Which army in american history had the best soldiers.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Which army in american history had the best soldiers.

Posted: 8/20/2005 2:56:58 PM EDT

Was it WW1, WW2, Vietnam, Korea or our todays modern army. Who would be the victor in an engagement. Would todays technology be the ultimate factor in your decision.

Posted: 8/20/2005 2:58:41 PM EDT

[#1]

Our troops today are the best trained, most motivated, most well equipped, combat hardened soldiers the world has ever seen.

Posted: 8/20/2005 2:58:41 PM EDT

[#2]

You must be new here.

Obviously the WW2 generation was the GREATEST generation EVER

Posted: 8/20/2005 2:58:45 PM EDT

[#3]

Vietnam. They started to really understand Guerilla warfare.

Posted: 8/20/2005 3:04:09 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Vietnam. They started to really understand Guerilla warfare.

And the guys in Iraq don't?

Posted: 8/20/2005 3:05:04 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
Vietnam. They started to really understand Guerilla warfare.

with all the draftees? No way, not by a long shot. I'd say today or civil war era.

Posted: 8/20/2005 3:07:39 PM EDT

[#6]

Pointless to argue this, really.

The troops in the American Rev were probably some of the toughest.

I've been doing more research on this subject, and, the operation that almost made Canada the 14th colony made me feel like a big pussy for crying about winter in the field in TX.

Those guys were hard.

Posted: 8/20/2005 3:08:00 PM EDT

[#7]

WW 2. THey had a clear definable evil and the political willpower backing them up.

Posted: 8/20/2005 3:22:25 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
WW 2. THey had a clear definable evil and the political willpower backing them up.

They also had the full support of the American people.

True heroes all.

Posted: 8/20/2005 3:24:20 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
WW 2. THey had a clear definable evil and the political willpower backing them up.

We presently have a clear definable evil as well.

Posted: 8/20/2005 3:25:32 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Quoted:
WW 2. THey had a clear definable evil and the political willpower backing them up.

They also had the full support of the American people.

True heroes all.

Even the deserters?
Even the traitors?
Even those charged with deriliction of duty?

Yup. Greatest Generation EVER

Posted: 8/20/2005 3:29:54 PM EDT

[#11]

If the question is that each army is armed with it's technology ,tactics & weapons, no doubt today's Army is superior. If you are talking about conditioning and spirit, I'd go with Revolutionary War or Civil War troops.

Posted: 8/20/2005 10:06:09 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Vietnam. They started to really understand Guerilla warfare.

with all the draftees? No way, not by a long shot. I'd say today or civil war era.

The number of volunteers in the US military during Vietnam as a percentage of the whole was significantly higher that in WWII. The US solider in Vietnam never lost a battle they were VERY effective on the tactical level and certainly as good as the troops fielded at any other time in our history… with the exception of today.

Posted: 8/20/2005 10:10:30 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
If the question is that each army is armed with it's technology ,tactics & weapons, no doubt today's Army is superior. If you are talking about conditioning and spirit, I'd go with Revolutionary War or Civil War troops.

Certainly not the Revolutionary War… the bulk of the soldiers were barely adequate and in many cases not even that. There were large scale problems during parts of the Civil War with desertion in both the Union and Confederate forces.

Overall it is really no contest today’s soldiers are doing a professional and remarkable job. As a whole they are easily the best trained and effective in our history.

Posted: 8/20/2005 10:15:16 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Vietnam. They started to really understand Guerilla warfare.

And the guys in Iraq don't?

The Veterans of Vietnam went on to become the trainers and leaders of our Armed Forces. If Vietnam would never had happened our military would have continued to train for WWII, Korea type warfare.

I give our current Armed Forces all the credit in the world, but they have yet to experience an enemy as ferocious as the Vietnamese.

For all out toughness, you have to hand it to the WWII and Korean War Veterans. WWII because of the length, conditions, and intensity of the war, and Korea because of the never die attitude, freezing cold, and conditions.

Face it, many soldiers in modern warfare (today) live in pretty good conditions, and have a very proven arsenal of advanced weaponry. Imagine being issue a Black Rifle in the 60's that fails to work right because of a lack of proper training on it.

Posted: 8/20/2005 10:15:37 PM EDT

[#15]

1st Air cav , Ia drang Valley, Vietnam.

Posted: 8/20/2005 10:16:51 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Vietnam. They started to really understand Guerilla warfare.

with all the draftees? No way, not by a long shot. I'd say today or civil war era.

