A HARBOR AND A HILL

A HARBOR AND A HILL

By Andy Weddington

Wednesday, 07 December 2022

It is always more difficult to fight successfully against faith than against knowledge. - Adolf Hitler 

1n 1966, twenty-five years after the attack on Pearl Harbor - 81 years ago this date, I was weeks shy of turning 10. 

I remember learning about Pearl Harbor and the war well before that welcome to double-digits celebration.  

Though through the time perspective of a child, that 25 years may as well have been 250 years.

Today, 25 years ago seems yesterday; 1997 was. 

Three years after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor marks another important attack this date - a battle for a small hill held by Germans. To that in a moment. 

More than 10 years ago, through this commentary, I reconnected with my Regimental commander from when I was a new second lieutenant assigned to 6th Marines (2d Marine Division, Camp Lejeune) 42 years ago.

In short, something I'd written caught the attention of a reader who wrote me and his sir name, Tolleson, triggered the name Colonel Fred Tolleson. A couple of email exchanges confirmed brothers. 

Colonel Tolleson wrote me regularly thereafter with his thoughts on commentary. He always signed then "Fred" and insisted I call him "Fred." 

I could not. And did not. Always referring to him as "Colonel" or "Sir." He finally surrendered, at my relief.

I believe it's been only a couple of years since Colonel Tolleson died. Notice sent me by a stranger who came across my name in Colonel Tolleson's computer. 

In one of his last notes to me Colonel Tolleson reminisced when a captain, assigned duty at Texas A&M, meeting and befriending a gentleman named Jim Rudder. 

He wrote how Rudder had great respect for Marines, took a personal liking to him, and told him if ever needing anything to let him know.

And Captain Tolleson did so on occasion.

Jim Rudder. 

James Earl Rudder. 

He was a soldier in the U. S. Army.

He was a Ranger.

He commanded and trained the Rangers of 2nd Battalion - on D-Day, attacked the Germans, from the sea, scaling nature's wall called Pointe du Hoc. 

Colonel Tolleson remembered taking his young sons to Pointe du Hoc and all of them being dumbfounded at what the Rangers had done. When later bringing up the assault with Rudder he so much as shrugged it off saying there was not the guns nor as many Germans as they expected. And that was that. 

Well, it was a lot more than that. 

And Lieutenant Colonel Rudder, himself wounded, continued to lead his men through ongoing combat right up through the night of an attack on a hill in the Hurtgen (two dots over u) Forest. [Higher headquarters tapped him for promotion and immediate assignment to higher level command right before attack.]  

07 December 1944 happened the battle for what the Army identified as Hill 400; a critical spit of high ground, or so believed by the Allies [another story], controlled by the Germans.

Not yet a week ago came email from a retired economist friend, Bill - 15 years my senior and not a veteran but taught Marines and is patriot of the first order. His note included a book review in the Wall Street Journal about Hill 400 - The Last Hill. 

When Bill recommends a book, I read it. 

Yesterday afternoon I finished 'The Last Hill' - by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin.

I learned more about Jim Rudder. 

And his remarkable men. 

Warriors. 

That he was nonchalant with Captain Tolleson testament to his character and humility. 

The descriptions by Drury and Clavin of grueling, dangerous training and the hardships and horrors of close ground combat echo that told by E. B. Sledge in his classic 'With the Old Breed' recalling his World War II combat experiences as a young Marine in the South Pacific. 

In an interview after Sledge's death his wife told of hearing him weep behind his closed study doors while writing.

I cannot imagine Rudder did not privately weep on occasion. 

And the same for his men.

Seventy-eight years is not all that long ago. 

But to my neighbor's 10 years-old it may as well have been 780 years ago.

Lots of reflections and emotions reading about Rudder and his Rangers. 

My training as Marine infantryman and things I did. None of which merits mention in the same discussion of what World War II Marines and Soldiers did (as detailed by Sledge and Drury an Clavin). I can imagine but I cannot fathom. 

Too, I hear the powerful, at times, emotional testimony delivered by General Robert H. Barrow, USMC before the Senate Armed Service Committee in June 1991. Topic: Women in Combat. 

The late General Barrow, infantryman, fought in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam; command in all three and decorated for courage and tenacity and leadership in close combat. 

My first commandant. 

Though some stalwarts since, he's still the epitome of a Marine commandant; model of character, humility, pragmatism, and grasp of reality.

General Barrow's compelling without notes statement - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy--whDNNKk - chilling. 

Listen.

Yet words, spoken or written, cannot possibly capture the demands to  prepare for and the ugly struggles of man killing man; but for (their) countries being at odds.

And again what struck while reading these past few days is the absolute absurdity of females in ground combat units. 

Foolishness - women uniformed as men; as if threads makes equal the variables strength, speed, and stamina.

Alas, no one pays attention to (the) men - the authority - who know.

For reason, then and today, there is not all female Marine Raider, Army Ranger, nor Navy SEAL units. 

For reason aplenty.

Breathtaking, these remarkable times of nonsense overwhelming common sense. 

Cost. There's always cost. Pay now or pay later. You will always pay. 

Madness!

Anyway ...

I'll not further spoil the book. 

Read 'The Last Hill' - fought 78 years ago today; important history overshadowed by what happened 81 years ago today. 

If not already, read Sledge's sobering masterpiece.

And listen, closely, to General Barrow (and more than once). 

Draw your own conclusions.