Submitted by George McClellan
After the successfully devastating air attacks destroying Iran’s nuclear ambitions, President Trump claimed it was an incredible and overwhelming success; the greatest sneak attack in American military history. I disagree with his point it being “The Greatest!” There are three other notable precisely executed military exceptions which also directly affected world history!
No argument, the attack on Iran was indeed a great plan professionally executed, involving deception, secrecy and perfect timing. The consecutive arrivals of unseen aircraft from Diego Garcia and the US, over the target, in conjunction with Israeli air forces, was breathtaking. The timing of arrivals was precise, connecting perfectly with air refueling components at the right places and at the right times, including US submarine launched cruise missiles all to deliver an unprecedented demonstration of supreme power on an evil that, if not stopped, could have plunged the world into a nuclear dark age. While extraordinary in its delivery and Biblical in its promise (Ezekiel: 38), what was even more surprising was the fact that there were no leaks to the media and while observers suspected something was coming, Trump’s deception left many wondering if he would attack at all. Well surprise, surprise, he did just when everybody’s was sitting down with their trousers around their ankles.
Two of the three exceptions to the President’s contention that it was the greatest sneak attack ever, I can relate to as they occurred in my life time because they thrilled the war fearing American public by their audacity. The first one did not! The first was General George Washington’s daring feat of crossing the Delaware River on a cold, stormy 26 December 1778 winters night, to capture Trenton, NJ from the British in the Revolutionary War. Yes, they were German mercenaries in Trenton drunk, celebrating on holiday rum but British soldiers nonetheless. George Washington did employ a ruse to draw off a regiment of Hessians from Trenton who were not inebriated. The Hessian Colonel Johanne Rall, was told the Americans were attacking Mount Holly, NJ. He concluded that Washington’s colonial army must have crossed the Delaware somewhere to the south and so, he led his regiment to meet the threat. Washington was then able to cross the Delaware unopposed to attack and capture Trenton, NJ from the British. I’ll bet they were surprised!
Another brilliant military achievement that occurred in my life time, was the “Doolittle Raid” on Tokyo, Japan, a mere four months after Pearl Harbor. US Army Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle secretly trained up sixteen US Army B‑25 bomber crews to take off from the deck of the Navy’s Aircraft Carrier, USS Hornet and deliver a blow to the unsuspecting Japanese in their homeland. The result was a demonstration of shock and awe to Japanese civilians not to mention the Imperial General Staff. It shook Japan to its core and while the damage inflicted was minimal, the invincibility of Japans military to protect the homeland was demonstrably not! Well, surprise, surprise!
Third, was a long range air mission based upon signals intercept analysis and precise timing, that enabled a US Army Air Corps P‑38 fighter group to precisely intercept and shoot down the two air planes carrying Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto and his staff on an inspection trip to Rubal. This attack succeeded because US Intelligence analysts, took advantage of the one weakness the Japanese invariably exercised, punctuality. Yamamoto’s loss was so devastating to Imperial Japans defense planning that no other officer was capable of duplicating it.
Trumps attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities becomes the fourth greatest but, another feather in our military’s cap! I’ve witnessed three. What can possibly be next? Ukraine still hovers as a potential WW3 danger as does China’s lust for seizing Taiwan but, they saw what Trump was willing to do, and did. Will that affect their planning? We wait and see. Clearly we can no longer take the media’s advice on how to conduct our foreign policy. Let Trump do it!
Remember, freedom is the goal, the Constitution is the way. Now, stay prepared! (24Jun25)
