Hack

206

When hack arrived home from Korea, landing in San Francisco, there were no parades or welcomers except those in his home town. He always loved parades especially military ones because of the discipline. His unit in Italy was highly disciplined in drill. He loved the discipline and relentless repitition.

207

Between 7 and 14 he racked up several misdemeanors. He returned with honor now. He received news that his influential uncle Frank died the morning the Lugoslavians attempted to take trieste.

Hack toot it upon himself to visit Jimmie Mayamura's family who died in that last fateful attack. He expressed great emotion while with the family. However, his welcoming was harsh from Bill Smith's family. They had forgotten the blessings of their notion of the sacrifice necessary to maintain it.

210

America during the Korean war was different than World War II. It was as if no one was concerned that a war was going on. They were all basking in the post war boom period.

Trust mentor 2nd LT Steve Prosenka was in Hack's student officer's course.

212

Hack's infantry officer's course was commanded by an AirForce major who was in way over his head. Instead of being taught administrative duties they were taught combat by fresh LTs who didn't know anything. That resulted in disruptive issues along with resentfulness.

214

Benning at the time had an issue with prioritizing the eager beaver types and not those who were actually competent.

215

Hack passed Benning because of what he learned at Trust.

216

What was being taught at the school was for the wrong war. Many things didn't even apply (e.g. cobwebs to pack a wound). B.G. Guy Melroy knew about the issues Hack brought it up but the Army's beuracracy wouldn't move quickly.

B.G. Melroy offered hack an appointment to West Point though Hack was not inclined to take refuge in ivory towers. However, the example of Major General Slim Jim Gavin swayed him to go.

218

The Air Force Major ended up shaping up the unit well.

225

Hack was not happy to be assigned to the 40th National Guard Division and he complained all the way up to the Division H.Q.

Major General Joseph Cleland personally interviewed, as any great leader should, and personally talked with Hack. Cleland persuaded Hack, not through manipulation but through his persuasiveness, confidence, and charisma. He told Hack that "there are no bad outfits, only bad officers." Then proceeded to give Hack charge of a full company.

226

The General led by personal example by leading his staff in rigorous PT at the age of 70.

226/227

Things had changed in Korea. Thr 223d regiment was in a posh defensive posture where there was rampant comlacency though the facade of excellence was there. President Truman's nephew was the commander. Most leaders had less than 1 or 2 years experience.

228

LTC John C. Young didn't know what he was doing and he was Hack's 1st Battalion commander. Hack got the heavy weapons company which was good cross training.

229

Hack was presented with a significant leadership problem: his men just wanted to bide their time until they slipped out and LTC young undermined his unorthodox attempts to make his company proficient.

He got in trouble for his strenuous training schedule and, through complaints, his open-door policy. He was determined to kick their ass into shape. He got in trouble for threatening a soldier.

230

The S3, Capt Joe McDonough was the brains behind the batallion and the only one to command an infantry company in combat.

General Joe Cleland was like General Mathew Ridgeway of the 82nd Airborn in that he would often appear randomly out of nowhere to evaluate the performance and execution of his unit.

231

Hack lost his cool over a petty assignment with another officer. He was going by the book requirements but didn't align those with the pragmatism of command and necessity of playing the game. He tried to go above his bosses straight to General Cleland. His boss didn't have the guts to make a decision on who was right and who was wrong in the frakus.

Cleland chewed his ass royally for his lack of tact. Stated that he needed to learn patience, respect, and control over his temper. Sometimes it's better to be like the three monkeys: see no evil, hear no evil, etc.

Not maintaining control bites you in the ass eventually (in his CO's words impetuous, immature). However, Hack got his rifle company. His new CO, Bill Locke, ran his unit on deception and fear but he was very capable and the unit was squared away.

233

In 1776, George Washington outlawed cursing in the military.

234

Hack's Fox company, lacked experience and one of his main duties was to be chief instructor. Heck, he had a PFC in a platoon sargeant position. He gave the, "I'm your new CO talk" and then launched into intensive training.

235

The frontline position that Fox was taking over was rundown and never laid out or setup correctly in the first place.

236

Hack's Fox company was quite green and hampered by the armies' policy of integration (diversity) down to the squad level (communication problems). The relief practice was rough so Hack kept things "simple". On the day/night of, Hack, being selectively insubordinate, brought hot chow forward. Then he gave a talk in which he renamed Fox to Fighter company.

238

Hack worked it out with George company to leave a good NCO with each platoon and Master Seargent Bob Fowler (a friend of Hack's from the Wolfhounds) for a few days in addition to the machine guns which were already sighted in. They didn't ask permission--they didn't tell anyone either. The exchange was built on trust and it worked splendidly.

Fox company held the critical ground in the area, unfortunately with green troops. Hack prioritized and executed. Rebuilt bunkers, improved fortifications, and eradicated serious sanitation issues.

240

More firepower had been used in Korea than in all of WWII.

Depend on firepower when the infantry is weak
--Napolean

241

Small, decisive, kills/wins do wonders for morale when there are few, if any, casualties.

Introspection, observation and deep thinking leads to solid preparation. Analyze the battlefield and think of how the enemy would attack a position. Walk the line and teach lessons to the troops while you get to know them personally. Wargame the options.

242

Public shaming is an appropriate response for egregious acts where the shaming has the potential to correct an issue forthwith or others may learn from the example. Use the "ultimate punishment" for habitual offenders.

243

The North Koreans had advantages in that they didn't rotate their men. They had a beter knowledge of the land and better motivation.

244

Hack disagreed with Locke's reliance on fear as the method to get results.

245

When in a tough fight try to maintain only one ballgame. Hack's training and discipline paid off.