Civil war?
Again lots of draftees. Outdated tactics being used with more modern weapons. Actually I would say that during the civil was was a time our armies were the least trained , least motivated, andthe most poorly led in most situations. Both sides.

Posted: 8/20/2005 10:19:00 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Vietnam. They started to really understand Guerilla warfare.

with all the draftees? No way, not by a long shot. I'd say today or civil war era.

Again lots of draftees. Outdated tactics being used with more modern weapons. Actually I would say that during the civil was was a time our armies were the least trained , least motivated, andthe most poorly led in most situations. Both sides.

while they were draftees, to say they were poorly motivated betrays the atrocious casualities suffered. I'll have to disagree, our boys fought tooth and nail against eachother.

Posted: 8/20/2005 10:25:47 PM EDT

[#18]

I would have to say ALL OF THEM

Posted: 8/20/2005 10:29:32 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Vietnam. They started to really understand Guerilla warfare.

with all the draftees? No way, not by a long shot. I'd say today or civil war era.

Again lots of draftees. Outdated tactics being used with more modern weapons. Actually I would say that during the civil was was a time our armies were the least trained , least motivated, andthe most poorly led in most situations. Both sides.

while they were draftees, to say they were poorly motivated betrays the atrocious casualities suffered. I'll have to disagree, our boys fought tooth and nail against eachother.

Desertion and morale problems were astronomical during that war. Yes they fought tooth and nail against each other like no one else. Ever watch a couple dudes fight at a bar, interesting. Ever watch two brothers go at it? What a fight.

Even though both sides fought hard, the main reason the casualty numbers were so high was because of leadership that would not break the Napoleonic doctrine they were instilled with while the weapons were capable of much more. the training the troops recieved was pretty shoddy as well. The riots because of the draft were incredibly destructive and many folks died in rioting across the nation. Desertions were too common, many units had to designate a company just to deal with deserters from their own and the enemy.

I dont doubt they fought bravely, I just think their motivation was probably not as spirited as we assume in contrast with anything100yrs after that war.

ETA I think this particular genreation is the best. We are always getting better.

Posted: 8/20/2005 10:30:26 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Vietnam. They started to really understand Guerilla warfare.

with all the draftees? No way, not by a long shot. I'd say today or civil war era.

Again lots of draftees. Outdated tactics being used with more modern weapons. Actually I would say that during the civil was was a time our armies were the least trained , least motivated, andthe most poorly led in most situations. Both sides.

while they were draftees, to say they were poorly motivated betrays the atrocious casualities suffered. I'll have to disagree, our boys fought tooth and nail against eachother.

Standing toe to toe and slugging it out with rifled muskets certainly makes you brave… but that does not necessarily translate in to being the best solider.

Many if not most units were poorly trained and learned by fighting by doing it. Even then many commanders kept right on repeating the same mistakes up until the end of the war, they never learned.

Posted: 8/20/2005 11:00:01 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
1st Air cav , Ia drang Valley, Vietnam.

101st Airborne Division, Dong Ap Bia, Republic of Vietnam. Various others.

Posted: 8/20/2005 11:22:12 PM EDT

[#22]

Love and respect for all U.S. Military Units. One personal to me is 25th ID at Guadalcanal. I was not there. Though after reading their stories and serving with the 25th, I would give anything to have been with them in thier strugle which was 100 times harder then what we face today.

Posted: 8/20/2005 11:26:54 PM EDT

[#23]

The current Soldiers and Marines right now, the World has not seen a more potent force since the times of the Roman Legions.

Posted: 8/20/2005 11:27:24 PM EDT

[#24]

This is lamest debate I've ever seen. EVERYONE has valid points. Can't be vietnam though, cause even though we inflicted higher casualties, most nam vets I know all agree we got our asses handed to us and it was only partly politics that caused that. The reason I say it's lame is cause we shouldn't be debating it. Let's face it. We're some bad mother fuckers.

Posted: 8/20/2005 11:36:35 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
WW 2. THey had a clear definable evil and the political willpower backing them up.

Thats why they aren't the greatest generation, sure its easy to take care of conventional forces with support of 100% back home, try taking on suicide bombers when about 50% think your a baby killer.

Posted: 8/21/2005 12:24:42 AM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
I would have to say ALL OF THEM

+1
The equipment they use, the training they recieve, the enemy they fight...all that stuff changes, but if you take a soldier from each period of American history and sit 'em all in a room, they'd all probably be about the same.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Which army in american history had the best soldiers.

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