From Ike to Michigan Football Expeditionary Force

Submitted by harmon40 on November 23rd, 2018 at 12:25 PM

Offensive, defensive, and special teams players of the Michigan Football Expeditionary Force!

You are about to embark on the Great Crusade, toward which you have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with your brave coaches and staff, you will bring about the destruction of the Ohio State war machine, the elimination of Buckeye tyranny over the oppressed peoples of the Big Ten conference, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 2018! Much has happened since the Buckeye triumphs of 2002-2017. Iowa and Purdue have inflicted upon the Buckeyes great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has improved dramatically, while their capacity to wage war on the ground has been significantly diminished. Coach Harbaugh and his staff have put you on even footing with OSU in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at your disposal adequate reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The Mighty Men of Michigan are marching together to Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!

Good luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

MGoBoard
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2018 Ohio State
The Game
Inspirational speech

BlueLava009

November 23rd, 2018 at 1:14 PM ^

Solid man.  The parallels are amazing and significant.  I really enjoy learning about the Great War 1.0 and the Great War that followed the Great War 1.0.  Never would have thought to put it in this context.

Joined: 07/20/2014

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East Quad

November 23rd, 2018 at 2:04 PM ^

Some people value religious principles and do not appreciate sacrilegious threads.  Also, comparing a football game to D day completely diminishes the value and sacrifice of the great men who gave their lives in that battle of WWII.    I suggest this thread be taken down as offensive.

Joined: 11/12/2017

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smotheringD

November 23rd, 2018 at 3:08 PM ^

Totally awesome post.  It does nothing to diminish the sacrifice of those brave soldiers, sailors and airmen but gives us an opportunity to remember and honor them again.

That letter from Ike is a classic in World History and your parody is entertaining and actually uplifting.

Well done.

Joined: 09/15/2010

MGoPoints: 7586

Ray

November 23rd, 2018 at 10:43 PM ^

My dad is 95 and flew 30 combat missions in 1944 and 1945.  He will be cheering for a Michigan victory tomorrow. 

He's a little old for the blog thing, but if if he read this one, I know he'd more than approve of this clever take on Ike's iconic words.  

Go blue.  

Joined: 07/05/2008

MGoPoints: 7044

I'mTheStig

November 23rd, 2018 at 8:41 PM ^

Ha, only someone would confuse morale and troop movements of the middle ages with college marching bands becoming a tradition with the first halftime show performance by Illinois hundreds of years later in 1907.

Football is not war.

As Ufer said, it's man's inhumanity to man...

...but that's about it.

I'm pretty sure that except for a handful of older students out there, nobody on the team had had the privilege of hearing a bullet break the sound barrier when it wizzes past your head.

I have.

You're a moron for continuing to try to make a point on this.

Joined: 11/02/2018

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wildbackdunesman

November 23rd, 2018 at 3:39 PM ^

Churchill said that Eisenhower was the most indispensable man for the Allies.  He was the only person that ALL of the Allied countries could agree should be the Supreme Allied Commander due to his temperament and the respect he held.

Top ranking British general Montgomery once refused an order from Ike, Ike told Churchill that he would resign if Montgomery could refuse his orders.  This led Churchill to tell Montgomery that he would be fired if it happened again and it didn't.

Joined: 07/16/2008

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b618

November 24th, 2018 at 3:13 AM ^

I like it!  Well done, Harmon!  Don't worry about people who didn't like it.  They all ignored Harbaugh's advice about chicken.  Fortunately, the cure is available:  a big steak and a glass of whole milk. :)

Joined: 07/22/2018

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