Larry Linderman
Of all the wars in history, World War II was the most horrific.
Nearly 80 million people perished either from battlefield injuries, disease or starvation brought on by the conflict. In Russia nearly 30 million died while the U.S. lost over 400,000.
The SaddleBrooke World War II Roundtable studies the war once a month. Here are a few topics recently covered by the Roundtable:
Operation Barbarossa: The invasion of Russia by Germany in 1941. What were the consequences of this invasion to the outcome of the war?
Tarawa: Over 2,700 U.S. Marines were killed or wounded in this battle in the mid-Pacific. What was the strategic value of this Japanese-held island?
How did the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939 affect WWII?
In April and May 1943, a handful of Jews resisted the German annihilation of the Warsaw Ghetto. The battle lasted 27 days and while the result was inevitable the heroic struggle became a symbol of resistance to tyranny down to this day.
The U.S. and Great Britain bombed Germany’s war production facilities and civilian population to the point where the country lay in rubble at the end of the war. But at what cost to the Allies in blood and treasure?
The Roundtable also has viewed movies with WWII themes (Mrs. Miniver, Closely Watched Trains) and held “what if” sessions. (What if Hitler had died in WWI? What might have happened if the U.S. didn’t drop nuclear weapons on Japan in 1945?
All of the discussions are led by Roundtable members who have researched the material though there is no pressure on members to lead discussions. The Roundtable is also interested in personal recollections by members of how the war impacted them and their families.
Membership is open to any SaddleBrooke or SaddleBrooke Ranch residents. The Roundtable typically meets on the third Thursday of the month at 1:00 p.m. in the Sonoran Room of the HOA Two Clubhouse. Our next session will be on Thursday, December 21 at 1:00 p.m. The paragraph below on Patton was taken from Wikipedia.
Patton’s colorful image, hard-driving personality and success as a commander were at times overshadowed by his controversial public statements. His philosophy of leading from the front and his ability to inspire troops with vulgarity-ridden speeches, such as a famous address to the Third Army attracted favorable attention. His strong emphasis on rapid and aggressive offensive action proved effective. While Allied leaders held sharply differing opinions on Patton, he was regarded highly by his opponents in the German high command. A popular, award-winning popular film released in 1970 helped transform Patton into an American hero.
The WWII Roundtable hopes to see you soon. For more information contact Club Secretary Steve Reggentin at [email protected].