don’t learn much about counterinsurgency that way.
Now, before the cards and letter start I would like to stipulate a couple of things:
– I owe my life to the USAF on any number of occasions.
– I always enjoyed the floor show whenever I got the chance to go visit one of their bases.
Nevertheless, I can only hope that General Pace will have more common sense than this.
For the record and always:
"Counterinsurgency=Political Action+Civic Action+Countrguerrilla Operations"
"Revolutionary War=Political Action+Civic Action+Guerilla War (Guerillas+sabotage+terrorism)"
I learned that from several Frenchmen including Bernard Fall who taught me at Ft. Bragg.
Pat Lang
O’Reilly is just a loud mouthed shill who is overbearing and his self-importance and ego dominate his show. There is nothing of substance and I guess people flock to his program just like they go to a WWF show. Of course, WWF is a legitimate theatrical performance.
I can’t figure out why MacArthur wasn’t charged in the Bataan Death March.
Inflicting all that punishment on Japanese prisoners.
O’Reilly can perhaps explain this.
Comic relief is nice Pat.
Thanks for pointing Malmedy out.
Astonishing. I’m assuming that O’Reilly was trying to use that lousy excuse to justify our abuse of prisoners…but instead showed himself and his fellow travellers as reincarnations of Nazi war criminals (like Joachim Peiper), I guess.
I’m a little surprised that Peiper got away with it, though! I’ve read a lot about the Malmedy massacre, but nothing that I’ve read mentioned that Peiper was aqcuitted!!!
Dear Pat
I caught both of these collosal statements the other day and I still haven’t calmed down.
I served in Northern I Corps during Lom Son 719. And while the USAF, as you say, got my butt out of a couple of testy situations, I have always doubted Gen. Myers ability to grasp groud war from a warrior’s POV. He’s a space jockey with a Rummy streak.
It is bad however when the the chairman of the Joint Chiefs shows such a lack of care or understanding. Can you imagine George Marshall making such a comment?
Which brings us to Malmady. I just don’t get how O”Reilly gets away with his mouth day after day. What a gas bag. Saying whatever supports one’s point, even when patently a lie, seems to be a trait of our current crop of Neo-idiots. It is the people who believe them that worry me more.
oofer
I hear you. I understand that Myers is going to head some military history institute in Kansas. He will need to do a little reading between fund-raising trips.
Lom Son 719. There is a story that needs telling. I happened to be in Turkey working for Gen. Ben Harrell when that went down. he and I discussed it with maps and he said to me.
“This is a trap!” Smart old guy.
Pat
hk
Ah! You are right. He was initially condemned to death and then his sentence was reduced to life. He was later released for “time served.”
The American, who later was a general, did tedtify on Peiper;s behalf.
Pat
Pat, you wrote, ” I owe my life to the USAF on any number of occasions.”
I suspect on a couple of those occasions there was a Jolly Green Giant or two based out of Thailand with PJs on board I just might have trained with.
I’d love to hear the accompanying story.
Jerry in Omaha
Mr. Lang, I have been listening to you on the News Hour and C-SPAN for a long time, but just discovered your excellent blog today (Wolcott). In response to this:”But the “real deal” here is the segment on TDS in which Myers tells McCain that people who served in the VN war don’t understand Iraq. McCain was annoyed.” I offer a link to this bit, which you may enjoy: http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/media_player/play.jhtml?itemId=23651
It’s a segment about that hearing, called “Hearing Impaired,” with a slightly doctored photo of McCain, annoyed.
We went from what the meaning of “is” really is…
to developing a new understanding of the term ‘understanding’ as it relates to uniformed service.
As for O’Lielly getting it wrong, what would one expect of a chickenhawk?
The Battle of the Bulge for chrissakes.
At least he didn’t get in depth on the value of fuel. Those soldiers that burned American stores at the depot to deny the Germans high grade fuel to run the channel under cover of bad aerial weather… Those guys would probably rank really low in BO’s humble estimates.
My friend’s father was in Patton’s Third Army, he’s a lay minister at the county jail. One can only imagine the level of righteous indignation the man would be challenged to restrain at hearing the words of Faux news’ immoral moralist.
Uh, Oreilly is talking about the 22 to 23 SS officers killed AFTER Malmady by the 505th of the 82nd Airborne. Also referring to a battle in which the 82nd took only a few SS prisoners, about 31 all wounded, and attributed it to “payback” for Malmady. That is what he is talking about; payback for Malmady. We should not be doing payback if in fact it is going on in Iraq is his point.
henry
I never heard of this and the S-3 of the 505th PIR at that time was a personal friend in the 70s. He would have told me.
What is the citation on this? pl
On 17th December 2007 at the Baugnez crossroads in eastern Belgium they are opening a new museum on the Malmedy Massacre. A survivor is to attend the opening and two websites talk all about this event:
http://www.dannysparker.com/modules/wfsection/viewarticles.php?category=6
http://www.tours-international.co.uk/Tours/Military+Tours/Malmedy+Massacre+Commemoration+Tours
A new museum is to be opened at the Baugnez crossroads on 17th December 2007. Present at the opening will be a survivor of the massacre Mr. Ted Paluch. you can tread how to join us for this unbnique event on
http://www.dannysparker.com/modules/wfsection/viewarticles.php?category=6