Impressions Reenactor Addresses Cadets at West Point Military Academy

lelliott19

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It's not everyday that a reenactor is invited to West Point US Military Academy. Dr. Curt Fields, who portrays General Ulysses S. Grant, was not only invited to visit, he was invited to address the Cadets of the Academy on January 11, 2019.

My friend, Don Lay, who is a talented photographer and also happens to be a reenactor, shared these pictures on Facebook yesterday. https://www.facebook.com/don.lay.10/posts/10216839231045425
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This is great, Laura, and thanks for sharing! I would also love to know what he had to say.

I see there is a plaque behind the podium with Grant's name, and I would also love to know what that plaque says.

How wonderful they are having a semester long celebration culminating in the dedication of a new Grant statue at West Point.

Thanks for alerting us to this.
 
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It's not everyday that a reenactor is invited to West Point US Military Academy. Dr. Curt Fields, who portrays General Ulysses S. Grant, was not only invited to visit, he was invited to address the Cadets of the Academy on January 11, 2019.

My friend, Don Lay, who is a talented photographer and also happens to be a reenactor, shared these pictures on Facebook yesterday. https://www.facebook.com/don.lay.10/posts/10216839231045425
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Any idea about what lessons today's West Pointer's are supposed to learn from Grant and the ACW? Modern warfare as changed quite a bit although the counterinsurgency lessons of the ACW are still very relevant to this day.
Leftyhunter
 
Check out this link for some great pics of the statue.

https://paulaslater.com/sculpture/general-ulysses-s-grant-monument/
Looks like she's done an excellent job, and thanks for sharing! I was wondering at first what Grant was holding in his right hand, but the close up shows it is a pair of gloves. I thought it was a document, and then I'd be wondering what that said! You can also literally see the veins in his hands. His face looks thoughtful , with an element of determination. Think she did a good job of capturing the 'quiet man'.

I have to admit, I kinda like Grant's untidy look. Here he looks much more like a four Star General :grant::grant::grant::grant:
 
Any idea about what lessons today's West Pointer's are supposed to learn from Grant and the ACW? Modern warfare as changed quite a bit although the counterinsurgency lessons of the ACW are still very relevant to this day.
Leftyhunter
Members of the Army War College and other military personnel are seen on the Gettysburg and Antietam battlefields.
 
Any idea about what lessons today's West Pointer's are supposed to learn from Grant and the ACW? Modern warfare as changed quite a bit although the counterinsurgency lessons of the ACW are still very relevant to this day.
Leftyhunter
Guess in how to not conduct counterinsurgency...…..From the US counterinsurgency guide "A purely enemy-centric approach might work against incipient insurgencies that are led or centrally controlled by a particularly charismatic or powerful individual. However, historical experience has shown that against mature insurgencies and complex, non-hierarchical insurgencies, population-centric approaches have a higher likelihood of success."

In other words support the civilian population rather then punishing it as they did in the CW.
 
Guess in how to not conduct counterinsurgency...…..From the US counterinsurgency guide "A purely enemy-centric approach might work against incipient insurgencies that are led or centrally controlled by a particularly charismatic or powerful individual. However, historical experience has shown that against mature insurgencies and complex, non-hierarchical insurgencies, population-centric approaches have a higher likelihood of success."

In other words support the civilian population rather then punishing it as they did in the CW.
Yet the Union Army actually won in Missouri and since the Philippines the US Army has lost every other counterinsurgency conflict so go figure. Yes the Union Army didn't conduct a perfect counterinsurgency Campaign but which army has?
Leftyhunter
 
Yet the Union Army actually won in Missouri and since the Philippines the US Army has lost every other counterinsurgency conflict so go figure. Yes the Union Army didn't conduct a perfect counterinsurgency Campaign but which army has?
Leftyhunter
They won because they won the conventional war, not because of any successful counterinsurgency, the guerrilla war here was never a classic insurgency, it was simply irregular warfare in support of the conventional war. Why they held army ranks and were either recruiters or partisan rangers to the conventional army, and would routinely go back and forth between the lines

Order no 11 and the counterinsurgency of 1863, simply resulted in the bloodiest year of guerrilla warfare in 1864, it caused an increase not a decrease.......It only diminished when in spring of 65 when it normally would resume, it was obvious the conventional war was lost.
 
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They won because they won the conventional war, not because of any successful counterinsurgency, the guerrilla war here was never a classic insurgency, it was simply irregular warfare in support of the conventional war. Why they held army ranks and were either recruiters or partisan rangers to the conventional army, and would routinely go back and forth between the lines

Order no 11 and the counterinsurgency of 1863, simply resulted in the bloodiest year of guerrilla warfare in 1864, it caused an increase not a decrease.......It only diminished when in spring of 65 when it normally would resume, it was obvious the conventional war was lost.
We should continue this conversation on another thread. My original point was there were mistakes made by the Union Army regarding counterinsurgency.
Leftyhunter
 
Curt is a really friendly guy that truly knows his stuff and works hard on an accurate impression of Grant. He travels widely and does many various presentations as both General and President Grant. Highly recommended if you get the chance to attend one of his presentations. He maintains two Facebook pages and a website for promotion...

General Grant by Himself Website

General Grant's Campaigns Facebook Page

President Grant by Himself Facebook Page

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Curt at the U.S. Grant Days event at U.S. Grant's Boyhood Home in Georgetown, OH April 2018​
 
Thank you for the links!...despite me physically portraying a Rebel spy/smuggler I respect him! BTW-His wife is gorgeous!
However I do have a side of my presentation I talk about female Union spies.:biggrin: I talk about all those brave women spies who risked a "rope necktie" :wink:
 
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