246

Indigenuous multi-national troops attached to your units are often unreliable. Put them in their own unit and hold them accountable for their results. Sometimes your own men cause the problem.

247

Don't fall asleep at your post. You'll die.

248

Beware of sleepers, lack of conscientiousness and discipline, and sloppy procedures (lack of preparation).

Use reflection to learn from mistakes.

250

Forcefully integrating different cultures together from cohesive units weakens, not strengthens them.

251

Troops sometimes just need confidence, self-esteem, respect, and a damn good leader who shares common ground.

Sometimes bend the rules by promoting, even if you don't have the authority to, by sewing stripes on.

252

Sometimes you have to go down before you come back up. Even if your potential is seen, you'll have to prove yourself. (Sgt Major John Westmoreland)

253

Crazy paperwork requirements caused credibility and trust issues with the troops.

254

Leaders must lead from the front and those who refuse must be forced.

256

Fake medals make a mockery of them. Especially when they're rigged by generals. Rigging of silver stars for generals and battalion commanders destroys morale.

257

A valor reward given to a captain or above without a purple hard is unearned.

Col Locke not taking owershiup of his bad decisions and trying to undermine the advancement of superior men who upset him.

258

It's easier to build a unit while defending since the leadership casaulties are much lower.

259

Truman's nephew wasn't much of an infantryman.

260

The real heroes were those who acted above and beyond the orders of those who had forgotten the brutality of frontline combat.

Stage a turkey shoot every once in awhile. It's good for morale, it rotates ammo, and it kicks the shit out of the enemy.

262

Sometimes, when orders are given that are not necessary or in the best welfare of yourmen, you need to lie about fulfilling them. Especially when the orders come from those not familiar with the frontline.

Develop a code of conscience of what really matters based on the needs and welfare of your men versus regulations or designs of superiors.

264

Don't micromanage your people. They either know how to run their units or they don't. Sometimes you gotta use dead people as bait.

265

When a stalemate occurs sometimes higherups take on a complacent, losing posture that encourages centralization of decision making. decentralized command. Unplug your phone and only report what you need to.

266

Cleland knew the technical and leadership particulars of being a solider. He was a soldier. Interest in the Korean war was a waning.

268

It's important to forge a relationship with your unit as a whole.

Eat with/after the men, even when it's cold. Prove to them in deed and not only in word through setting the example and caring. You must balance the mission, the men, and me.

269

Garnering the respect of a man to where he will fight to the death for you with all of his effort requires that you don't treat him as a cog in a machine and give him respect and trust.

You must see your people as human beings (empathy) and you must try to build a relationship with them. That requires taking care of them, even at your own expense (to get 100% you have to give 200%). That includes troop welfare but it also includes hard training--reasoning (vs empathy) coming into play--to keep them alive on those fateful, future days when you must ask them to give their lives. However, that being said, the mission must come first though there's lots of room to take care of your boys in that scenario.

Doing the above will let you ask anything of your men--even in an unpopular war.

270

Sometimes you have to be sneaky in order to accomplish your training objectives. Start with the basics with training. Working up from the smallest to successively larger units. Continuously make training tougher after starting out slow if your men are out of shape. This increases unit cohesion and confidence.

Personally lead some training class. Only defend long enough to reach out and clobber the enemy.

Hack lead a successful training program and got promoted to captain.

273

Generallaling and tactics come second to the capabilities of the U.S. artillery

274

While good leaders are in short supply, there's always someone ready to replace you.

275

Don't mourn while in a fight. It gets people gilted. Once over, then grieve. LTC Mansfield took an interest in developing Hack even though he still lacked tact and restraint.

276

Hack didn't believe Korea was worth fighting for.

277

An ammo order had to go through 42 departments

278

When quality is lacking, sometimes you have to fire everyone.

281

General Cleland talked with Hack about developing his future. The Cold War army would need degrees. The stuff to making him better, better than his men, was a challenge.

He didn't believe you needed a degree.

You didn't need to be some mental wizard to kick ass, take names, and run a good outfit. All you had to do was know your job and be fair and square.

Tell them Korea, class of 50'

282 - Pick a solid replacement. When with a unit there's a culture when things are going well. They copy their leader's style.

283 - Nothing is worth taking so therefore you can remain calm and call. Be almost insubordinate.

284 - Hack's unit was overrun shortly after he left and it might have been because he didn't practice decentralized command well enough.

290

Hack threatening to kill two MPs over them not believing he was an officer.

Sold insurance successfully and finished his two year degree.

292 - Missile command assignment at Ft Bliss. Bliss was 9 to 5. Complacent and sloppy.

295

Hack took over C AAA Battery and promptly put his men through rigorous training.

The Battalion CO, S3, where weak, unsure, and didn't know about leadership.

When you're a new hard ass, people look for a chink in your armor. Something you have to bide your more human side.

296 - Only hit sick call once in ten years

297 - Allow your men to make them space their space their own. It keeps them occupied and focused. His battery took first.

298

Didn't always manage up very well. Demanding, insensitive, hard-driving

Trust, standards were right even if they weren't popular in the Army.

299 - Delegate to responsible men then step out of the way (case of the missing M2 carbine). They can save a career.

300 - Standing up for his black XO

301

Weed out the troublesome and ineffective; those who ascribe to the "that's the way we've always done it" mindset. Look for the competent and those whos minds and eyes are wide open. Then you can basicaly just watch the performance.

Colonel Theisen didn't congratulate them for being the best battery. Horrible leadership skills.

302 - You don't have to like someone if they're a screwup. Do not take counsel of your fears.

303 - To manage/lead the smart ones give them responsibility. It can have a dramatic impact and transform sorry ass troops.

304 - Guerilla war flourished under the protection of the bomb.

305 - No room for training madman in the peacetime Army.