Militærhistorie: konflikter efter anden verdenskrig

Many books have been written on the tragic decisions regarding Vietnam made by the young stars of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Yet despite millions of words of analysis and reflection, no historian has been able to fully explain why such decent, brilliant, and previously successful men failed so badly. With this book?more than twenty years in the making?that changes.In Road to Disaster, acclaimed historian Brian VanDeMark draws upon decades of archival research, his own exclusive interviews with many of the officials involved with the war, and a wealth of previously unheard recordings by Robert McNamara and Clark Clifford, who served as defense secretaries for presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. Beyond that, Road to Disaster is the first account of the war to look at the cataclysmic decisions of those in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations through the prism of recent research in cognitive science, psychology, and organizational theory to explain why ?the best and the brightest? became trapped in situations that suffocated creative thinking and willingness to dissent; why they found change so hard; and why they were so blind to their own errors.A comprehensive history of America's descent into Vietnam during the 1960s that posits a striking new way of understanding that catastrophe, Road to Disaster is a landmark in scholarship and a work of paramount importance, both in comprehending what happened and why, and?just as importantly?preventing fiascoes in the future.

In January 1968, John Corbett and his fellow leathernecks of the 26th Marine Regiment fortified a remote outpost at a place in South Vietnam called Khe Sanh. Within days of their arrival, twenty thousand North Vietnamese soldiers surrounded the base. What followed over the next seventy-seven days became one of the deadliest fights of the Vietnam War—and one of the greatest battles in military history.Private First Class Corbett made do with little or no sleep for days on end. The enemy bombarded the base incessantly. Extremes of heat, cold, and fog added to the misery, as did all manner of wounds and injuries too minor to justify evacuation from frontline positions. The emotional toll was tremendous as the Marines saw their friends suffer and die every day of the siege. Corbett relates these experiences through the eyes of a twenty-year-old but with the mind and maturity of a man now in his fifties. His story of life, death, and growing up on the front lines at Khe Sanh speaks for all of the Marines caught up in the epic siege of the Vietnam War.

This book examines the response of American society to the My Lai massacreand its ambiguous place in American national memory. The author argues thatthe massacre revelations left many Americans untroubled. It was only whenthe soldiers most immediately responsible came to be tried that oppositionto the conflict grew, for these prosecutions were regarded by supporters ofthe war as evidence that the national leaders no longer had the will to dowhat was necessary to win.

Tommie Pueschel dreamed of flying ever since he was a little kid. It's now 1968, and U.S. Army Warrant Officer Thomas R. Pueschel is 22 years old and his dream of flying is being realized. Only thing is, he is in Vietnam and the helicopter he is flying is loaded with guns and rockets and while he may be flying, there's people on the ground who are shooting back at him. His dream has now turned into a full-blown nightmare. The events around him are encapsulating him, forcing him to do things he would never do, never even think of doing, and he's got no choice. In a letter home to his parents, he voices his concern:"All my life, you and the church have taught me, 'Thou shalt not kill' and yet, I now find myself on a ship which is taking me to a place where I will be expected to do just that. It is a battle that has been raging in me for many months now, and I cannot find what seems to be an answer, and I guess I will not until that final test comes when I come face to face with my enemy and have to tighten my finger on the trigger and blast the breath of life in an instant from the body of a fellow man. I know it will be him or me, and I think that I may be able to do it, but the thought still frightens me terribly. Can I really take the life of a man, and afterwards, can I really justify that act by attributing it to my own instincts for self-preservation?"This is the story of Tom's 423 days in Vietnam from his first days in that God-forsaken country in October 1967 through his "freedom bird" home on the 5th of December 1968. Vietnam was ugly and brutal and 1968 was the bloodiest and most deadly year of the war. Troop levels were at their highest (536,100 American troops) and the fighting was at its worst. As one of the original "Blue Ghosts", Tom flew over 900 missions in his 423 days and experienced "enough blood and gore for all." Much of Tom's story is told in his own words, through the many letters he wrote home, with his changing thoughts and insights, and his great attempts to call out for some of the normalcy of the life he left behind. It is also told through the history of the times, the decisions made by others that he had no say in but greatly affected him, and how expendable life can be in times of war. This is a unique portrayal of one soldier's journey through the Vietnam War and his own inner struggle with the consequence of what he was doing.

