--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In July, 1950, one news commentator…" description: "\"“In July, 1950, one news commentator rather plaintively remarked that warfare had not changed so much, after all. For some reason, ground troops still ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/t-r-fehrenbach-2-28136_atom-bomb_in-july-1950-one-news-commentator-rather_997335.jpg" --- # In July, 1950, one news commentator rather plaintively… ![“In July, 1950, one news commentator rather plaintively remarked that warfare had not changed so much, after all. For some reason, ground troops still seemed to be necessary, in spite of the atom bomb. And oddly and unfortunately, to this gentleman, man still seemed to be an important ingredient in…” quote by T.R. Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/t-r-fehrenbach-2-28136_atom-bomb_in-july-1950-one-news-commentator-rather_997335.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/t-r-fehrenbach-2-28136_atom-bomb_in-july-1950-one-news-commentator-rather_997335.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/t-r-fehrenbach-2-28136_atom-bomb_in-july-1950-one-news-commentator-rather_997335.jpg) > ““In July, 1950, one news commentator rather plaintively remarked that warfare had not changed so much, after all. For some reason, ground troops still seemed to be necessary, in spite of the atom bomb. And oddly and unfortunately, to this gentleman, man still seemed to be an important ingredient in battle. Troops were still getting killed, in pain and fury and dust and filth. What happened to the widely-heralded pushbutton warfare where skilled, immaculate technicians who never suffered the misery and ignominy of basic training blew each other to kingdom come like gentlemen? In this unconsciously plaintive cry lies the buried a great deal of the truth why the United States was almost defeated. Nothing had happened to pushbutton warfare; its emergence was at hand. Horrible weapons that could destroy every city on Earth were at hand—at too many hands. But, pushbutton warfare meant Armageddon, and Armageddon, hopefully, will never be an end of national policy. Americans in 1950 rediscovered something that since Hiroshima they had forgotten: you may fly over a land forever; you may bomb it, atomize it, pulverize it and wipe it clean of life—but if you desire to defend it, protect it and keep it for civilization, you must do this on the ground, the way the Roman legions did, by putting your young men in the mud. ”” [T.R. Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Technological weapons cannot replace the necessity of ground forces for defending and preserving civilization. **In simple terms:** Bombs alone can't protect a nation; people on the ground are essential. Key Takeaway Balance high‑tech warfare with committed ground troops. Themes war technology human cost defense strategy Mood cautious analytical historical Type strategic historical analytical When to use this quote - national security planning - military training - policy making - civilian defense - historical analysis Key Concepts military doctrine human agency ethical warfare Questions to Reflect On - Can a nation defend itself without soldiers? - What are the moral limits of remote warfare? A Different Perspective Overreliance on technology may erode morale and effectiveness of troops. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atom bomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atom-bomb/) [Basic training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basic-training/) [Pushbutton Warfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pushbutton-warfare-2081037/) [Remarked Warfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remarked-warfare-2081039/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Warfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warfare/) [Warfare Changed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warfare-changed-1393198/) [Warfare Meant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warfare-meant-2081038/) [Young men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-men/) ## Related quotes > [Warfare has changed so dramatically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sestak/warfare-has-changed-so-dramatically/) [Joe Sestak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sestak/) > [“Back in NCO school, I had to read a ton of papers by mostly clueless theoreticians, prattling on about the “changing nature of modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marko-kloos/back-in-nco-school-i-had-to-read-a-ton-of-papers-by-mostly-clueless/) [Marko Kloos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marko-kloos/) > [“In truth, warfare has changed very little since our great-great-grandfathers killed each other at places like Gettysburg, the Somme, Normandy, or Baghdad. It’s still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marko-kloos/in-truth-warfare-has-changed-very-little-since-our-great-great/) [Marko Kloos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marko-kloos/) > [Basic training was hard, but I made it - because I wanted to be the best me. Sometimes you have to learn that being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ant-middleton/basic-training-was-hard-but-i-made-it-because-i-wanted-to-be-the-best/) [Ant Middleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ant-middleton/) > [To serve in the modern military - or to be the uncle, parent or sibling of one who does - is to treat the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/to-serve-in-the-modern-military-or-to-be-the-uncle-parent-or-sibling/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [I didn't mind basic training. 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And these are things that can be corrected with just basic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-kihn/every-year-thousands-of-dogs-are-abandoned-to-shelters-because-of/) [Martin Kihn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-kihn/) > [“I just wrote as much as I could for several pages. Every night I wrote her novels and every morning I mailed them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-galloway/i-just-wrote-as-much-as-i-could-for-several-pages-every-night-i-wrote/) [Noah Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-galloway/) ## More by T.R. Fehrenbach > [“Neither the Russians nor the Americans were the cleverest people, or the most experienced, in the world that followed 1945. The French were rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-fehrenbach-2/neither-the-russians-nor-the-americans-were-the-cleverest-people-or/) [T.R. Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach-2/) > [“None of them were equipped, trained, or mentally prepared for combat. 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Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach-2/) > [“In Nevada, at Frenchman’s Flat, a bright flash and ugly mushroom cloud had signified a gigantic change in the tactical battlefield—a change that had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-fehrenbach-2/in-nevada-at-frenchman-s-flat-a-bright-flash-and-ugly-mushroom-cloud/) [T.R. Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach-2/) [Explore all 19 T.R. Fehrenbach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach-2/) ## More Atom bomb quotes > [Being in service and being involved in something that is greater than you is what makes a person complete and whole. 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When you love you would like to create - you may like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/fear-kills-want-to-kill-fear-is-destructive-love-is-creative-energy/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [If we had the atom bomb, we would have used it against the British.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/if-we-had-the-atom-bomb-we-would-have-used-it-against-the-british/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Teach us all to do right, Lord, please, and to get along together with that atom bomb on this earth because I do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langston-hughes/teach-us-all-to-do-right-lord-please-and-to-get-along-together-with/) [Langston Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langston-hughes/) > [Going to work just looked crazy. 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Troops were still getting killed, in pain and fury and dust and filth. What happened to the widely-heralded pushbutton warfare where skilled, immaculate technicians who never suffered the misery and ignominy of basic training blew each other to kingdom come like gentlemen? In this unconsciously plaintive cry lies the buried a great deal of the truth why the United States was almost defeated. Nothing had happened to pushbutton warfare; its emergence was at hand. Horrible weapons that could destroy every city on Earth were at hand—at too many hands. But, pushbutton warfare meant Armageddon, and Armageddon, hopefully, will never be an end of national policy. Americans in 1950 rediscovered something that since Hiroshima they had forgotten: you may fly over a land forever; you may bomb it, atomize it, pulverize it and wipe it clean of life—but if you desire to defend it, protect it and keep it for civilization, you must do this on the ground, the way the Roman legions did, by putting your young men in the mud. ”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "T.R. 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