Importance of knowing legacy and history?

[frostfire]

Is there merit for knowing the history of your unit?

I have no dog in this fight. I am just puzzled after conversing with 3 officers, one starting the pipeline, one at the end, and one just coming back from deployment. No clue about Aaron Bank, Bull Simmons, OSS, Bob Howard, or even the where/what/why of bronze bruce and history of the beret. Don't get me wrong, I look up to all three of them in physical performance, leadership, and professionalism, they just have min knowledge (and interest) of SF history and legacy. Likewise after talking to a few enlisted in the pipeline, no knowledge or interest either. One of them supports the proponency of CA, thinking that would allow him to kick doors and let CA do the hearts and minds, by-with-through stuff. I guess after a decade+ of DA use, SF attracts DA-centric candidates

Granted this is a very small sample and I'm a SF historian wannabe nerd, but I originally thought that every SF soldiers and even students are proud and knowledgeable of SF legacy, history, and heritage

[glebo]

We're workin' on it. It was also brought up in an AAR we had with the graduating class....history is sorely needed.

Hell, ask any Ranger or Marine their history and they can stand at attention and tell it verbatim...

It may be just me, but if you want to be part of an "elite" unit...ya oughta at least pick up a frickin book...but that's just me..

[Badger52]

Originally Posted by frostfire

Granted this is a very small sample and I'm a SF historian wannabe nerd, but I originally thought that every SF soldiers and even students are proud and knowledgeable of SF legacy, history, and heritage

I wonder if there were more of that there could be less re-inventing of some things that are of proven practical value, basics. Going backward someone writes some patrolling advice and it looks like B-52 patrolling tips which oddly looks like Alamo Scouts' lessons (hard) learned, which looks like...

I think the value in the history & legacy can also be a deep lesson to some in what constitutes the realm of the possible.

[Silent Warrior24]

As a recent graduate (17 May, Class 268) I can tell you that the majority of guys I graduated with did know SF history. I find it odd that the Officers you spoke with knew nothing of SF history, since the beginning of the course now is History of SF (They must have been sleeping )
I mean, even our graduating pictures now are right by the Bull Simons statue. All throughout Bank Hall there's pictures of COL Bank, General Yarborough, COL Rowe, etc. along with lengthy captions of what those men did for our community and how they paved the way for future operators.
If they didn't know their history that doesn't mean the rest of us don't!!

[chance]

Heck I'm not even tabbed, just a lonely little support guy, but I'm even learning as much of the unit history as possible.

[Richard]

It was taught to us in SFTG and in Group - much of it by those who are now often mentioned when anyone speaks of our heritage. Perhaps living amongst those legends had an impact on us - it certainly did me.

Richard

[Red Flag 1]

While not it's main purpose, I've found articles in "The Drop" to shed light on some of the rich history. This has included Col. Bank, and folks Frostfire has rightly mentioned. I have to throw in a plug for "The Drop" here, in particular for it's new look, as well as the articles published. It sure has come a long way in the years that I have been a member.

RF 1

[mark46th]

Absolutely right, Richard. Getting assigned to the 5th grp in 1971 and then the 46th Co in 1972, it was like a who's who in SF.