Vote on favorite war hero, fiction or real

[InRange 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (FallenPaladin @ April 18 2002,11:20)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I voted for Alexander the Great, because he managed to conquer nearly all of the former known ancient world. Impressive for a guy of such a young age.<span id='postcolor'>

He never wiped out an entire VC camp with an M-60 though

[FallenPaladin 0]

But maybe he wiped out a barbarian camp only with his spear and short sword

Would be much more impressive!!

[Longinius 1]

Sven Duva, a Swedish fictional hero.

Real life people, I dont know. The American helicopter pilot who reported other American soldiers when they commited a massacre during the Vietnam War was pretty gutsy. I'd nominate him, whatever his name was.

Movie / Game / Cartoon heroes...Wolverine from Xmen all the way. *snikt*

[Guest Scooby]

Couple of men from WW2.

Most succesfull sniper ever:

WW2 sniper Simo Häyhä.

Over 500 kills with sniper rifle. Numerious kills with smg arent counted to those 500 kills.

Lauri Törni (Larry Thorne)

Finnish war hero. After war joined to US army to train special forces. (search with larry thorne from google)

[shadow 6]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Longinius @ April 18 2002,11:46)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Sven Duva, a Swedish fictional hero.

Real life people, I dont know. The American helicopter pilot who reported other American soldiers when they commited a massacre during the Vietnam War was pretty gutsy. I'd nominate him, whatever his name was.

Movie / Game / Cartoon heroes...Wolverine from Xmen all the way. *snikt*<span id='postcolor'>

Swedish (fictional) hero I see worth mentioning , has to be Carl Hamilton. The Hamilton movie with Peter Stormare and Mark Hamill is plain and simple: AWESOME

[Damage Inc 0]

Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

There are far more great war heroes than that! Caesar! Atilla of the Huns! King Karl the great! king Lionheart! Spartacus! Hanibal (no, not that guy from the A-Team! the one who used the elephants as weapons, Carthago) Napoleon! ... those were real war-heroes

[Satchel 0]

Hmm, guess i´m a bit to old to believe in something like "war heroes".

There are however good tacticians and strategists, or people that are really proficiant in their job in the field, but i wouldn´t consider them heroes.

[nordin dk 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KingBeast @ April 17 2002,23:18)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">And Alfred the Great defeated the Danes and saved us all, so hes a star <span id='postcolor'>

No, he's a bastard!

We could have had it all...

These guys are in the centre of Copenhagen, and a popular saying is that you can hear the horn blowing everytime a virgin walks by

[havocsquad 0]

In 3rd place for Best War Hero of mine is Kutesov who ridded of the Mongols that ruled Russia for a long period of time and made peace with the Turks after many long periods at war.

In 2nd place is George Patton, the greatest man to ever command a tank Division.

And in 1st Place is Solid Snake, a fictional character that took a permanent vacation from war after having enough doing the U.S.'s counterterrorist dirty work in ridding of those who produced "Metal Gear", a fictional but realistic robot type mech with the sole purpose of launching a nuclear warheads in any land enviroment without warning.

He gets FORCED back into fighting by being dragged out of his residence by the U.S. government and inserted on a cold island Near Alaska called Shadow Moses via submarine.

This is the Where the game begins called "Metal Gear Solid"

From there on, he deals with friends betraying him, lies, new friends, and many emotional subjects that put a person's humanity on the line, plenty of infiltrating involved with a LOT of VERY good combat action.

Metal Gear Solid shows the reality and coldness of what governments do behind their citizen's backs and the grim reality of war, in a way much like Operation Flashpoint does but more personal in nature.

That's why I picked Solid Snake as my #1 most liked Hero.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

Patton? Oh please, that is my weak spot there! I think he was a lucky man to be at the right spot at the right time! But dont give him the credit to be a great tactitian. I mean a man who holds his afternoon sleep while his soldiers are involved in a great battle where hundreds died must be off reality. Especially if you later on hit one of your soldiers in hospital because he is wounded and cannot fight!

All this glory because he went on so fast to push back the Germans (a production-giant like the US against an outpowered, tired Germany lead by fanatics)  was nothing else than his competition with Montgomery. And sure you lost a couble of good men because of his aim to be first!

[hovmand 0]

King Canute (Knud) the great, who at one time ruled over Denmark, all of England, Norway and parts of Sweden

And ofcourse everybodys hero, James Gastovski who saved the world from a Nuclear disaster.

