In 1987, I flew in from US Army Europe to brief then Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, LTG Norman Schwartzkopf in the Pentagon. I was tasked with modeling force reductions and to give the General USAREUR's numbers. Each Army major command was to provide reduction numbers at this meeting. Each command wanted to preserve what manpower it had. I listened to the presentations and finally asked the General, "Sir, you know what each of our commands do. Please give us what you need and we'll do the job." "See me when this meeting is over", he said. I did. The man gave me a bear hug I'll never forget and said, "You're the only man here who wants to get this done without a bunch of horsetrading". That was 35 years ago. He was without doubt, one of our Army's best! May he rest in peace.
Hi, @joelleson3313, thank you for your comments. I only know Gen. Schwartzkopf by what I've read and viewed in RU-vid videos. I wish I'd known him and worked with him. You were fortunate to do so. I value you and your words to the General, and it tells us a lot of good things about you. As such, you too, just like Gen. Schwartkopf, are one of our Army's best and as well, one of society's best. I thank you for your words and your service.
I was lucky enough to be in the audience for this speech. Can't tell you the level of emotion and pride in that room that night. Inspiring words. I still get tingles listening to it 29 years later.
JOHN, THINK CARFULLY AND CAN YOU REMEMBER IF THIS SPEECH WAS GIVEN BEFORE, DURING OR AFTER THE GULF WAR. HE TALKS ABOUT PREPARATION FOR THE GULF WAR BUT MENTIONS VERY LITTLE ABOUT WINNING.
@@Frank289100 it was absolutely after the Gulf War was over. He very clearly mentions “kicking the ass of the fourth largest army in the world.” You have to remember the audience he’s speaking to. He”s speaking to cadets who will be leading American Soldiers in future wars. 9/11 was still ten years away, but Schwarzkopf knew history and knew that some day in the future these cadets would be the officers that would lead America’s sons and daughters in battle. That is why speaks so much about preparation and the future. He was a great leader.
"We did lose something in Vietnam, we lost our integrity" "we must have two things, competence and character" "When you lead in battle, you are leading people" Duty, Honor, Love of Country
@ralphey8189 Tet Offensive (1968) & the Fall of Saigon (1975) - I think Norman must have been smoking something other than cigarettes before his speech as he seems unaware that the USA and their south Vietnam prostitutes LOST the war !
Amen. Drafting people for a completely unnecessary war will never have a good outcome…. Unfortunately, the exact same scenario could break out at any moment, today.
I KNEW A GUY THAT OWNED A VIDEO STORE HERE IN NEW YORK CITY THAT WAS IN THE NATIONAL GUARD WHO WAS DEPLOYED. AT THE TIME I WAS A STEAM FITTER WORKING WITH MY PARTNER AND WE WERE OUT EATING LUNCH AND I WAS TELLING MY PARTNER HOW WE WERE GETTING MURDERED IN THE GULF WAR. I HAVE AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING DEGREE. AND I INTERCEPTED SOME SIGNALS ON THE SHORTWAVE RADIO AND DECODED THEM AND THEY WERE MILITARY SIGNALS AND WHAT I HEARD ASTOUNDED ME. THAT'S HOW I KNEW WE WERE GETTING KILLED IN THAT WAR. THAT NATIONAL GUARD HEARD ME TALKING TO MY PARTNER AND HE SAID LISTEN TO YOUR PARTNER, HE'S TELLING THE TRUTH. MY JOB WAS TO PACK OUT THE DEAD. AND MY CREW ALONE PACKED OUT 2200 BODY BAGS AND THERE WAS OTHER CREWS DOING THE SAME THING. DON'T BE A SUCKER MY GOOD MAN. IT'S ALL F****** LIES. THAT SERPENT THAT WAS ON THE TREE RUNS THE MILITARY. ITS FOLLOWERS THE GENERALS IN THE PENTAGON START NEEDLESS WARS AND MISUSE MILITARY POWER. TO SPILL INNOCENT BLOOD TO PLEASE THEIR MASTER SATAN. THAT'S WHAT THESE WARS ARE ALL ABOUT INCLUDING THE ONES TODAY IN AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ AND SYRIA. THEY ARE SATAN'S WARS AND WHEN YOUR LIMBS GET BLOWN OFF OR YOU'RE TURNED INTO A VEGETABLE THE GOVERNMENT THROWS YOU INTO THE GARBAGE CAN. AND THEN PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT HAVE TO COMPENSATE AND HELP THE VETERANS, SOMETHING THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE DOING..
@@Fastbikkel INSTEAD OF TELLING ME SOMETHING THAT A THIRD GRADER WOULD TELL ME. CHALLENGE WHAT I HAVE POSTED HERE. AND WE CAN FINISH UP OUR DISCUSSION WITH THE WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT.
