Here is a print, "Five Times Across" by Rick Reeves, Daylight crossing of the Waal River, Nijmegen, Holland - 307th Engineer Battalion and 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment.  Note the U.S. flag on the arm of the fellow in the lower right.  This is not correct by current standards.  Was it correct in WWII?

[img]http://www.militaryartshop.com/prints/reeves/fivetimesacross.jpg[/img]

Hey Very good eye mrvl, it could be one of those things that were changed for the audiences sake, if their eye sticks on why is the American Flag backwards then they stop thinking about the painting and focus on the flag.

Ben

As an aside, I've always been a fan of "A Bridge Too Far", as it's one of the only war movies that doesn't gloss over the uncertainty and mistakes made in wartime.  I've been to Nijmegan and it amazes me how so many things went wrong so quickly (almost deliberately).

Anyone else care to comment on this film?

I'm in the middle of a good read called "Lucky Forward" written in 1947. It's about Third Army's drive across France and Germany. It was given to me by a Third Army vet who served with Patton. He was a driver for him at HQ for a time. This guy absolutely, without doubt adored Patton. From reading the book, I understand way.

It's a great book but made you stop and wonder how in the world we won the war against the German's. SHAEF was our biggest enemy.

Unlike "Dugout Doug" MacArthur.  After screwing things up in the Phillipines, including having to put his men on starvation rations, he deserted them for Australia.  He left standing orders to fight to the death, and when the food was exhausted to counterattack.  Meanwhile, he was enjoying Aussie steak and eggs.  What a prick.  I have no use for the man.

My mom grew up age 3-8 in WW 2 Holland.  My Grandmother hid guns for the Dutch underground for a short while.  My Great Uncle was involved in the underground in some capacity.  All the while my Grandfather sailed in the merchant marine to deliver fuel to England from Venezuela.  Fascinating stories where told at family functions, unfortunately for me I did not speak Dutch (I got the translated versions from my mom).

 I've spent a lot of time in the Netherlands due to my heritage.  One of the most moving sites I've visited was the museum of the battle for the bridge at Arnhem (A Bridge Too Far).  We went through the museum which is in the estate house that served as the British headquarters.

 Then we went to one of the local war cemeteries for the allied soldiers killed in the battle.  When I went there at 27 yrs old, those killed averaged 7 years younger than me.  We looked, unsuccessfully for a relative of a fellow my dad worked with.  I was very pleased with the quality of the upkeep of the cemetery these brave souls were laid to rest in.  It was obvious the Dutch people of today care greatly about the sacrifice these men had made on their behalf.

The experience taught me it's one thing to read about the battles in a book, but to visit the actual site makes the event so much more "real" in my mind.  I'll be visiting more battle fields in the future.

I've been to Nijmegan.  I did not realize a major battle had taken place there.  I'll have to study up before I go back again.

Kent

If you have not read it, I highly recommend the book, by Cornelius Ryan.  The title came from General Browning's advice to Montgomery when he said: "Sir, I think you have gone a bridge too far", referring to Arnhem.  Browning was giving Monty his thoughts on the entire Market Garden invasion and believed it too ambitious in reach.  If not for the exploits of Generals Gavin and Taylor of the 82nd and 101st Airborne, things would have probably been far worse.  The short version is that the German strength was grossly underestimated and failure upon failure from the air drops to reaching individual unit objectives led to the debacle.

I think you would enjoy a small paperback book called Ghost Soldiers by Hamton Sides. It's about the Army Ranger team that went to rescue the PW's in a hellish camp called Cabanatuan. I don't care if he was ordered to leave by FDR, Doug MacArthur left all these guys to rot.

It also gives you a keen insight on just how screwed up things can get in times of war.

(I better correct my spelling, I look like a complete moron...lol)

Yeah, I've got "Ghost Soldiers" in my to-be-read pile on the night stand.  I am currently reading "Prisoners of the Japanese" by Gavan Daws.  It is one of the most horrendous books I have ever read, and is frankly very difficult to read.  It talks about the experiences of Allied POWs at the hands of the Japanese during WWII.

Another one that's a real eye opener is "The Rape of Nanking" by Iris Chang.

As for MacArthur, after he left the Philippines for Australia, the following song started making the rounds (to the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"):

Dugout Doug MacArthur lies ashaking on the Rock
Safe from all the bombers and from any sudden shock
Dugout Doug is eating of the best food on Bataan
And his troops go starving on.

Dugout Doug's not timid, he's just cautious, not afraid
He's protecting carefully the stars that Franklin made
Four star generals are as rare as good food on Bataan
And his troops go starving on.

Dougout Doug is ready in his Kris Craft for the flee
Over bounding billows and the wildly raging sea
For the Japs are pounding on the gates of Old Bataan
And his troops go starving on.

I read "Ghost Soldiers" after hearing about it in the Army Times, great book.

PONY_DRIVER

~~~IN DEO CONFIDO~~~