[scout 0]

douglas Mac'Arthur! sure, the guy was an ego maniac but hey, what great leader wasnt?

the man had the fewest casualties in WWII have done briliant tactical manuevers and fought under the worst condition.

not to mention that Japan owes him its economical statue.

the man lost fewer men in the years 1942-1945 then the allies lost in the Battle of the Buldge

[Tex -USMC- 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Albert Schweizer @ April 18 2002,17:55)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">But dont give him the credit to be a great tactitian. I mean a man who holds his afternoon sleep while his soldiers are involved in a great battle where hundreds died must be off reality. Especially if you later on hit one of your soldiers in hospital because he is wounded and cannot fight!

All this glory because he went on so fast to push back the Germans (a production-giant like the US against an outpowered, tired Germany lead by fanatics)  was nothing else than his competition with Montgomery. And sure you lost a couble of good men because of his aim to be first!<span id='postcolor'>

Patton was one of the most brilliant armor tacticians the US has ever produced. His actions in Sicily and later in France are textbook examples of armored advances.

The soldier he slapped was not wounded. He was shellshocked, and was experiencing what is known as combat fatigue. It doesnt make what he did right, but it is unfair to say that he hit a wounded soldier. He was visiting wounded men when he came across the shellshocked soldier.

Im not sure I know what you are talking about, when you talk about him sleeping through a battle... could you be more specific?

You talk about the US's industrial capacity for combat as if our generals merely fed our troops into a meatgrinder, a la Soviet tactics. If this was so, how come more casualties and losses in armor materiel, support vehicles, KIA, MIA, etc, were inflicted on German armed forces in all phases of America's combat actions than the losses inflicted on American forces. By contrast, although the Soviets inflicted more losses on the Germans, they paid a much larger cost in soldier's lives and war materiel than did the Germans. The Germans gave back more than what they got from the USSR, its just that the USSR had much much more to give.

You say Patton is only famous because he was in the right place at the right time. He was in the right place because he was the right man for the job, and Eisenhower realised it.

[Sadico 1]

I don't really have any favorite war hero, but if i had to choose, i would vote for Sgt. Carlos Hathcock.

My favourite ficticional war heros are Gen. Pavel Leonidovich Alekseyev and SAS Capt. John Patrick Mason (5 points if you guess who is Mason )

[ralphwiggum 6]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Albert Schweizer @ April 18 2002,14:52)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Hanibal (no, not that guy from the A-Team! the one who used the elephants as weapons, Carthago)<span id='postcolor'>

Carthago.gggggrrrrrrr....

in my first western civilization history class in college, i had to spell 'Carthage' instead of 'Carthago' for some reason. I never understood why my TA pointed that out.

any way, too add number of tacticians, i nominate Sun Tzu. Also, Cao Cao from late Han dynasty.

[Tex -USMC- 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (scout @ April 18 2002,18:12)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">douglas Mac'Arthur! sure, the guy was an ego maniac but hey, what great leader wasnt?

the man had the fewest casualties in WWII have done briliant tactical manuevers and fought under the worst condition.

not to mention that Japan owes him its economical statue.

the man lost fewer men in the years 1942-1945 then the allies lost in the Battle of the Buldge<span id='postcolor'>

"Dugout Doug" was a good strategic commander, but I dont think that you can give him credit for the low number of casualties taken by US Army units in the PTO. Considering he never commanded the movement of anything smaller than a Corps, Id say that the credit for the low number of casualties falls to his subordinates. Also, the numbers you are talking about are combat casualties. Remember, ground action was somewhat limited in the PTO, and the Marines did their fair share of work. Also, casualties caused by various diseases were more commonplace in PTO than all other Theaters, so people who mightve gotten shot got pulled off the line with malaria. Macarthur does deserve credit for bringing post war Japan back to its feet, but the credit for low combat casualties falls to others

[Tex -USMC- 0]

Did I mention that Macarthur seriously screwed the pooch in Korea? Couldve ended the thing right there, but nooooo, he just HAD to go and cross the Yalu river...

[N.o.R.S.u 0]

I voted Rommel.

"The Desert Fox" was very talented general,  he was feared and respected by allies. Although he was in nazi army he wasn't interested in Hitler's plans for different races he even cut soldiers water supply to keep war prisoners alive and healthy. He was always in the frontline increasing morale. Rommel get cought from conspiracy plans and he had to choose either to kill himself with syanide or get himself and his family executed by nazis.

[Iepers 0]

You all missing the best one!!!!!!!!!

GEORGE WASHINGTON!

