[KLUG Advocacy] Re: [KLUG Members] (OT) Churchill

[Bruce Smith]

> >Did you know that Churchill decided he was going to watch the Normandy
> >D-day landing first hand from the deck of a British warship?  He was so
> >determined to go through with this, that Ike tried many different
> >tactics but was unable to talk Churchill out of this idea.  Churchill
> >said he would simply assign himself to the royal navy for the day and
> >there was nothing that Ike could do about it.
> >
> >After realizing that Ike wasn't going to change Churchill's mind, Ike
> >finally went to King George and ask him to speak to Churchill about
> >this.  After much time and effort, Churchill finally conceded.
> >
> >I'd never heard this story before, and found it very interesting, FWIW.
> 
> Yes, it's an interesting story. Churchill had a deep and abiding feeling for 
> the British Monarchy (I'd hate to see how conflicted he would be, based on 
> the recent shenanigans of the Royal Family), and he knew King George well.
> Both men respected each other, and were friends. The King prevailed upon
> Churchill not to go (but did not command him, as he could have done), and
> he finally concurred.

Yes, very true.  

I highly recommend the book "General Ike - A Personal Reminiscence" by
John Eisenhower.  The book has many interesting stories like above,
including a lot of "behind the scenes" stuff only a son would know.

There are a lot of stories about the most colorful character in the
book, General George Patton.  Plus Charles de Gaulle, Field Marshal
Montgomery and of course Winston Churchill, including a heart wrenching
story about Churchill's visit to the Eisenhower White House, which I
won't try to repeat here.

Again, OT, FWIW, ...   :-)

> For all of his faults, mistakes, and defects (being a rube not one of them,
> IMO), Churchill is easily my choice for "Man of The Century" (20th, that is).
> Time Magazine chose Albert Einstein, but WC was on the very short list.

I don't feel qualified to make a choice, and I'm certainly not going 
to argue with your choice.  Besides, the two men you mentioned are so
completely different, I wouldn't know _how_ to choose.

I will say that it's a shame the British people didn't appreciate WC
more post war.  Considering WC was voted out of office in the first
election following WWII...

 - BS