In a remote, enemy-held valley in Afghanistan, a Special Forces team planned to scale a steep mountain to surprise and capture a terrorist leader. But before they found the target, the target found them… The team was caught in a deadly ambush that not only threatened their lives, but the entire mission. The elite soldiers fought huddled for hours on a small rock ledge as rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine-gun fire rained down on them. With total disregard for their own safety, they tended to their wounded and kept fighting to stay alive. When the battle finally ended, ten soldiers had earned Silver Stars-the Army's third highest award for combat valor. It was the most Silver Stars awarded to any unit in one battle since Vietnam. Based on dozens of interviews with those who were there, No Way Out is a compelling narrative of an epic battle that not only tested the soldiers' mettle but serves as a cautionary tale. Be careful what you ask a soldier to do because they will die trying to accomplish their mission.

A Medal of Honor recipient looks back at his own service in the Vietnam War-and ahead to America's future.Jack Jacobs was acting as an advisor to the South Vietnamese when he and his men came under devastating attack. Wounded, 1st Lt. Jacobs took command and withdrew the unit, returning again and again, saving fourteen lives-for which he received the Medal of Honor. Here, Col. Jacobs tells his stirring story of heroism, honor, and the personal code by which he has lived his life, and expounds with blunt honesty and insight his views on our contemporary world, and the nature and necessity of sacrifice. If Not Now, When? is a compelling account of a unique life at both war and peace, and the all-too-often unexamined role of the citizenry in the service and defense of the Republic.

Internationale kriser er kulminationen på stormagter kamp for magt og indflydelse. Her balancerer en lille gruppe statsledere på kanten af krig. Jo dybere krisen bliver, desto større tendens har statslederne til at lave overmodige beslutninger, hvor de overvurder deres politisk-militære muligheder i en mulig krig, imens modstanders chancer undervurderes.Hvorfor har beslutningsprocesser i storpolitiske kriser sådanne modstridende karakteristika, og hvilke konsekvenser kan overmod have for krisens forløb og udfald?Denne bog tilbyder et muligt svar med afprøvningen af tesen om, at beslutningstagers overmod er en overset, men kritisk medbestemmende faktor i udfaldet af stormagtskriserne i 1870, 1914 og 1962. Bogen gennemfører en analyse af tre storpolitiske kriser, som hver især fik afgørende betydning for moderne historie.Undersøgelsen af overmod tager sit teoretiske udgangspunkt i den såkaldte Rubiconteori, som anvendes løbende i bogens historievidenskabelig undersøgelse af de tre kriser. På denne måde tilbydes en alternativ læsning af hændelsesforløbet og udfaldet i tre af nogle af de mest velbelyste storpolitiske kriser inden for studiet af diplomatisk historie og i international politik.Dermed får læseren får en ny og anderledes vinkel på, hvordan og hvorfor disse storpolitiske kriser opstod, og særlig hvordan statsleders beslutninger blev påvirket af overmod – en pointe, vor egen tids krige og konflikter, særlig Ruslands invasion af Ukraine i 2022, har aktualiseret på dramatisk og tragisk vis

This did not happen is a common refrain throughout the stories in The Things They Carried. Tim O'Brien's account of the Vietnam War purposely blurs the line between fact and fiction to get closer to the truth of what soldiers actually experienced. This compelling volume explores the life of Tim O'Brien and his attempts to wrestle with the trauma and shame of war in The Things They Carried. A collection of related essays explore topics such as the moral complexity of war, writing as a path to spiritual redemption, and the novel's portrayal of gender. Contemporary perspectives on war, such as the need to help soldiers suffering from PTSD and not repeating the mistakes of Vietnam, are also presented.