[Major Fubar 0]

Real: Carlos Hathcock

Fictional: Sgt. Oddball (Donald Sutherland from Kelly's Heroes)

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Tex [uSMC] @ April 18 2002,18:14)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Albert Schweizer @ April 18 2002,17:55)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">But dont give him the credit to be a great tactitian. I mean a man who holds his afternoon sleep while his soldiers are involved in a great battle where hundreds died must be off reality. Especially if you later on hit one of your soldiers in hospital because he is wounded and cannot fight!

All this glory because he went on so fast to push back the Germans (a production-giant like the US against an outpowered, tired Germany lead by fanatics)  was nothing else than his competition with Montgomery. And sure you lost a couble of good men because of his aim to be first!<span id='postcolor'>

Patton was one of the most brilliant armor tacticians the US has ever produced. His actions in Sicily and later in France are textbook examples of armored advances.

The soldier he slapped was not wounded. He was shellshocked, and was experiencing what is known as combat fatigue. It doesnt make what he did right, but it is unfair to say that he hit a wounded soldier. He was visiting wounded men when he came across the shellshocked soldier.

Im not sure I know what you are talking about, when you talk about him sleeping through a battle... could you be more specific?

You talk about the US's industrial capacity for combat as if our generals merely fed our troops into a meatgrinder, a la Soviet tactics. If this was so, how come more casualties and losses in armor materiel, support vehicles, KIA, MIA, etc, were inflicted on German armed forces in all phases of America's combat actions than the losses inflicted on American forces. By contrast, although the Soviets inflicted more losses on the Germans, they paid a much larger cost in soldier's lives and war materiel than did the Germans. The Germans gave back more than what they got from the USSR, its just that the USSR had much much more to give.

You say Patton is only famous because he was in the right place at the right time. He was in the right place because he was the right man for the job, and Eisenhower realised it.<span id='postcolor'>

Ouch! I guess I stepped on someones national pride there! If I have learned something here in this forum then it is: Never discuss WWII with Americans (beautyful generalisation, isnt it). There is too much emotion involved.

I respect your point of view. I just think that Patton without all this ideological bla bla of US-ARMY and stuff was a mad-brain and he was eager to invest soldiers just to beat Montgomery. Now "if" a guy like this would have fought on the other side, you would probably call him now a Nazi who dreamed his fanatic dream!

BTW: Rommel did a great mistake, he left his division in the wrong moment to go on vacation in Germany! In such a moment it is definetly mistake!

[Die Alive 0]

The commander of the Alliance Fleet, Admiral Ackbar led the Rebel capital ships into the Battle of Endor. A member of the Mon Calamari species, Ackbar and his people manned the distinctive warships supplied to the Rebellion by that aquatic culture.

Ackbar developed the attack strategy for the Battle of Endor, and commanded the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Home One. The combination of his proven military tactics and General Lando Calrissian's unorthodox maneuvers were enough to secure victory in the Alliance's most important battle.

Beyond the qualifications of his great skills and sterling character, Ackbar is a symbol to the rest of the galaxy: a symbol that the Alliance is fighting for everyone, no matter what their background or origin. The Empire, in contrast, has made discrimination against non-humans a longstanding policy.

General Jan Dodonna was the wizened tactician and strategist of the Rebel base at the Massassi site on Yavin 4. When the Death Star arrived in the Yavin system, Dodonna formulated the Rebels' crucial attack run strategy of the Battle of Yavin, and briefed the Rebel pilots as to its logistics. Dodonna also provided support from Yavin as ground control, codenamed Base One. His tactics proved solid, and Dodonna was on hand to congratulate the young heroes of Yavin at the awards ceremony thereafter.

Grand Moff Tarkin was the Imperial governor of the Outland Regions, and the mastermind of the Death Star project. A brilliant and ruthless tactician, Tarkin was a loyal adherent to Emperor Palpatine's vision of the New Order. He saw the Death Star as the ultimate weapon to ensure absolute rule over the galaxy. The power of the battle station's prime weapon was enough to deter any rebellion, he reasoned. To demonstrate the Death Star's power, he destroyed the planet of Alderaan.

Some questioned whether Tarkin's methods were merely bids to aggrandize his own status, in defiance of the Emperor's ultimate goal. The truth will never be known, for Tarkin perished aboard his creation. The Rebel Alliance dared to wage war with the Empire, and targeted a weak spot in the battle station. A proton torpedo volley fired by young Luke Skywalker sealed the station's fate. Tarkin was killed in the resulting explosion.

