I am going to read this book on Air Force General Curtis LeMay. See Instapundit link here for the Amazon review as well as a vid interview of the author.
He seems to be a important figure in American History we should know a heck of a lot more about. It does seem he comes off bad when any actor plays him in anything dealing with Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Sort of like he has the mentality of GENERAL Turgidson who is advising the President in the war room in the move Dr Strangelove
TURGIDSON
One, our hopes for recalling the 843rd bomb wing are quickly being reduced to a very low order of probability. Two, in less than fifteen minutes from now the Russkies will be making radar contact with the planes. Three, when they do, they are going to go absolutely ape, and they're gonna strike back with everything they've got. Four, if prior to this time, we have done nothing further to suppress their retaliatory capabilities, we will suffer virtual annihilation. Now, five, if on the other hand, we were to immediately launch an all out and coordinated attack on all their airfields and missile bases we'd stand a damn good chance of catching 'em with their pants down. Hell, we got a five to one missile superiority as it is. We could easily assign three missiles to every target, and still have a very effective reserve force for any other contingency. Now, six, an unofficial study which we undertook of this eventuality, indicated that we would destroy ninety percent of their nuclear capabilities. We would therefore prevail, and suffer only modest and acceptable civilian casualties from their remaining force which would be badly damaged and uncoordinated.
MUFFLEY
General, it is the avowed policy of our country never to strike first with nuclear weapons.
TURGIDSON
Well, Mr. President, I would say that General Ripper has already invalidated that policy. (laughs)
MUFFLEY
That was not an act of national policy and there are still alternatives left open to us.
TURGIDSON
Mr. President, we are rapidly approaching a moment of truth both for ourselves as human beings and for the life of our nation. Now, the truth is not always a pleasant thing, but it is necessary now make a choice, to choose between two admittedly regrettable, but nevertheless, distinguishable post-war environments: one where you got twenty million people killed, and the other where you got a hundred and fifty million people killed.
MUFFLEY
You're talking about mass murder, General, not war.
TURGIDSON
Mr. President, I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed. But I do say... no more than ten to twenty million killed, tops. Uh... depended on the breaks.
MUFFLEY
I will not go down in history as the greatest mass murderer since Adolph Hitler!
TURGIDSON
Perhaps it might be better, Mr. President, if you were more concerned with the American people, than with your image in the history books.
MUFFLEY
General Turgidson, I think I've heard quite sufficient from you, thank you very much!
But I suspect he was a tad more complex than that. Looks like a good book.
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