The Late Andy Rooney - My War
I know it is not fashionable or kind to speak ill of the dead, but I'm going to, and I don't feel good about it.
Before I do, take note, although I don't feel good about Andy Rooney, and will say so, and why, he also spoke ill of the dead, and didn't hold back doing so. I'll note that in a minute.
Now, I digress. Wyatt Earp wrote a book about his life in the OK Corral episode of the 1880's with biographer Frank Waters sometime in the early 1900's. Earp was well into his 70's at the time. As we all know, memory fades, even with the famous Tombstone shootist, who upon recollection actually mis-placed the area of the famous gunfight in the wrong place. He drew maps for Waters, outlining to choreography of the shots and steps of the shooters in the incorrect places. Examination of twenty odd eye witnesses later proved a more accurate recreation of what happened.
Never mind - back to Rooney and has recreation of World War II, fifty years after the fact in his book, "MY WAR," written and printed at least a half century after he hit the beaches a couple of days after the initial assault.
Yes, at least two days after June 6th. His several references indicate 50 years later. If Wyatt Earp couldn't depict the actual gunfight accurately 30 years later, how could Rooney do so after fifty? Rooney's skepticism rants against the horror of war all through his book.
War is hell, as he often states, and that it is. No question. As General Sherman was once quoted, I want to make this so bad, the enemy never wants to do this again. He succeeded. Apparently, so did we, and Rooney rants on about the awfulness of our waging the war on German soldiers, killing them wantonly along the path of prosecuting the war.
Andy makes no bones about detesting General George Patton, and belittling his role in ending the European theatre of operations, calling him an egotistical blowhard. Rooney goes on to say he was one of the journalists who may have given him a hard time in the press while there to cover him during the conflagration.
Way to go Andy! "Patton was responsible for killing more American soldiers to further his own ego, than any other, " he said. How's THAT for speaking ILL of the dead?
Reading the various books of Rooney have brought me to one conclusion: ole Andy was not a funny guy in his years on CBS 60 minutes. He was a cranky, unfunny, pain in the rear end. Maybe he thought of himself as a self-made conscience of society, a self endowed moral governor of the country to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.
Whatever: but for me, in my opinion, I draw a negative, depressing feeling over his writing of what I see as his "contribution" to America's Greatest Generation," and not to his opinions of their efforts.
That's my opinion, but as Dennis Miller once said, " I could be wrong."
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Before I do, take note, although I don't feel good about Andy Rooney, and will say so, and why, he also spoke ill of the dead, and didn't hold back doing so. I'll note that in a minute.
Now, I digress. Wyatt Earp wrote a book about his life in the OK Corral episode of the 1880's with biographer Frank Waters sometime in the early 1900's. Earp was well into his 70's at the time. As we all know, memory fades, even with the famous Tombstone shootist, who upon recollection actually mis-placed the area of the famous gunfight in the wrong place. He drew maps for Waters, outlining to choreography of the shots and steps of the shooters in the incorrect places. Examination of twenty odd eye witnesses later proved a more accurate recreation of what happened.
Never mind - back to Rooney and has recreation of World War II, fifty years after the fact in his book, "MY WAR," written and printed at least a half century after he hit the beaches a couple of days after the initial assault.
Yes, at least two days after June 6th. His several references indicate 50 years later. If Wyatt Earp couldn't depict the actual gunfight accurately 30 years later, how could Rooney do so after fifty? Rooney's skepticism rants against the horror of war all through his book.
War is hell, as he often states, and that it is. No question. As General Sherman was once quoted, I want to make this so bad, the enemy never wants to do this again. He succeeded. Apparently, so did we, and Rooney rants on about the awfulness of our waging the war on German soldiers, killing them wantonly along the path of prosecuting the war.
Andy makes no bones about detesting General George Patton, and belittling his role in ending the European theatre of operations, calling him an egotistical blowhard. Rooney goes on to say he was one of the journalists who may have given him a hard time in the press while there to cover him during the conflagration.
Way to go Andy! "Patton was responsible for killing more American soldiers to further his own ego, than any other, " he said. How's THAT for speaking ILL of the dead?
Reading the various books of Rooney have brought me to one conclusion: ole Andy was not a funny guy in his years on CBS 60 minutes. He was a cranky, unfunny, pain in the rear end. Maybe he thought of himself as a self-made conscience of society, a self endowed moral governor of the country to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.
Whatever: but for me, in my opinion, I draw a negative, depressing feeling over his writing of what I see as his "contribution" to America's Greatest Generation," and not to his opinions of their efforts.
That's my opinion, but as Dennis Miller once said, " I could be wrong."
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