Unearthing Spirituality from the Trenches: A Soldier's Faithful Odyssey in War and Peace.War and faith are two realms often viewed in stark contrast. Yet, in the midst of the battlefield's chaos, many soldiers find an unwavering spiritual anchor. For the religious veteran, the interplay between the harrowing experiences of war and the solace found in faith is a journey worth exploring.Soldier Saved By Others dives deep into this intricate relationship. Each chapter unfolds like a prayer bead, guiding readers from feelings of love and empathy to moments of rest, marked by gratitude and calmness. As we journey through the pages, we uncover the soldier's inner sanctum - the self - where righteousness meets civility, painting a portrait of the challenges faced and the strength drawn from a higher power.Dreams of perfection float like ethereal visions, only to be anchored by the steadfast pillars of religion, the warmth of the Holy Spirit, and the healing touch of forgiveness. This isn't just a tale of battles fought on foreign shores, but of the internal wars that rage within and the peace that can be found in faith.Targeted specifically at religious veterans, this book serves as a beacon, illuminating the path of spiritual resilience. It beckons readers to see beyond the horrors of war, into a realm where the human spirit, fortified by faith, triumphs over adversity.For veterans seeking understanding, families yearning to connect with their war-torn loved ones, or anyone intrigued by the fusion of military experience with deep spirituality, Soldier Saved By Others promises a transformative journey. Embrace a narrative where joy and happiness resonate, offering solace and enlightenment to all who venture within its pages.

I slutningen af 2. Verdenskrig kom op imod 250.000 tyske flygtninge til Danmark. De kom med skibe til Sjælland og blev fordelt, hvor der var plads på skoler og i forsamlingshuse. Men da den tyske værnemagt overgav sig i maj 1945, blev der i stedet oprettet lejre til flygtningene. Flygtningene var oftest meget afkræftede ved ankomsten, og op imod 7% døde under deres ophold i Danmark.Flygtningelejren Sølund – De tyske flygtninge i Skanderborg 1945-1946 er beretningen om de flygtninge, som i et år blev indkvarteret i det tidligere hovedkvarter for Luftwaffe i Danmark, der lå i Dyrehaven ved Skanderborg. Stedet er nu en del af området for musikfestivalen Smukfest.Bogen Flygtningelejren Sølund vil give de oversete tyske flygtninge i Skanderborg en ny, men nødvendig og påkrævet plads i historien. For billedet af vores behandling af de tyske flygtninge har tidligere ikke umiddelbart passet ind i den danske selvforståelse, om hvor gode vi tror, vi er. Forfatterne skaber en mere nuanceret fortælling om krigen og efterkrigstiden, der måske nok gør ondt, men er med til at sætte fokus på flygtninge, historisk som i dag. Martin Philipsen Mølgaard (f. 1981) er historiker ansat som museumsinspektør og arkivleder ved Museum Skanderborg. Han arbejder særligt med formidling af 2. Verdenskrig i lokalt, nationalt og internationalt perspektiv. Julie De Vos (f. 1978) er arkæolog ved Museum Skanderborg, og hendes forskningsarbejde koncentrerer sig særligt om samtidsarkæologi og konflikt.

The incredible true story of a top secret mission to resuce POWs in Vietnam. In the last year of the Vietnam conflict, even as American troops were leaving for home, there were still those fighting for their lives: prisoners of war being held in the Communist north. There were two operations launched to rescue the POWs. One-the legendary Son Tay Raid-was revealed to the public. The other was classified as Top Secret. This is the incredible true story of that almost-forgotten mission...Among the personnel recruited for Operation Thunderhad was a select group of operators from both the U.S. Navy SEALs and the Underwater Demolition Teams who knew that if they were captured, they would be killed, tortured, or simply disappear. They went in anyway. Here, for the first time, the details of Operation Thunderhead are revealed-the mission, the materials, and the men who put their lives on the line to save their brothers in arms.

