GEN.GORDON R. SULLIVAN, USA RET. President, AUSA Letters LT.GEN.THEODORE G. STROUP JR., USA RET. Vice President, Education, AUSA Gen. William E. DePuy couple of issues raised by the review. MARY BLAKE FRENCH Editor in Chief I I enjoyed Col. Henry G. Gole’s arti- The review criticizes my “highly bi- LARRY MOFFI Managing Editor cle in the March issue (“The Relevance ased” analysis of casualty rates and PAUL W. BARTELS Art Director of Gen. William E. DePuy”). Gen. De- says, for example, that “Grant actually DENNIS STEELE Senior Staff Writer Puy’s writings were always interesting. incurred a far higher casualty rate than TONI EUGENE Associate Editor JOSEPH L. BRODERICK Production Artist The picture of the February 1986 Lee” in their direct confrontations. My FRAN WRIGHT Assistant Editor ARMY Magazine cover reminded me book reveals that in the 1864 Overland TENLEY WADSWORTH Assistant Editor that my piece in that issue, “Quang Tri Campaign, Lee suffered 50 percent ca- SAMUEL M. BAKER Editorial Assistant Lady,” sealed a job interview, starting sualties to Grant’s 45 percent; during Contributing Editors my career in public information for the war, 20 percent of Lee’s men were GEN.FREDERICK J. KROESEN, USA RET.; the state of Connecticut. (Republica- killed or wounded to Grant’s 15 per- MAJ.GEN.EDWARD B. ATKESON, USA RET.; tion in Front and Center: Heroes, War cent; and Lee’s total casualties were AND SCOTT R. GOURLEY Stories & Army Life helped land a man- 209,000 to Grant’s 154,000. LT.GEN.THOMAS G. RHAME, USA RET. agement promotion.) The review refers to my “highly de- Vice President, Finance and Apparently Gen. DePuy and I had batable premise that the Union … had Administration, AUSA at least two things in common—U.S. the burden of winning the war.” Sim- Army service and publication in ARMY. ply put, as the book states, the South JAMES E. BURKE Advertising Manager MIKE BERINGER had declared its independence, the KAREN L. HERRELL Advertising Production Manager Orange, Conn. North had to destroy that indepen- dence, and a stalemate would have NORMAN CAMPBELL Fulfillment Director ‘Leading Our Wounded Warriors’ been a victory for the South. VALERIE HOLMAN Fulfillment Manager I I was distressed to read Capt. The review also criticizes my ARMY is a professional journal devoted to the advancement Dave Rozelle’s comment that “by “strange logic” in blaming Lee for Gen. of the military arts and sciences and representing the in- terests of the U.S. Army. Copyright©2008, by the Association God, even if you’re engaged in a fire- John Bell Hood’s destruction of the of the United States Army. I ARTICLES appearing in fight, when one of your soldiers is in- Army of Tennessee. The reason for that ARMY do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the officers or members of the Council of Trustees of AUSA, or its edi- jured, you need to bust your ass to get blame is that, when consulted by Jeffer- tors. Articles are expressions of personal opinion and should not be interpreted as reflecting the official opinion of to the field hospital to see him or her, son Davis, Lee failed to stop the suici- the Department of Defense nor of any branch, command, even if it means turning the battle dally aggressive Hood’s disastrous ap- installation or agency of the Department of Defense. The magazine assumes no responsibility for any unsolicited over to your XO [executive officer]” pointment to command that army. material. I ADVERTISING. Neither ARMY, nor its pub- (“CompanyCommand,” February). All of these and many other Civil lisher, the Association of the United States Army, makes any representations, warranties or endorsements as to the As an 11B10 of many years past, I War issues are quite debatable—which truth and accuracy of the advertisements appearing herein, and no such representations, warranties or endorsements find this thinking totally unaccept- makes study of that war so fascinating. should be implied or inferred from the appearance of the able—bordering on dereliction of EDWARD H. BONEKEMPER III advertisements in the publication. The advertisers are solely responsible for the contents of such advertisements. duty. The commanding officer’s job is Willow Street, Pa. I RATES. Individual memberships and subscriptions payable in advance (one year/three year): $20/$60 for E1-E4, to lead his men in battle. The medics cadets/OCS and GS1-GS4; $25/$68 for E5-E7, GS5-GS6; in the rear are ably trained to take care The Reviewer Responds: $30/$82 for E8-E9, O1-O3, W1-W3, GS7-GS11 and veterans; $33/$90 for O4-O6, W4-W5, GS12-GS15 and civilians; of all his wounded troops’ needs. In the words of Adm. H.G. Rickover, $38/$103 for O7-O10, SES and ES; life membership, gradu- As then-Lt. Col. Hal Moore told his “A book reviewer occupies a