News:

We need volunteers in sales, marketing, PR, IT, and general "running of an organization." 
Maximize your Appleseed energy to make this program grow, and help fill the empty spots
on the firing line!  An hour of time spent at this level can have the impact of ten or a
hundred hours on the firing line.  Want to help? Send a PM to Monkey!

Main Menu

Japanese story

Started by thursday, July 27, 2010, 09:15:37 PM

Previous topic - Next topic
Print
Go Down Pages1
User actions

thursday

July 27, 2010, 09:15:37 PM
 I have heard the story of the emperor of Japan asking his admirals for their north American invasion stratagem  and being rebuffed by the "rifle behind every blade of grass" line.  Where can I read more about this?
if you do one good deed your reward usually is to be set to to do another and harder and better one.-C.S.Lewis

It takes a lifetime to build a good reputation, and fifteen minutes to build a bad one.-My Dad

HPT

#1
July 27, 2010, 09:30:08 PM

It may not be an accurate quote:

http://factcheck.org/2009/05/misquoting-yamamoto/

I couldn't find a substantiated reference.  It is a widely-used quote but may be folklore.


To be ignorant of what happened before you were born... is to live the life of a child for ever.
-- Marcus Tullius Cicero

Old Dog

#2
July 27, 2010, 10:12:54 PM
Most online sources attribute it to Admiral Yamamoto as the reason the Japanese did not plan an invasion of the continental United States.

I remember reading a few years back that it was made by a different Japanese Fleet Officer during a military conference after the war.

However, I've been unable to find it since that time.

In the material I read there was additional material in the quote similar to "we know most families own firearms, we know you even teach rifle marksmanship in your schools and promote rifle competitions between the school rifle teams.", etc.

At one time that was very true.
"The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles."

—Jeff Cooper, The Art of the Rifle

slim

#3
July 27, 2010, 10:40:21 PM
I have never been able to find a reputable source for this quote. I've searched quite a bit too.

I asked a buddy of mine who's in the Navy and he too, of course, had heard it but couldn't find a quote. Currently, he and his wife are attempting to find "official" naval confirmation. To date... nothing. (However, they did confirm the Navy is flying the Navy Jack on ships that're under way.)

I'll post on here if they let me know something.

Rocket Man

#4
July 28, 2010, 12:45:28 AM
Admiral Yamamoto almost certainly never said that:  http://factcheck.org/2009/05/misquoting-yamamoto/

However, he was quite familiar with the United States and it's the kind of thing he would have said...  perhaps not as poetically, of course. 

Perhaps the best example of Americans living up to that ideal is the story of Castner's Cutthroats.  There's a few books about them, such as here:  http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Warriors-Aleutian-Campaign-Rearden/dp/1575101203/ref=pd_cp_b_1
... if ever a mistaken complaisance leads them to sacrifice their privileges, or the well-meaning assertors of them, they will deserve bondage, and soon will find themselves in chains. -- Joseph Warren (anon)

George63

#5
July 28, 2010, 08:47:13 AM
japan did not have the resources to follow up the attack on pearl harbor with land troops, the thought of invading/occupying any thing other than a few alaska islands like the mainland would have been absurd

dalesp

#6
July 28, 2010, 10:10:05 AM
I'm glad to see that we are stomping this "Quote" out.  There's nothing worse than WRONG HISTORY.

My research found that this quote never existed until showing up on gun boards earlier in THIS century.

It's a cool quote - would be even cooler if it was real.

"There are three reasons to own a gun: To protect yourself and your family, to hunt dangerous and delicious animals and to keep the King of England out of your face."
                          ~ Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofski (Krusty the Clown)

Johnnyappleseed

#7
July 29, 2010, 01:20:51 PM
Is fact check another word for SNOPES?
JA
Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
Calvin Coolidge

yellowhousejake

#8
July 29, 2010, 01:30:14 PM
Quote from: dalesp on July 28, 2010, 10:10:05 AM

My research found that this quote never existed until showing up on gun boards earlier in THIS century.


I clearly remember hearing that quote as far back as 1979 from an ex coastie who loved to shoot. Not saying the quote is correct, or even real, but it is quite old.

YHJ
I have removed my email from my profile to stop the mod reports. If you need a Libertyseed scheduled you will now have to contact me on the Libertyseed forum.

YHJ

henschman

#9
July 29, 2010, 03:30:00 PM
Yeah, an invasion of the United States was never part of Japan's plan... they just wanted to knock out our Pacific Fleet so they could seize our oil-producing islands in the Pacific without much resistance.  After we embargoed them and cut off 97% of their oil to try to get them to stop their war in China, they had to choose between waving the white flag of surrender and giving into the demands of foreigners, or seizing our oil and trying to keep the war effort going.
"Of liberty I would say that, in the whole plenitude of its extent, it is unobstructed action according to our will. But rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law,' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual."
-- Thomas Jefferson to Isaac H. Tiffany, 1819

Antibubba

#10
July 29, 2010, 06:30:49 PM
Oil-producing islands in the Pacific?  I've never heard about THAT before.  Can you elaborate?
A rifle cannot win a war; it is just a tool.  Wars are fought and won in the hearts and minds of the people.

George63

#11
July 29, 2010, 10:42:10 PM
mostly around vietnam

Fred

#12
July 29, 2010, 10:43:55 PM

   The Netherlands East Indies - sheesh! :)
"Ready to eat dirt and sweat bore solvent?" - Ask me how to become an RWVA volunteer!

      "...but he that stands it now, deserves the thanks of man and woman alike..."   Paine

     "If you can read this without a silly British accent, thank a Revolutionary War veteran" - Anon.

     "We have it in our power to begin the world over again" - Thomas Paine

     What about it, do-nothings? You heard the man, jump on in...

SamD

#13
July 29, 2010, 11:05:20 PM
They don't teach history like they used to
Print
Go Up Pages1
User actions