Presentations on Eisenhower, Photographers, and the Battle of Metz

The presentation on Eisenhower reinforced his leadership role by listing the many battles (and operations) that he oversaw during his command.  There is no doubt in my mind, or probably anyone else’s for that matter, that because of Eisenhower’s successes in WWII and the popularity that he gained, he was a sure winner for the Presidency.   By being appointed as commander of SHAEF, he was not only a leader of the American troops, but was also a leader of soldiers from many different countries as he led them in the invasion of Europe during Operation Overlord.  Even though I am familiar with his many accomplishments, it is still a subject that is worth repeating.

The presentation on the WWII photographers was very interesting.  When you think of war, it seems that the battles, the commanders, and the number of killed and wounded are much of what you hear and read.  The Signal Corps are usually not written in as part of this action.  I liked the detailed information shared such as the 352,000 negatives printed, the 9,100,000 feet of motion picture film shot, and the 35mm Bell and Howell that was mounted on gunstocks for better stability. 

The Battle of Metz, also known as the “forgotten battle,” is another one of those battles I was unfamiliar with until the presentation.  It was interesting to hear such facts as the Allies did not have the armor or heavy weapons to fight but they kept going.  The men were rotated from the front lines to behind the lines in order to rest and go back into battle.  Even though it is not one of the better-known battles, it, too, as many of the other battles, resulted in heavy losses for the Allies.  The use of white phosphorous to burn out the troops that did not surrender seems inhumane; however, war is inhumane.