A quick synopsis of an internet search I just did. Michael Ledeen made a reference to General James Mattis as “this generation’s equivalent of Patton—he writes Greek poetry, even.” I confess, after Gen. Petreus and his subordinates, I haven’t paid much attention to American commanders in the field.
A quick search, however, shows that General Mattis was an important figure in the two battles of Fallujah in 2004. Wikipedia then reports this:
On February 1, 2005, Lieutenant General Mattis, speaking Ad libitum at a forum in San Diego, said “You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn’t wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain’t got no manhood left anyway. So it’s a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. Actually, it’s a lot of fun to fight. You know, it’s a hell of a hoot. It’s fun to shoot some people. I’ll be right upfront with you, I like brawling.” Mattis’s remarks sparked controversy and General Michael W. Hagee, Commandant of the Marine Corps, issued a statement suggesting that Mattis should have chosen his words more carefully, but would not be disciplined.
More carefully? You mean he shouldn’t have used contractions? I’ve been critical of American generalship in the past, but to learn that these words were publicly uttered by a man who made it all the way to the top of a military branch makes me giddy. Our generals and soldiers should revel in the destruction that they bring to our honorless enemy.
Perhaps best on the Wikipedia page, I learn this:
Lieutenant General James N. Mattis will be played by Harrison Ford in the upcoming film No True Glory: The Battle for Fallujah, based on the book by Bing West.
Seriously? Harrison Ford? A movie about American soldiers in Iraq that doesn’t seem to be anti-war on its face? Sweet Pete, man, there must be a Democrat in the White House.
Posted by Apollo in Amer-I-Can!, Iraq