🌎 Last century, 1900-1999, if you could be a gnat on the wall listening to a Presidential decision, which ones would it be?

[TerryP]

There's a lot that happened last century.

So, if we can, let's try to limit your answers to your top three, eh?

 

[TerryP]

1) Pearl Harbor.
2) FDR, Social Security.
3) still thinkin' ... speech writing before "tear down that wall."

 

[OldPlayer]

1. Truman deciding to drop the bomb
2. Nixon deciding to resign
3. Not a decision but the White House immediately after JFK assassination

 

[Krimson]

Battle of Leyte Gulf
Dropping the bomb on Hiroshima
Cuban missile crisis

 

[TerryP]

The bomb.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

1) Deliberations to abort D-day after initial reports of mass casualties.
2) Cuban Missile Crisis - Dan Fenn, the last living Kennedy staff member (he's passed now) lectured at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. It was still on their case study list. I got to hear him, and see him dressed up in Colonial garb for a Lexington & Concord reenactment during my time there.

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/boston-ma/dan-fenn-9313417

3) Decisions surrounding the Battle of Mogadishu
3a) As long as I wasn't on the wall the lamp was thrown against, the wordsmithing of "I did not have sex with that woman, Miss Lewinsky."

 

[TerryP]

1) Deliberations to abort D-day after initial reports of mass casualties.

Oh. Damn.

 

[TerryP]

@It Takes Eleven I think it's called "The Battle of Normandy." I watched it the other day on YouTube.

 

[TerryP]

 

[OldPlayer]

1) Deliberations to abort D-day after initial reports of mass casualties.

This wasn’t a Presidential decision and any potential decisions were due to lack of progress, not mass casualties. Remember that D Day involved five beachheads: Utah (US), Omaha (US), Gold (British), Juno (Canada), Sword (British) and aerial infiltration behind the German lines by parachute troops. Failure at one beach did not prevent the operation from continuing. Omaha Beach suffered the highest casualty rate but troops were able to break through and achieve their objectives. FDR was aware of the battle plan but Eisenhower was responsible for the operation. Eisenhower made all go/no go decisions.

 

[TerryP]

Eisenhower made all go/no go decisions.

...on that wall.

 

[OldPlayer]

...on that wall.

Wall?

 

[Bamabww]

All of thes are good choices. I'll never understand the planning / decision behind storming the beaches, sort of like Pickett's charge at Gettsyburg.
My three, in no particular order:
1, Do we rescue the Iranian held hostages?
2. Do we take out Bin Laden?
3. What's wrong with sending "Tin Soldiers" to Kent State?

 

[TerryP]

Wall?

Yes. The thread title, "gnat on the wall."

 

[TerryP]

1, Do we rescue the Iranian held hostages?
2. Do we take out Bin Laden?

These are two that crossed my mind; the first one earlier this morning when I decided to catch up on this thread. On the flip side to be a gnat on the wall in Iran when the election results were being announced. What were they thinking?

 

[TerryP]

. What's wrong with sending "Tin Soldiers" to Kent State?

Is there a pun here?

Tin Soldiers > Miniature Soldiers > normally made of lead.

 

[Bamabww]

Is there a pun here?

Tin Soldiers > Miniature Soldiers > normally made of lead.

A lyric from CSN&Y song Ohio written by Neil Young. "Tin Soldiers (National Guard) and Nixon comin"
Ohio

 

[TerryP]

A lyric from CSN&Y song Ohio written by Neil Young. "Tin Soldiers (National Guard) and Nixon comin"
Ohio

Even better.

 

[ElephantStomp]

1)W’s decision to invade Iraq
2) The White House’s decisions during the Lewinsky scandal and the decision to bully that poor woman
3) The decision making behind the Battle of Mogadishu and “Blackhawk down”