The Greatest Soldier to ever exist, EVER.

LeEnfield said:
I think that the Duke Of Wellington should be considered as he never lost a battle.

Well he never lost a significant battle anyway. He did have some rough times to start with in India but went on to great success there. Jac Weller's book Wellington In India should be read by any serious reader of the Iron Duke's fame. It was in India that he was forged.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1853673978/104-4849513-2919941?v=glance

When Wellington was asked what his greatest victory was, he said not Waterloo, but Assaye.
 
Genghis Khan would be my choice, conquering the largest land empire known to man is pretty impressive.
 
I say that any soldier who has given their life for freedom. but here are a few unlikely heroes-

(dialogue from tonight show, Johnny Carson)
Johnny said..."Lee, I'll bet a lot of people are unaware that you were a Marine in the initial landing at Iwo Jima...and that during the course of that action you earned the Navy Cross and were severely wounded."

And you know how Lee was..."Yeah, yeah...I got shot square in the ass and they gave me the Cross for securing a hot spot about halfway up Suribachi. Bad thing about getting shot up on a mountain is guys gettin' shot hauling you down. But Johnny at Iwo I served under the bravest man I ever knew...We both got the Cross the same day but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap in comparison. The dumb bastard actually stood up on Red Beach and directed his troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach. That Sgt. and I have been life long friends...When they brought me off Suribachi we passed the Sgt. and he lit a smoke and passed it to me lying on my belly on the litter..."Where'd they get you Lee?"...."Well Bob...if you make it home before me, tell Mom to sell the outhouse."..... "Johnny, I'm not lying...Sgt. Keeshan was the bravest man I ever Knew - Bob Keeshan....

You and the world know him as Captain Kangaroo."



Mr. Rogers is another of those you would least suspect of being anything but what he now portrays to our youth. But Mr. Rogers was a U.S. Navy Seal, combat proven in Vietnam with over twenty-five confirmed kills to his name. He wore a long sleeve sweater to cover the many tattoo's on his forearm and biceps. A master in small arms and hand-to-hand combat, able to disarm or kill in a heartbeat. He hid that away and won our hearts with his quiet wit and charm. America's real heroes don't flaunt what they did, they quietly go about their day to day lives, doing what they do best. They earned our respect and the freedoms that we all enjoy. Look around and see if you can find one of those heroes in your midst. Often, they are the ones you'd least suspect, but would most like to have on your side if anything ever happened.
 
Interesting story but I found this on snopes.com

Actor Lee Marvin fought in the Pacific theater during World War II, received a Purple Heart, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery: True.

Lee Marvin and Bob Keeshan, television's "Captain Kangaroo," fought together in the battle for Iwo Jima: False.

Origins: The above-quoted bit of purported dialog from the Tonight Show does have some elements of truth to it, but although actor Lee Marvin was a guest on that late-night talk show at least seven times during Carson's tenure as host, most of what is reproduced above is an outright fiction or a transcript based on someone's badly flawed memory.

Lee Marvin did enlist in the U.S. Marines, saw action as Private First Class in the Pacific during World War II, and was wounded (in the buttocks) by fire which severed his sciatic nerve. However, his injury occurred during the battle for Saipan in June 1944, not the battle for Iwo Jima, which took place several months later in February 1945. Marvin also received a Purple Heart and was indeed interred at Arlington National Cemetery (but he was not, as some versions of this piece claim, awarded a Navy Cross).

Bob Keeshan, later famous as television's "Captain Kangaroo," also enlisted in the U.S. Marines, but he did so too late to see any action during World War II. Keeshan was born on 27 June 1927 and enlisted two weeks before his 18th birthday, several months after the fighting at Iwo Jima. In a 1997 interview, Keeshan explained that he "enlisted in the U.S. Marines but saw no combat" because he signed up "just before we dropped the atom bomb."

*Just thought I'd clear that up.
 
KC72 said:
Otto Skorzeny
Audie Murphy
Richard the Lionheart
Major Sharpe
icon_rolleyes.gif

I agree
 
In my eyes it would have been

Ernest Alvia "Smokey" Smith, VC ,CM, OBC, CD 1914 – 2005

He enlisted in the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada in Vancouver on March 5, 1940, aged 25. Initially stationed in Scotland and England during the Battle of Britain he first experienced combat in the autumn of 1942, more than 20 months before the Normandy invasion. On July 10, 1943, he and his fellow Seaforth Highlanders landed with the Canadian First Infantry Division in Sicily and fought through the Sicily/Italian campaign (1943/1944), one of the longest and cruelest campaigns of WW II. By the time of the action in northern Italy that earned him the VC, Smokey had been wounded twice and earned twelve campaign medals.