position ated rates to $525 based on age; $16.50 ($13 for E1-E4, cadets, GS1-GS4) a year of all dues are allocated for a subscription to men before the battle at Ia Drang, “I of special responsibility and trust. He ARMY Magazine; single copies, $3.00. Additional postage to all foreign countries, $9 per year. For other rates, write Ful- shall be the first on the battlefield and is to summarize, set in context, de- fillment Manager, Box 101560, Arlington, VA 22210-0860. the last to leave.” Other than being se- scribe strengths and point out weak- ADVERTISING. Information and rates available verely or mortally wounded, there is nesses. As a surrogate for us all, he as- from the Advertising Production Manager or our ad- no reason for the commanding officer sumes a heavy obligation which it is vertising representatives, who are: James E. Burke and Irene to leave the field. his duty to discharge with reason and Lamar, 230 Park Ave., Suite 646, TOM DE LA VERGNE New York, NY 10169. (212) 697- 2844. FAX (212) 682-1421. Springfield, Pa. This Month’s Cover E-mail: [email protected]. PFC Mike Skirkanion, 1st Battal- ARMY (ISSN 0004-2455), published monthly. Vol. 58, No. 5. Grant and Lee ion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Subscription $33 a year. Publication offices: Association of I the United States Army, 2425 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA I appreciate the excellent, bal- Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 22201-3326, (703) 841-4300, FAX: (703) 841-3505, e-mail: anced review of my book, Grant and 25th Infantry Division, provides [email protected]. Visit AUSA’s web page on the Internet Lee: Victorious American and Vanquished at www.ausa.org. Periodicals postage paid at Arlington, Va., security in Iraq. (DoD photo by Tech. and at additional mailing office. Virginian, which appeared in the April POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ARMY Magazine, Sgt. William Greer, U.S. Air Force) Box 101560, Arlington, VA 22210-0860. issue. I would simply like to clarify a May 2008 I ARMY 3 consistency.” I am pleased that author was an equally daunting task to that Lee immediately reinstated to that po- Edward H. Bonekemper III feels my imposed on the American President. sition when Davis appointed Lee as recent review of Grant and Lee: Victori- Finally, had Lee possessed a crystal general in chief of the Confederate ous American and Vanquished Virginian ball before Atlanta and Nashville that army in February 1865. was fairly balanced. would have foreseen Gen. John Bell These observations aside, Bonekem- With respect to the specific areas of Hood’s destruction of the Confederate per has written an excellent book that concern raised by the author, I feel Army of Tennessee, I’m sure Lee will surely generate a great deal of con- that any discussion of the relative ca- would have strongly opposed Hood’s troversy and possibly lead to a scholarly sualty rates between Grant and Lee appointment. Lee’s choice of comman- reevaluation of both Grant and Lee. during the 1864 Overland Campaign der for the Army of Tennessee was al- COL. COLE C. KINGSEED, USA RET. ought to include a statement that ca- ways Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, whom New Windsor, N.Y. sualty rates often do not tell the entire story. It is hardly surprising that a ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE ARMY Green Book 4 Northrop Grumman Corp. 33, 69 force as numerically inferior as Lee’s AUSA Annual Meeting 42 Oregon Aero, Inc. 22 Army of Northern Virginia would in- AUSA Membership 81 Raytheon 77 BAE Systems Cover III Rockwell Collins 35 cur a greater percentage of casualties. Bell Helicopter Textron 49 Schott North America Inc. 53 Bobcat Co. 51 Because the force directed by Grant Strayer University 21 Boeing Co. 11, 31, 67 was significantly larger than Lee’s, Caterpillar 75 SymbolArts 26 Grant’s casualty rate, as a percentage Civilian Marksmanship Program 23 Tactical Tailor Inc. 20 Concurrent Technology 19 Textron Marine & Land Systems 15 of his army, was indeed lower, despite DRS Technologies 2 The Ranger Group LLC Cover II the fact that Grant’s numerical casual- FNH USA Inc. 7 USAA 61 Gerber Legendary Blades 5 Warn Industries 63 ties were significantly greater than Gyrocam Systems, LLC 17 Lee’s during said campaign. Hardigg Industries 9 ADVERTISING. Information and rates available from Harris Corp. Cover IV the Advertising Production Manager or our advertising With respect to the burden of win- ITT Corp. 59 representatives: James E. Burke and Irene Lamar, ning the war, one can legitimately ar- KBR 13 230 Park Ave., Suite 646, New gue that President Jefferson Davis’ Lockheed Martin 57 York, NY 10169. (212) 697-2844. Mastercraft Seats 27 FAX (212) 682-1421.