Conceived in a storytelling workshop given by Spalding Gray, Old Man In a Baseball Cap is not your typical story of World War II. Rochlin recounts in gritty detail how he--an ordinary young man--was thrust into outrageous circumstances during an extraordinary time. Whether he's bumping up against the army's bigotry because he's Jewish, aiding in the delivery of a baby by cesarean section, being ordered to obliterate a Hungarian village, or parachuting from his plane in the middle of Yugoslavia and then walking 400 kilometers to safety with an amorous guide, Rochlin captures the Intensely powerful experience of a teenager away from home for the first time. Old Man In a Baseball Cap is an astonishingly fresh, candid look at "the last good war." At once naive, candid, and wise, Fred Rochlin's voice is unforgettable.

Firefights, mortar attacks, and friendly fire were all part of the experiences of an infantryman in the jungles of the Central Highlands of Vietnam. But bugs, leeches, exhaustion, swamps, accidents, snakes, C-rations, digging in, cutting overhead cover, grief, humor, camaraderie, rain, thirst, impressive weapons, useless weapons, care packages, and much, much more filled up most of the infantryman's one-year tour in Vietnam.Daily life as an infantryman in Vietnam was a completely foreign experience compared to the lives most young American soldiers knew growing up. The war and the jungle saw to that. Soldiers had to cope and adapt. Almost all did.In this book, the author tells many stories of events he personally experienced during his year in Vietnam. Through these stories, he aptly describes the daily life and shared experiences of soldiers in the 4th Infantry Division in the jungles of Vietnam's Central Highlands.Anyone who has a personal connection with someone who served as an infantryman in Vietnam or simply has curiosity about infantry life in Vietnam will better understand, after reading this book, the answer to the question "What was daily life like for them there?"

"From Kabul to the Promised Land" is a personal travel journal by Farwa Parsa, describing the events in the wake of the fall of Kabul and its occupation by the Taliban in August 2021. It vividly describes the challenges she and her family faced leaving Kabul and arriving in the USA. The journal details the hardships her family encountered, moving from one turmoil to the difficulties of establishing themselves in a new country. It's a reminder of what many Afghan families experienced following the Fall of Kabul and their resettlement across the globe.¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿. ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿. ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿. ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿­¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿. ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿. ¿¿¿

The U.S. Marine Corps' four-year campaign against al Qaeda in Anbar is a fight certain to take its place next to such legendary clashes as Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Chosin, and Khe Sanh. Its success, the author contends, constituted a major turning point in the Iraq War and helped alter the course of events and set the stage for the Surge in Baghdad a year later. This book brings to light all the decisive details of how the Marines, between 2004 and 2008, adapted and improvised as they applied the hard lessons of past mistakes. In March 2004, when part of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) was deployed to Anbar Province in the heart of the Sunni triangle, the Marines quickly found themselves locked in a bloody test of wills with al Qaeda, and a burgeoning violent insurgency. By the spring of 2006, according to all accounts, enemy violence was skyrocketing, while predictions for any U.S. success were plummeting. But at that same time new counterinsurgency initiatives were put in place when I MEF returned for its second tour in Anbar, and the Marines began to gain control. By September 2008 the fight was over. Richard Shultz, a well-known author and international security studies expert, has thoroughly researched this subject. His book effectively argues the case for the Marines changing the course of the war at Anbar, which is contrary to the conventional wisdom that the Surge was the turning point.

They asked their company commander, "Why are we here?" They did not understand nor wanted to be in the Vietnam War.Looking back fifty-three years, he explains the background and the causes of the War. How and why the US became mired down in turbulent times of student unrest, political assassinations, anti-war protests led by Jane Fonda, Martin Luther King and other notables, as well as Civil Rights marches, corrupt and incompetent Vietnamese governments, meanwhile Presidents and Generals quietly had doubts about the War. So, he quietly mentioned to his soldiers, "Let's do our jobs and go home." They did their jobs, went home, and nobody cared.This book is not for those expecting Rambo-type heroics. Instead, its author and his men served their country not as fighters engaged in active combat, but as engineers, quietly going about the nuts-and-bolts business of building and repairing roads, bridges, and infrastructure. They accomplished their missions through difficult conditions including heavy workloads, drug abuse, racism, doubts about the war, arguments, and heated discussions about getting the job done, and being homesick for love. He then concludes with a suggestion for future wars.

