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Posted on May 18, 2009 in Armchair Reading

July 2009 Mailbag

By Armchair General

VAN DOOS HEROES
A combat team of the 2eBataillon, Royal 22e Régiment  advances on its objective during an exercise at the Canadian Maneuver Training  Center. Courtesy, Maj. Sébastien Campagna
Sir, as an ACG subscriber, I was very proud to see that my Regiment was the Legendary Combat Unit for the January [2009] issue.  While “Notable Members,” Lt Col Hercule Gosselin and Maj Lacombe, both serve the Regiment and the Canadian Forces honourably, I draw your attention to other great heroes of the "Van Doos:" Gen. Georges Vanier, one of the 22ème Bataillon’s founders, fought valiantly in WWI and eventually became Canada’s Governor General; Gen. Jean Victor Allard, who commanded the unit in Italy in 1943 and the Canadian Brigade in Korea, became the first French-Canadian Chief of the Defense Staff, Canadian Forces’ highest position; and Gen. Jacques Dextraze, a genuine fighting general who rose through the ranks from private to Chief of the Defense Staff, commanded in Europe in WW2 and Korea. My unit, the 2d Bataillon, is just back from the Canadian Manœuvre Training Centre [see photos] and is deploying to the Afghanistan hotspot of Kandahar.  â€¨I thank you and wish to congratulate you on an excellent magazine.
Maj. Sébastien Campagna 
Commandant de la cie d’Arrière Garde 
2eBataillon Royal 22e Régiment 
Courcelette Québec

A combat team of the 2eBataillon, Royal 22e Régiment goes on the attack during an exercise at the Canadian Maneuver Training Center. Courtesy, Maj. Sébastien CampagnaWe owe you thanks on several accounts: thanks for subscribing, thanks for sharing these other ‘Van Doos’ heroes with our readers, and thank you and your unit for your outstanding service. Have safe and successful tour of duty in Afghanistan.

CARLO D’ESTE AND ACG AT PRITZKER LIBRARY
I attended a book talk by Carlo D’Este at the Pritzker Library in Chicago last fall [2008] at which every attendee received two copies of Armchair General. The magazine was very well received as all the audience members were reading the magazine before the talk began. The two people sitting beside me both commented positively on the magazine without any prompting.
Best regards,
Bradley P. Tolppanen, Charleston, IL
The Pritzker Military Library in Chicago is an outstanding organization providing not only an extensive collection of resources on military history, but serves as a great venue for frequent lectures by outstanding military historians, such as ACG Advisory Board member, Carlo D’Este. ACG is proud to support the Pritzker Military Library and encourages readers in the Chicago area to avail themselves of this outstanding resource. Information on events and upcoming lectures may be found at pritzkermilitarylibrary.org.

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4 Comments

  1. Dear Armchair: Excellent read!

    July 2009.Peagus Bridge June 6, 1944. Acting as Maj John Howard , I would land all the 181 me east of the Orne river bridge.I would leave 5 men here, armed with their sten guns & enfield rifles, plus one each of the bren guns, mortars & anti tank weapons. I would take the rest of the men to the Caen canal bridge & take the bridge. the I would split the men & weapons evenly & hold the bridges.

    Best Regards

    warren

  2. Ralph Peters was right on the money with his comments about the lack of quality history education in college classrooms. Some years ago I took a history class at the local university. There was a lot of emphasis on the Great Depression, the McCarthy hearings, Vietnam, and Watergate. World War II and the subsequent re-construction of Europe via the Marshall Plan were ignored. The consensus in the class about our Cold War adversaries, the Soviets? “they’re no worse than us. That wall around Berlin is just there to keep spies out.” And when I mentioned the 1947-48 Soviet blockade of Berlin, and subsequent Airlift, nobody in that classroom had the slightest idea what I was talking about. It’s sad that nothing has changed since then.

  3. Looking for the speech General Alfred Gray gave to his Marines about moral, during the first gulf war. Went something like” I hear there is a moral problem, well there is no problem because I said there is no problem.” It was much more than that. That’s all I can remember. It was broadcasted on one of the network news shows. Anyone who might know would be a great help. Semper Fi

  4. Dear ACG

    I would like to know if you plan on doing anymore arctiles on the Blue Division. Also I would like to know if you could do a article Franco, and on the Spanish civil war. Also what are some good books on these three subjects, for I am really intersed in them. Other then that keep up the good work.

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