This is an interesting thread. If I were to do it I'd pick the USMC, or Naval Aviation. Pacific Theater. A job in intelligence would have been good (beats humping your butt around in the boonies any day). Having served in the US Army in the 60's and 70's, I found the winters in Europe too cold (I'm a Texas boy). However, I found that the jungles in Vietnam could be freaky, but they did provide a certain amount of concealment. Besides, maybe if I could have been in the Pacific back then I might have been able to serve with my uncle Lynn on Okinawa, or my father in-law in his Torpedo / Bomber group. Oh well, just speculating.
I'd probably be in the Royal Artillery as a gunner, which one of my relatives was, as it's sort of safer than being in the PBI. You know, you've only got to worry about counter-battery fire, snipers, mortars, enemy (and sometimes friendly) aircraft coming and strafing you, not too much... -SC
i'd want to serve in the kriegsmarine on a battlship. or the graf zepplin. one of the amazing modern capitol ships of the time. i used to think hms nelson/rodney would have been cool until i found out they hand load the 2,000 lb shells into the ship
I'd choose to be part of the SS Totenkopf. If not them, then I'd want to be 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. Or, serve on the mighty Tirpitz!!
Armourer with 9th Air Force, loading up bombers. The best anti-tank weapon the Allies had was a bomber group on top of a marshalling yard. "Sow the winds, reap the windstorm".
I'd probably be more suited to the fallshirmjagers or the Comandos... Or a Partisan since I have part of the training Cheers...
Hindsight tends to color ones views doesn't it? It would depend what country you are in and what the needs of that country are. Most people really didn't have a choice back then.
Airborne all the way! 82nd Airborne Div. British 6th Airborne Div. in normandy Fallschirmjager I'd want to be fighting with the best of the best! In combat you rely on the guy next to you. I dont wanna be stuck with some guy whose only there cos he's been conscripted.
1st Choice 4th Commandos Under Lord Lovat, Beginning to end. 2nd Choice Armored Infantry ETO 4th AD MTO 1st AD 3rd Choice Glider Infantry 325th GIR 82nd ABN 4th Choice Rifleman 6th Marine Regt PTO 5th Choice German AntiTank Gunner on tank or towed this could also be my 2nd choice S.
Id love to have served in the 3rd rangers,,,, I served with them in todays army too LOL SUA SPONTE RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!
Afraid I'll have to be a little Flashman about the whole thing, so some nice little logistical post tucked out of the way of all that ghastly fighting, counting tins of bully beef and bickering over the correct paperwork for bayonets. Preferably near a handsome collection of lonely land girls or similar and a good pub. If there's willy waving to be done, I prefer doing it in front of the ladies...
A clandestine German sniper that has worked his way into Moscow and completes his mission by a clean head shot to Supreme Soviet Joseph Stalin and then slinks off into the unknown.
Since this is a "What If" me i would love to serve as a panzer commander in the LSSAH and i would love to be there as my panzer is one of the first panzers to enter Red Square and watch as the Nazi Party Standard is raised triumphantly above the Kremlin, in Moscow the new capital of Ost Deutschland.
In that case, I would love to be the Red Army artillery officer who happily signals the start of a spactacular fireworks display into Moscow to help you celebrate your glorious capture of the capital, while at the same time helping you conserve your much needed munitions for the parade as you are now completely cut off and surrounded with supplies and food dwindeling.
How, don't you know that we wiped out millions of you lot the several days ago with the first attack by biological and nerve gas agents, yeah we santitised you lot from the planet. Not one person was left alive throughout a 4,500 square mile area around Moscow, 6 million Soviet Troops killed and a further 2 million wounded they estimated including Stalin and his entire regime. We counted the Soviet War Materiel that came to us captured weapons 47,000 artillery peices 12,200 tanks and 14,000 aircraft, and over 20 million tonnes of supplies including 4 million tonnes of fuel, it was a great day.
I can only imagine the kind of nightmares your poor sole must suffer each time you look at my Avatar. It will get easier with time.....
Actually it doesn't give me nightmare at all, in fact it is a great photo, one of the best actually, the funny thing is that i like your avatar, keep using it please. v.R