His action at the Savio River was described in December 1944, by the London Gazette, a Crown publication, as follows:

"In Italy on the night of 21st -22ndOctober, 1944, a Canadian Infantry Brigade was ordered to establish a bridgehead across the Savio River. The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada were selected as the spearhead of the attack, and in weather most unfavourable to the operation, they crossed the river and captured their objective in spite of strong opposition from the enemy. Torrential rain had caused the Savio River to rise six feet in five hours and as the soft vertical banks made it impossible to bridge the river, no tanks or anti-tank guns could be taken across the raging stream to support the rifle companies. As the right forward company was consolidating its objective, it was suddenly counter-attacked by a troop of three Mark V Panther tanks supported by two self-propelled guns and about 30 German infantry. The situation appeared hopeless.

"Under heavy fire from the approaching enemy tanks, Private Smith, showing great initiative and inspiring leadership, led his Piat (Projectile Infantry Anti-Tank) group of two men across an open field to a position from which the Piat could best be employed. Leaving one man on the weapon, Private Smith crossed the road with a companion and obtained another Piat. Almost immediately, an enemy tank came down the road firing its machine guns along the line of the ditches. Private Smith's comrade was wounded. At a range of 30 feet and having to expose himself to the full view of the enemy, Private Smith fired the Piat and hit the tank, putting it out of action. Ten German infantry immediately jumped off the tank and charged him. Without hesitation, Private Smith moved out on the open road and, with his Tommy-gun at point-blank range, killed four Germans and drove the remainder back. Almost immediately another tank opened fire and more enemy infantry closed in on Smith's position. Obtaining some abandoned Tommy-gun magazines from a ditch, he steadfastly held his position, protecting his comrade and fighting the enemy and until they finally gave up and withdrew in disorder.

"Showing 'utter contempt for enemy fire', Pte. Smith managed to get his wounded friend to cover and obtained medical aid for him. Rather than fall back to the safety of the Canadian lines, he then returned to his position beside the road in case there was another enemy attack. There wasn't, and the Seaforths were able to hold the bridgehead on the Savio River, opening the way to the capture of the strategically important Po River Valley in Northern Italy."

Pte. Smith was personally awarded his Victoria Cross by King George VI at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace. Of the seventeen Canadians who were awarded the VC, Smokey was the only private to receive one. It is rumoured that Canadian military authorities, concerned for the personal security of their brand-new VC recipient en-route to London, placed him in a Rome jail cell overnight, one of many stories that Smokey would neither confirm nor deny
 
Lieutenant Arthur Roden Cutler, VC

Lieutenant Arthur Roden Cutler, VC


Date of birth: 24 May 1916
Place of birth: Manly, NSW
Date of death: 21 February 2002
Place of death: NSW




Arthur Roden Cutler, Victoria Cross winner, diplomat and later Governor of New South Wales, was born at Manly on 24 May 1916. Growing up he was a keen sportsman who enjoyed swimming, sailing, cycling and cricket. Cutler began his education at the Manly public school and gained admission to Sydney Boys High School at the age of 15. After school he worked for the Texas Company Australasia (later to become Texaco). He studied economics at Sydney University at night and later joined the public service. In March 1936, seeking extra money, he joined the Sydney University Regiment. On 10 November 1939, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the militia.


Cutler joined the AIF on 1 May 1940 and was posted to the 2/5th Field Regiment of the 7th Divisional Artillery. His unit left Australia on 20 October 1940 for the Middle East. Cutler's first experience of combat came against the Vichy French in Syria in June 1941. At Merdjayoun, Cutler proved himself to be a courageous soldier and for his actions over 18 days of fighting that culminated in his wounding and the subsequent amputation of his leg, he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He was invalided home and was invested with the Victoria Cross, while standing on crutches, by the Governor General of Australia, Lord Gowrie, on 11 June 1942.

Having been discharged, Cutler became secretary of the New South Wales branch of the RSL before being employed with the National Security Service; this was followed with a position in the Repatriation Department. After the war he was appointed as High Commissioner to New Zealand. He married Helen Morris on 28 May 1946. While in New Zealand they had two sons, Roden and Anthony.

Cutler then became ambassador to Ceylon where a third son, Richard, was born. When the Ceylon posting finished, Cutler was appointed head of Australia's legation to Egypt where he and Helen had another son, Mark. He was appointed secretary-general of the SEATO Council of Foreign Ministers, held in Canberra in January 1957.

Cutler's next diplomatic posting was as Australia's high commissioner to Pakistan. In 1961 he became Australia's Consul-General in New York, and in 1965 became ambassador to the Netherlands but returned early to take up the Governorship of New South Wales. He was then knighted by Queen Elizabeth.

Cutler retired from the governorship in 1981, during his career he had been created a Knight of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order and a Knight in the Order of Australia as well as being the recipient of many honorary degrees and holding positions on numerous boards. His wife died in November 1990 and he remarried in April 1993.

Cutler was regarded with affection by many Australians and in 2000 he was honoured as one of three Australian living Victoria Cross winners to be commemorated on a stamp and coin issue. He died in February 2002[/img]
 
Jason Bourne said:
Please post who you think is the greatest soldier ever, no matter what time they are from, or what area of the world, or what military, please post.

Note, this is only a matter of opinion
Stewie Griffin. Because he achieves world domination before his 2nd birthday.
 
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