[Ether Dragon 0]

I don't really count the generals among the war heroes. Certainly they get the most attention, but I think the true war heroes were the guys in the trenches. An exception would be the admirals, like Adm. "Bull" Halsey. Most generals had the luxury of leading from the rear, and never had to face enemy fire, or follow some idiotic command. That's for the guy in the trenches, who soldiers on and does the duty he's assigned, even though it puts his life on the line. I respect the generals for coming up with winning tactics, but it's the grunts that make or break those tactics. As such, I cast my vote for Audey Murphy as well.

There are a ton of deserving soldiers from every nation. Not one of them chose to be. They did their job, and they did it in such an incredible way that they are remembered and revered for it. If you could ask any one of them if they felt like a hero, they'de tell you they were doing their duty, and nothing more. They were put in a situation where they managed to come out alive and on top. There are thousands more that could've shined but simply never got the chance.

[Bandit65 0]

I used to study Patton, read most of his letters, and diaries, and many biographies, and while at Ft. Knox, I studied many of his strategic, and tactical plans using Corps and Army-sized units in battle.

Sure, he was good, but what strikes me most about him, is exactly what strikes me most about many of the so-called 'successful' generals...

He was a prima donna, a very rich political animal, egotistical beyond belief, and a royal pain in the ass.

But those are not bad things, for a general, anyway.

Sure, he was great, but he had a few flaws that kept him out of my top choices for 'Hero'

Hathcock, I've only read about in the book marine sniper, and I seem to recall a book called White Feather, but maybe my memory is screwy, anyway...

Hatchcock was a regular guy, and just simply did his job, albeit, he did it better than anyone else...

I know there are far more 'successful' snipers, but in the US army, in recent history, he is the one... Made more 'heroic' because of his 'blue collar' background, and his simplicity of life. He is also a hell of a teacher, and many snipers were trained by him, and respect the hell out of him for that fact: That he is a great teacher.

Great heros don't just risk life and limb to save a buddy, but they simply do their job well, under adverse condistions, rarely with complaint, and seem to excell over their peers due to the simplicity of life. They know they have to do something, and they do it, it's that simple...

What? there are 40 enemy with machine guns in a fortified position? Well, it has to be done, so I'll just do it... Simple...

One of my personal heros is William Tecumpseh Sherman, of Civil war fame.

He is probobly best known for burning most of the south, but in reading his letters, and diaries, and letters and diaries of his peers, Sherman was a simple man, with the skill and knowledge required at that time to lead other men in war.

Sherman hated war, and knew that this war (The American Civil War, early 1800's) would be bloody hell. At the time, many of the politicians, and Political Generals felt that it would be quick and easy, and with the current technology, virtually bloodless. (I beleive they felt that with their 'superior' technology, the Southern forces would see the folly of their ways, and just give up)

Sherman warned everyone that it would be a long bloddy mess, and everyone accused him of being insane.

When he was given the command that would go into the south, and cut off supply lines, and 'kick the fight out of the rebels' he did the job as best he could. Knowing that the South would fight to the last man, if the North kept pussy footing around, Sherman did indeed kick the fight out of the south by burning everything he saw, and moving as fast as possible to Atlanta.

It was a dirty job, in a dirty war, but like dropping Nukes on Japan, it was neccesary to end the war.

Sherman hated what he did, rather that loving the limelight of being a 'popular' general in the Northern army. He was not a prima donna, but rather a leader of men. May have not even been a great tactician, but with his simplicity of vision, Sherman did the 'heroic' thing, he took the fight to the heart and soul of the enemy, and kicked the sh*! out of them.

Sometimes a Hero is one who does the crappy job, and yet still does it well, knowing that the result will end up saving lives, both friendly and enemy.

Heros usually have compassion, and not just for their fellow sodliers, but for the enemy as well. I know of the Hathcock/bicycle story, and he did, in fact describe sitting on a hill, i don't know how freakin far away, with a Ma-Deuce on a tripod, and a scope mounted to the top, and poped the front off the bike, sending the cyclist tumbling. That could be interpreted in many ways, but I saw some compassion, because the cyclist did not need to be killed...

Sherman did not kill unneccesarily on his little southern escapade, instead moving on through 'indian' country, to get to the next town, and wreak havoc.

the point was not to destroy the enemy, but rather, destroy the enemies willingness to fight.

Sherman had compassion for both the northern soldiers, and the southern soldiers, but most of all, he loved the USA, and felt compassion for it.

These simple heroic themse are why we can find heros in our everyday life.

Willingness to do crappy jobs, with nary a complaint in order to benifit a buddy. And always having compassion for the innocent, and brave.

That's what I think, anyway.