BrigGen Nicholson: A Patton For Our Time
By Wyatt Earp | July 3, 2009
Brigadier General Larry Nicholson
As you read this post, some 4,000 United States Marines are participating in an Afghanistan surge entitled “Operation Khanjar” (Strike of the Sword). The man leading this impressive military operation is Brigadier General Larry Nicholson – a man who was severely wounded in an Iraqi rocket attack five years ago. BrigGen Nicholson addressed the Marines before their deployment yesterday, and gave a speech for the ages.
I found excerpts from his speech on NPR, of all places. It’s worth your time:
On the mission in the Helmand River valley:
Our job is to get in there and get it back [from the Taliban] … We don’t want to give the enemy one second to think about what he’s going to do. Because we’re going to be pushing so goddamn hard on the enemy. Our job is to go in there and make contact with the enemy — find the enemy, make contact with the enemy and then we’ll hold on. This is an enemy that’s used to having small-scale attacks and having the coalition pull back. There is no pullback. We will stay on him, and we will ride him until he’s either dead or surrenders.
Ooh-rah!
On putting the Taliban on the defensive:
All too often, it is us who have to think about where we’re going to go, where we’re going to attack, what we’re going to do. In this case, we’re going to be so thick in his AO [area of operation] that he’s going to have three choices: Stay and fight, which we hope he does; try to blend into the population and just pretend he’s a local, in which case the Afghan army and police can sure as hell help identify that along with local leaders; and the third thing is run. And if he tries to run, we’ve got people waiting for him.
And when his mission is done, I wouldn’t mind the good Brigadier General coming home and running for president.
On defeating the enemy:
We’ll kill and capture a hell of a lot of enemy over these next couple of weeks, I’m confident of that. And I hope the enemy does try to go chest-to-chest with you. It would be a hell of a big mistake, and I don’t think his last mistake. And I suspect we’ll see some of that.
Do you think the Marines approved of the Brigadier General’s message?
Yeah, I think so, too. I wouldn’t want to be a member of the Taliban right now. Godspeed, Marines!
Topics: The Troops | 10 Comments »
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:25 am
Finally, someone in command with a “big, hairy pair”.
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:03 pm
The men who started this country would automatically recognize General Nicholson as one of their own.
Thank you Marines.
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:52 pm
It seems like my brothers are still in good hands. Go Green Machine! After all the prep is said and done: intel, supplies, target prep they taught us there are 4 steps to winning (per the USMC)..1) Find the enemy 2) Fix the enemy 3) close with the enemy 4) Kill the enemy..That’s all folks:)
July 3rd, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Hoo-Rah for the Green killing machine!
July 3rd, 2009 at 1:27 pm
MeToo – Like David Petraeus, this man is a keeper.
Rocky – I second that!
Jon – I suspect that while this mission will not be easy, the Marines will go in there and clean these bastards out rather quickly and expertly.
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Thanks for posting that Wyatt.
July 3rd, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Spent 24 years with that fine organization. God, I miss them.
July 4th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Remember your allies! We are playing a role in this as well.
And we lost a fine leader of men recently.
July 4th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Sully – You’re welcome. Not many places did.
USMC8511 – Thank you for your service!
Alan B – I do, indeed. And I thank them for their much-needed help.
July 5th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
I am certain the members of the HopeyChange administration are cringing at these words. It is after all the American Left that shackles the military with emasculation.
God Bless Brig Gen Nicholson. He is a warrior among warriors and a far cry from the type of leader promoted by the politics of hatred for American Superiority. I doubt very much that the HopeyChanges will not hesitate to throw him under the bus.
Jason