Of all the great warriors produced throughout American history, who would you choose to lead our forces now?

Question

Being a Carolina boy, I would have to go with The Swamp Fox!
Who was He?

My choice of a guerilla fighter is held in the belief that the days of army against army are gone. Fast moving outfits that can strike quickly and press the enemy into panic (N.B. Forrest) would be most efective and very reasonably priced. Made it to E5, A couple of times!

Answer 1

Geronimo. Any man who can outwit the armies of two nations at the
same time with just a handful of warriors deserves a lot of respect, surely?

Answer 2

i know this isn't going to be a popular answer but if i had to choose a guerrilla fighter to lead my troops it would be osama ben laden.look what he has done to our country while he sits in a cave.
another leader would be senior general vo nguyen giap.he was a general in the Vietnam war for the north.he was an articulate planner and a motivator.he lead the communist against the french at dien bien phu in 1951 and he was also instrumental in the planning of the tet offensive in 1968.even though the north "lost" every major battle he forced our country to pour more troops into the conflict only to have them tied up in the hunt for "charlie".in my view this is exactly what a guerrilla is supposed to do.force the enemy to expend more troops and supplies needed to find an elusive enemy.
for a straight up army -vs- army war it would gen Mathew B Ridgway.he was the father of the 82'nd airborne.in 1951 he became head of the far east command after the firing of gen MacArthur.in 1952 he replaced Dwight Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander Europe under NATO. In 1953, Ridgway became Army Chief of Staff.
besides he's a relative

Answer 3

Of American history, I would probably choose Robert E. Lee or Patton. Patton had the advantage of superior numbers and technology and really only suffered from a lack of gas (which he corrected later by being in the right place and the right time when Hitler made a comback at the Battle of the Bulge) where as Robert E. Lee did his fighting severely outnumbered and with marked supply shortages. Robert E. Lee is tactically superior and I would choose him.

Answer 4

Francis Marion was the Swamp Fox,

I suppose your basing your opinion on Marion as a current leader because he was one of the earliest military leaders to use guerrilla tactics during the American Revolution. This has merit, but I believe we need someone with much more flexibility and a greater ability as a manager considering the size and logistical needs of today's military, than Marion. I would hazard to say that Douglas MacArthur had the skills to manage the military in the current operational environment. (Patton was good, but a little too aggressive for the current battlefield).

AND WHO WANTS A GENERAL NAMED FRANCIS???

Answer 5

George Patton

Answer 6

Honestly, I love Robert E. Lee. And I'm not even a good old Southern girl! And I've always been partial to Douglas MacArthur. Although Patton's not a bad choice either...

Answer 7

Anyone of a dozen great leaders of the Apache Nation. What they achieved with the limited weaponry they had, combined with their cunning, daring, skill and their inherent ability to run miles and miles and fight a battle whenever has never been excelled! Not forgetting many other traits that were second nature to them

Patton would get his *** shot off in seconds. He was never a guerrilla fighter, would never have made one, You've got to appreciate not only who your fighting - but what your fighting!

Answer 8

patton

you mean francis marion? a smart guerilla warrior but not what we need now.

P.S. while reading through some of the other responses it just occured to me how funny it is that we are all sitting here choosing who would have the necessary skills to lead our forces......as if any of us are remotely qualified to know what those are lol. not to take away from anyone elses experience but as for myself in my extensive career of 4 years as a marine i shot up through the ranks to the lofty position of E4. much has to do with what we've read and heard....and seen in movies.

Answer 9

I would choose General Patton in a heart beat.

Answer 10

Patton!