Combat Engineers. The Unsung Heroes of Vietnam.August 25, 1966. Specialist Dan Crowley was among the handful of demolition experts assigned to a route clearing mission in support of Operation AMARILLO. His equipment load was the same as it had been numerous times before: a Claymore mine, TNT, C-4 explosives, blasting caps, time fuse, det cord, eighteen rounds for his M-79 grenade launcher, two hand grenades, and his Colt .45.But this would be no ordinary mission.The Viet Cong had just surrounded an American patrol along Highway 16. Crowley's outfit - Charlie Company, 1st Engineer Battalion - was among the smattering of units thrown together for this impromptu "relief force." History would call it the Battle of Bong Trang.In a war dominated by airmobile infantry, the combat engineers played a critical role in shaping America's battlefield victories. They built obstacles, dug defensive positions, set landmines, performed various types of demolition, and could fight as infantry whenever ordered.Fire in the Hole tells the story of Charlie Company, 1st Engineer Battalion during their deployment to the Republic of Vietnam in 1965-66. Told from the perspective of four Charlie Company veterans - Dan Crowley, Larry Blair, Chuck Humphrey, and Jay Franz - this book provides an intimate, no-holds-barred account of the combat engineers in Vietnam.

In August 1964 Australia deployed six Caribou aircraft and 76 personnel to Vung Tau, South Vietnam, as the new unit, RAAF Transport Flight Vietnam (RTFV). In mid-1966 the unit was renamed No. 35 Squadron and remained in South Vietnam until February 1972. This small team of aircraft and support personnel marked the first deployment of an RAAF unit on operations since the Korean War and the first war in which Australians did not fight alongside British. With only six aircraft, Wallaby Airlines, as the unit's operation became known, notched up impressive statistics over its eight years of existence - 80,000 sorties flying 47,000 hours and carrying over 40 million kilograms of cargo. RTFV was led for the first nine months by Squadron Leader Chris Sugden, DFC and Bar, a veteran of both the Second World War and the Korean War. Suggy was a generation older than most of the members of his unit and so became a defacto father figure to most of them. There is also no doubt he was looked up to by all and that he enjoyed the highest respect of every member of his unit, aircrew ground crew and support personnel, as well as the many United States and South Vietnamese personnel who came into contact with him. This is the story, untold to date, of these first 76 members of RTFV, of Suggy and his men, how the unit came into being, and of the first nine months of its existence - a period of operations which in some ways was quite different to those of the remaining seven years the unit was deployed in South Vietnam.

All his life, Greg McPartlin wanted to be a Marine corpsman, a medic skilled at saving lives. Three months of "bagging-and-tagging" bodies during Vietnam's Tet Offensive took the luster off being a Marine-but not off McPartlin's desire to serve his country.After assisting in the sea-recovery of Apollo 11-the first ship to bring men to the moon-the twenty-year-old McPartlin was redeployed to Vietnam as an elite Navy SEAL. Barred as a medic by the Geneva Convention from the make-or-break training considered vital to service as a Navy SEAL, McPartlin had to show he had what it took.In a war where soldiers partied with their buddies in Saigon one day and crawled through an enemy-infested jungle hell the next, McPartlin proved that he was not only an outstanding medic but a real Navy SEAL-the toughest of the tough. Combat Corpsman is McPartlin's account of his year in what had been a Viet Cong stronghold until the SEALs took control. It's the first inside story of a Navy SEAL medic, a man who wanted to heal-not to kill-but did both to save lives.