@heatison11 Grow up ! The Iraqi army was without an air-force (they had all flown to Iran for safe keeping), no spy imagery, no allies, an unmotivated army - the fact that you can call that war a victory is amusing as well as sad.
Storming Norman was a great American General who knew how not to be a fairy in a shooting war and some of the sons and daughter’s of Canadians are also great General material Storming Norman
Great speech..Thank you General rest in peace.. I was one of those guys in the c-141 I was one of those guys flying in the 82nd airborne.. I was number 10 in the 10th ship formation.. and the only one to get in one day 1.. and also had the honor to fly in desert shield desert Storm.. thank you for your leadership.. Many stories untold.. Amen
I served under a few officers who were more than likely in the audience for this speech, I can say it was split down the middle between the ones listening to these wise words concerning the burden of command ...and the ones who were falling asleep in the back .
Who are you. Under a false name. Sorry for you , and for the other half of the audience, sleeping, as you say, who was not able to take the message. Bullshit
I arrived at FT Lewis in March of 1978 as young Pvt. with great aspiration of doing my BEST to be be a GOOD SOLDIER in SERVING MY COUNTRY. I was assigned to the 1st Brigade HHC 2nd Battalion 39th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, my Brigade cmnder was yours truly Colonel Norman H Schwarzkopf!! Colonel Schwartz was well liked and RESPECTED by of his men, both Officers and Enlisted. One of my colleagues who had recently been discharged from active duty asked me what unit I had been assigned to, I told him and his reply was "you have Schwartz as your Brigade cmnder, you'll LIKE him"...I did. Shortly afterwards Col. Schwartz was promoted to Brigadier General which was well DESERVED. I can say one thing about the man, HE CARED about the welfare of his men who served under him, both Officers and the Enlisted as well. Colonel/General Schwartz didn't believe in leaving ANYONE BEHIND and would not tolerate ANYONE who did!!...God Bless Gen. Schwartz, his legacy and his Family!! Duty Honor County!!...….RIP.
IMPRESSIVE...absolutely IMPRESSIVE. Great man, being humble and delivering a powerful message. Everyone today complains that there are no leaders in this country.....well put down down your Latte. Put down your blunt. Turn off your Facebook for a few minutes. Just listen. Simply listen. He is talking to you.....he is delivering a powerful message of life's experience to you.....if you just listen and understand what he is trying to pass on to you. Thank you General. RIP.
I still have a photo I framed of my dad and Norman during the Gulf War. My dad was in the Air Force doing combat communications. Picture of them standing there talking to each other. Norman was great and his men respected him.
I always wonder why some people hates America. In a free country there is always changes of leadership. You may hate the person but not the country. If there is permanent leadership then there is no more wrong but correct although wrong and there will be no heroes except the leader that will never relinqueshed the position. That is why the US produces outstanding Generals like General Norman, Patton, Mac Arthur, and all Great Generals of America.
Don't hold your breath waiting for a bunch of Politicians who are full of themselves to raise to such heights.....it well NEVER happen!! Most of them are full of BULL SHEEE-IT!!
"They sought rewards in the form of premonitions, in the form of awards and decorations, in the form of getting ahead at the expense of somebody else"....damn...that exactly the crap I put up with when I was active..
He came back my plebe year 1994 and spoke to my company A1 after lunch formation, since he commanded the company as a firstie. It was like listening to a god.
Sadly, leaders like this are currently lacking in the US military, because we allowed politicians and and “leaders” only in name who’ve never been shot at to take over.
I was drafted in September 1969 served two tours in Vietnam and left the Army because we had no leaders. It would have been a pleasure to have served with General Patton or General Schwartzkopf, those were Army leaders.
Hooah. This is the Army I signed up for, but sadly, did not receive. More leaders like this. Less leaders who wanna push the PowerPoints and touchy feely shit.
@@seanmarshall7529 You really think a man that likely could have been a 5 fing star general would have screwed up that statement? That's common knowledge. Go back to your CNN and praying to Hillary 24/7.
Boy we could certainly use a man like Norman Schwartzkopt today. This is what we need in America today. Instead we have these kiss-ass politicians who back off at every opportunity. Let's let the world know we mean business.
General S seems clairvoyant at the 20 min mark. “There’s always some son of a bitch who climbs out of the orchestra pit with a bayonet and chases you around the stage!!” Sounds a lot like Bin Laden and other 21st century balloon heads that were about to make their entrances onto the world stage.
21:46 "It took us 100 hours to kick the ass of the fourth-largest army in the world." So, 200 hours to kick the ass of Russia in 2023? Or am I being too generous?
In 1985 US taxpayers began giving a $5 billion in loans over a 4 year period to Saddam for armaments including US produced parts for his WMD. The last $1 billion gift to Saddam (after he had fauiled to make a single loan payment yet) came 6 months before the war. Americans paid for and helped train Saddam's military and then paid to destroy it under Schwarzkopf.
