Talk:Richard B. Anderson

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[edit] WP:MILHIST Assessment

A very nice start, and you've even included a picture and Medal citation. But I'm wondering about the use of the phrase "sacrificed his life during World War II." Isn't that just a bit POV? I mean, would you have written it that way if it were a Japanese soldier? I am American, and a historian, and I fully understand and respect the feeling we all have about this era of our history - an age of glory and honor and heroism and all that... I'm not sure it's 100% inappropriate to use this phrase, but we should think about it. LordAmeth 10:03, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Seems appropriate to me. It was a sacrifice in that it was a voluntary act on his part that lead directly to his death. It would be POV if we were talking about people who died at the hands of the "enemy" (regardless of which side they were on) I agree... but it's quite appropriate IMO to use in this instance. --Dante Alighieri | Talk 22:52, 1 May 2007 (UTC)

I cannot believe some people. There is no Point of View involved here. Richard Anderson was a young marine serving as a mortar man on Kwajalein Atoll on February 1, 1944. He was in this shell crater with infantry guys taking a forward position to observe enemy positions so he could return and direct mortar fire. He had an allocation of grenades that came packed like tennis balls in cannisters. He intended to pass out his grenades to the infantry guys because he would probably not need them. When one of these grenades came out of the cannister it was hissing. The pin had rusted, and the thing was "hot." Anderson pitched it out of the hole. It rolled back in. Time was short there is only three seconds from when the saftey comes out until she blows and most of that time was elapsed. Anderson jumped on the grenade to save his comrades in arms. The thing exploded and Anderson was dead. Dead means without life. Since no one pushed Anderson on the grenade, and He jumped on the grenade on his own volition therefore one with any intelligence should conclude that He not anyone in the hole with him gave his life because after the grenade went off he was dead. Therefore the logical conclusion of simple language, deductive and reasoning is that He gave his life, or since he no longer has it, sacrificed his life. Now with these circumstances and a logical conclusion from what happened here, what relevance is the nationality of the person that does something like this. This is an act of heroism and anyone who engages in sacrificing his life for his comrades in arms, whether they be Japanese, Chinese, Burmese, Siamese, or any other military has "sacrificed his life" for his or her country. No struggle here with words, or differentiating between peoples of the earth. Sacrificing of ones life is an international virtue, like breathing, living and dying. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.97.75.162 (talk) 15:49, 29 February 2008 (UTC)