As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
I thought that you would find this interesting in the memoirs of General Vernon Walters who was there when NATO began, which was due entirely to the diplomatic skills of General Dwight Eisenhower. Eisenhower was summed up in the following quote.
Day after day he received groups from the media, NATO members of parliament, members of the U. S. Congress, civic and patriotic groups. When these groups were large he would give a buffet and then move around the group, trying to give them all an opportunity to talk with him. I tried to stay at his side when these were non-English-speaking groups. It was not al¬ ways easy to render accurately into other languages his humor, confidence and enthusiasm.
Eisenhower's deputy Supreme Commander was Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. In contrast to the charm of Eisenhower, this is how Monty treated visitors.
They were always treated with great respect. I could not but contrast this with the Deputy Supreme Commander’s treatment of visiting members of the British Par¬ liament. On one occasion I saw Field Marshal Montgomery lec¬ ture them like schoolchildren. When they wanted to ask ques¬ tions he would instruct them to stand up, give their name and then ask the question. One did so and when he gave his name, Monty said, “Oh yes, I remember you. You are the one who said that it would be a good thing if I kept my big mouth shut, and now you want to hear my opinion.”
If only Monty had been Supreme Commander from the start. He would have slapped the Germans, kicked the French in the nuts and pissed on the Italians for being faggots, thus NATO would have ended before it began.
More's the pity the Scotsman was not in charge.
Nuff Said
agtG
