War and the rules of war

Originally Posted by Summonmaster

Oh despite war being horrible and all that, I'm surprised it holds some humane rules, even though they're not written or anything. Maybe only a few countries really bother to do such things.
I'm interested in whether sides in a war actually have a parley before fighting or not.

They are written. Set by the Geneva Convention in the latter 19th century.

There were a number of Geneva Conventions that took place later on, then Protocol Additions to those. Each convention went along a certain point/guideline. The first one was taken up around the 1860s was for treatment of sick & wounded.

Also, rules weren't thrown to the wind in Vietnam (at least on our part, in my opinion). It was far too restricted if anything. It's hard to fight a war when you have too many rules.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

If you're a conscientious objector, if they are in dire need of manpower, you're essentially given a few choices. One of which is to be a medic, as medics typically just hade a sidearm. Or, as a few folks did in WWII, you could become a Chaplain. In the situation at least in Europe, most Germans wouldn't dare open fire on a man of the cloth on the battlefield. So, why arm him, essentially? Never heard of them having bodyguards, but it doesn't surprise me to be honest. A Chaplain in particular won a medal of honor in WWII, to boot =O

Quote:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Chaplain on board the U.S.S. Franklin when that vessel was fiercely attacked by enemy Japanese aircraft during offensive operations near Kobe, Japan, on 19 March 1945. A valiant and forceful leader, calmly braving the perilous barriers of flame and twisted metal to aid his men and his ship, Lieutenant Commander O'Callahan groped his way through smoke-filled corridors to the open flight deck and into the midst of violently exploding bombs, shells, rockets and other armament. With the ship rocked by incessant explosions, with debris and fragments raining down and fires raging in ever increasing fury, he ministered to the wounded and dying, comforting and encouraging men of all faiths; he organized and led fire-fighting crews into the blazing inferno on the flight deck; he directed the jettisoning of live ammunition and the flooding of the magazine; he manned a hose to cool hot, armed bombs rolling dangerously on the listing deck, continuing his efforts despite searing, suffocating smoke which forced men to fall back gasping and imperiled others who replaced them. Serving with courage, fortitude and deep spiritual strength, Lieutenant Commander O'Callahan inspired the gallant officers and men of the Franklin to fight heroically and with profound faith in the face of almost certain death and to return their stricken ship to port."

How ya doing, buddy?