Favorite War Hero?

[Relander]

Originally Posted by Atrusino

Ah, an optimist! War's the way of the future, my friend.

I can't see how it makes me an optimist when I prefer preserving peace & acknowledge how horrible wars are. All what that makes me would be humanist and nowhere I implied that there wouldn't be wars in the future, world peace is just a good dream. How war's are "the way of future", are you saying that more wars in the world are inevitable?

We need our heroes same as anyone else done and to say that their merits earn them the title of 'loser' is not a folly I intend to act upon. A given side may never really be called a winner or loser, but there are heroes.

Nowhere I said that we wouldn't need heroes. The funny thing is that it's not the men & women who have made heroic things that regard themselves as heroes but the people around them. I'm sure all war heros would have preferred peace instead of fighting against fellow humans.

[MrFancypants]

Originally Posted by Atrusino

Ah, an optimist! War's the way of the future, my friend. We need our heroes same as anyone else done and to say that their merits earn them the title of 'loser' is not a folly I intend to act upon. A given side may never really be called a winner or loser, but there are heroes.

I don't mean to offend you, but it was this kind of mindset that makes wars possible and more likely.


But if you ask me I'd say that Thomans Cochrane, a naval commander in the Napoleonic wars, is my favourite hero. Like others named here he displayed bravery in situations where he was clearly outnumbered (for example his famous attack on the Spanish frigate El Gamo with the sloop Speedy. He captured the ship although the Gamo had twice the number of guns and 6 times the number of men).

[Chemix2]

Nothing like the heroes of the loosing side of a war, I guess my quick pick is Amakusa Shiro, leader of the 1673 Shimibara rebellion in Japan after the government starting taking absolute control, removing Samurai of their swords unless they became paid mercenaries under direct control from Edo (Now Tokyo), and of course the ruling out of all religions that could suppose that the Emporer (figurehead) was not absolute and thus there was a higher power and greater cause than his signature. The rebellion ended a few months after it started by way of chinese, dutch and japanese cannon fire from ships in the bay which crippled the defenses of the fortress Hara. Out of food and ammunition, they made a last stand of 30,000 rebels versus the Shogunate army of 200,000 men; afterwards, all sympathizers and rebels were beheaded, numbering 37,000 total.

It wasn't that he was a great general, I wouldn't expect him to be, he was only 15, I simply can sympathize with his cause and see great valor in his attempts, and I couldn't think of anyone else at the moment.

[masked_marsoe]

Charles Upham was the only combat soldier to ever win two Victoria Crosses, and the only one in WWII to do so.

Courage and Resource
Upham was renowned for combining controlled courage with quick-thinking resourcefulness. While most medals for bravery are awarded for a single act, Upham’s first citation was for nine days of skill, leadership and evident heroism. In March 1941, he was a Second Lieutenant in the 20th NZ Battalion in Crete. His display of courage included: destroying numerous enemy posts; rescuing a wounded man under fire; penetrating deep behind enemy lines and killing twenty-two German soldiers on the way to leading out an isolated platoon. This was all after being blown over by a mortar shell, and with a shrapnel wound in his shoulder and a bullet in his foot.

The incident that exemplified Upham’s courage was when two German soldiers trapped him alone on the fringes of an olive grove. Upham (on his way to warning other troops that they were being cut off) was watched by his helpless platoon, who were some distance away as he was fired on by the Germans. With any movement potentially fatal, he feigned death and with calculated coolness waited for the enemy soldiers to approach. With one arm lame in a sling, he used the crook of a tree to support his rifle and shoot the first assailant, then reloaded with one hand, and shot the second (who was so close as to fall against the barrel of Upham’s rifle).
Gallantry and Determination
Captain Upham's second citation was for his part in the July 1942 attack on Ruweisat Ridge, Egypt, where the New Zealand Division was stranded after promised armoured support failed to come through. As the Allied forces struggled to hold the line, Upham led his company on what was described as a savage attack on German and Italian strongpoints. Upham was personally responsible for destroying a German tank and several guns and vehicles with hand grenades and, though he was shot through the elbow with a machine gun bullet and had his arm shattered, he went on again to a forward position and brought back a number of his men who had become isolated. He was removed to the regimental aid post, but immediately after his wounds had been dressed he returned to his men. He consolidated and held his position and despite exhaustion, loss of blood and further injuries (as a result of artillery and mortar fire that decimated most of his company) he stayed with the only six remaining members until, now unable to move, he was overrun by enemy forces and captured.

Typifying his character and nickname ‘Pug’, he attempted to escape numerous times before being branded "dangerous" by the Germans and incarcerated in the infamous prison fortress Colditz.

But I think medics are some of the most deserving of all.

[B@SE]

^ Yes. Charles here too.

But I must say. There many many men that were hero's but died in some secluded part of a deserted battleground no doubt never to be noticed by whoever deems their act great. There were many unnoticed hero's. I guess they are the ones for me. Sad.

[Cap'n Rommel]

hmm hero.. well, von Stauffenberg must be one.. He risked everything in the assasination of Hitler, he didnt succed but he (and his comrades) were brave enough to try.

[Rich19]

Originally Posted by B@SE

But I must say. There many many men that were hero's but died in some secluded part of a deserted battleground no doubt never to be noticed by whoever deems their act great. There were many unnoticed hero's. I guess they are the ones for me. Sad.

I agree. My great uncle stands out for me. He was a stretcher bearer in WW1, and was killed running out into no mans land trying to get to a wounded comrade. That's plenty heroic if you ask me.

[Emperor Norton I]

Theodore Roosevelt (argue the legality and rightness of the Spanish-American war as you may) and U.S. Grant

[Mephistopheles]

These men were heroes.



They saved countless civilians during the firestorms of burning Europe and many of them were killed in action.

[GrenadoHencho]

Every man who fought in any war, for what he beleived is a HERO.

Although when it comes down towards picking one, it would either be my grandfather, or Sgt. Alvin York, who lead an attack on a German defensive point in the Argonne Forest during WWI. He killed over 20 Germans with his scoped Springfield rifle and his Colt .45 Pistol. He also captured 132 Germans who were scared to death.

He recieved the Medal of Honor for his bravery. He also had a movie done after him.