Throughout this semester, our class has been gathering information about the modern American military conflicts, either through book review or class PowerPoints. However, what helped me gather my views of leadership the most were the five leadership analysis on House to House: An Epic Memoir of War, We were soldiers once… And Young, The Last Stand Of fox company, Company Commander and Four hours in My Lai. Each one of these books gave me the opportunity to explore an actual person in the position of leadership during their trials and tribulations examining both their positive and negative moments. How these leaders behaved in times of dire situation helped me form an outlook on what leadership is. Thus, hopefully through re exploring my former
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The book also does a great job showing the desperation of the men as they were faced with seemingly unsurmountable odds. The last stand of Fox Company was able to show a different form of leadership than what I had gathered in Company Commander I saw more of a grind it out type of leadership. In the book the leadership shown is more of the as the ability to rise to the occasion when you are needed too. In every instance that someone was needed they would be there ready to help however they could. This is somewhat different from company because if they were unable to lead when needed every man in fox company may have been killed. I read countless examples of this in the book, however my favorite one that I came across was when Lt. Peterson, while injured, attempts to give his men advice such as never leave your fox hole if they get overrun. Peterson leadership is unquestioned during this and he not only puts his men above him as he moves around injured trying to tell them what to do, but his actions also rallied the men against the approaching Chinese. The leadership I saw expressed was doing whatever means you need to, to achieve the goals that are ahead of you. The men of fox company respected there leader because he was able to lead them while …show more content…
Four Hours in My Lai focuses on the accounts on the mentally broken men of Charlie Company as they are involved in the slaughter of over 400 civilians and the subsequent investigation and trial against them. The story of the men provides very few examples of good leadership, much rather supplying examples of how to be a bad leader. Nevertheless, examining what the men in Charlie Company did wrong, you would be able to see what was missing from their leadership that led them down this destructive path. After reading I noticed that their leader lacked an important feature that all leaders should process, to do the right thing and not worry of any potential overwhelming opposition from any one including your men. However he should the exact opposite behavior than what I believe was needed. Medina after figuring out, along with his men, that there would be an investigation into what happened in the village he begins to question Bernhadt, one of the only ones who publicly opposed what they were doing and begins to harass him. Instead of taking charge and saying he would take the blame for what happened He makes sure that Bernhadt will not report what happened to a friend of his in congress. The story of Charlie company give a distinct view at leadership one not yet seen in my other readings. It
The book also does a great job showing the desperation of the men as they were faced with seemingly unsurmountable odds. The last stand of Fox Company was able to show a different form of leadership than what I had gathered in Company Commander I saw more of a grind it out type of leadership. In the book the leadership shown is more of the as the ability to rise to the occasion when you are needed too. In every instance that someone was needed they would be there ready to help however they could. This is somewhat different from company because if they were unable to lead when needed every man in fox company may have been killed. I read countless examples of this in the book, however my favorite one that I came across was when Lt. Peterson, while injured, attempts to give his men advice such as never leave your fox hole if they get overrun. Peterson leadership is unquestioned during this and he not only puts his men above him as he moves around injured trying to tell them what to do, but his actions also rallied the men against the approaching Chinese. The leadership I saw expressed was doing whatever means you need to, to achieve the goals that are ahead of you. The men of fox company respected there leader because he was able to lead them while …show more content…
Four Hours in My Lai focuses on the accounts on the mentally broken men of Charlie Company as they are involved in the slaughter of over 400 civilians and the subsequent investigation and trial against them. The story of the men provides very few examples of good leadership, much rather supplying examples of how to be a bad leader. Nevertheless, examining what the men in Charlie Company did wrong, you would be able to see what was missing from their leadership that led them down this destructive path. After reading I noticed that their leader lacked an important feature that all leaders should process, to do the right thing and not worry of any potential overwhelming opposition from any one including your men. However he should the exact opposite behavior than what I believe was needed. Medina after figuring out, along with his men, that there would be an investigation into what happened in the village he begins to question Bernhadt, one of the only ones who publicly opposed what they were doing and begins to harass him. Instead of taking charge and saying he would take the blame for what happened He makes sure that Bernhadt will not report what happened to a friend of his in congress. The story of Charlie company give a distinct view at leadership one not yet seen in my other readings. It