trivia question re: lt. general matthew b. ridgway
Mon Nov 02, 2009 7:11 am
from ww 2 through the korean war why did a high ranking general like ridgway always have a grenade attached to his web belt?? was this his signature of the man like patton's ivory handled pistols were to him??
Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:06 am
Found this on that, a quote from the General himself.
he always had a hand grenade attached to one shoulder strap on his battle jacket, and a first aid kit on the other. "Some people thought I wore the grenades as a gesture of showmanship," he said years later. "This was not correct. They were purely utilitarian. Many a time in Europe and Korea, men in tight spots blasted their way out with hand grenades."
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/ridgway.htm
he always had a hand grenade attached to one shoulder strap on his battle jacket, and a first aid kit on the other. "Some people thought I wore the grenades as a gesture of showmanship," he said years later. "This was not correct. They were purely utilitarian. Many a time in Europe and Korea, men in tight spots blasted their way out with hand grenades."
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/ridgway.htm
Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:45 am
let's see a general get away with that today!!
Thu Nov 05, 2009 8:24 am
Carrying grenades or getting called "Ol' Irontits"? 
Thu Nov 05, 2009 11:24 am
both, because up to now i never heard that name applied to ridgway how did he get that title??
how did he get that title??
Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:25 pm
at least not to his face!!! Lots of mentions of it, just google, ridgway iron tits and you will get a lot of citations! Guess they "cleaned up" general history books to not offend anyone!