Macclan5
Posts: 1065
Joined: 3/24/2016 From: Toronto Canada Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: crsutton Lindbergh was a controversial American Hero. Elevated to rock star status after his flying feats between the wars, he was an anti-Semite, a racist a Nazi admirer and strict isolationists until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was also a serial adulterer, fathering at least 8 bastard children in Europe while married to Anne Morrow. Once the war started he threw his lot in with the Allies and worked very hard as a civilian pilot and adviser in support of the war effort. If it were my call, I would term him a great pilot who made serious contributions to aviation , but a total "dick" otherwise. Agreed . There are a number of video's on 'the interweb u tube thingy' that spell out his contributions specifically in the Solomon Islands with P38s and general combat flying techniques following Guadalcanal. I think he even participated in a combat mission against orders if I recall correctly. Lindy's personal short comings are well known and you are correct CR. He was a 'eugenics man' as well (I believe) believing in propagation of the strongest and best (of which he personally believed - he was of course) and therefore fathered children in this ongoing belief. His 1930's admiration of National Socialism (Nazi) and isolationism was not limited to Lindy; further it correctly held him back from Command positions within the US Armed services. This is why he was a civilian contractor and not a squad leader for example. Similar statements (admiration of fascism - isolationism) could be successfully argued of Joe Kennedy (father of JFK) for example. There were a number of significant 'social, political, economic leaders' that made many of the same sorts of judgments at the time. We have the benefit of hindsight to refute eugenics, racial politics, fascism, communism, etc. He may have been a dick but I would only note he was not the only high profile dick in his generation. I think of him as a complicated man with many shortcomings somewhat offset by his contributions to the war effort. Its not a simple label; whereas in today's society we tend to/seem to gravitate to simple labels.
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A People that values its privileges above it's principles will soon loose both. Dwight D Eisenhower.
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