Friday, August 18, 2017

Trump and Pershing

So the president tweeted something to the effect that Pershing had his men dip bullets in pig blood before executing Moro prisoners.

Alert readers will recall that we have written widely on General John J. Pershing.

A bit of background is in order.

Mindanao is the mountainous southern island of the Philippines. The violently Islamic Moro tribe lived in the central highlands. When Pershing took command of the island he inherited and Islamic insurgency.

Pershing waged classic COIN. He made a show of strength against the Moros defeating them in several battles. Once he made his point he met with Moro chieftains and made it clear he didn't care what they did so long as they didn't make trouble. But when they did:

 'These Juramentado attacks were materially reduced in number by a practice the army had already adopted, one that Muhammadans held in abhorrence. The bodies were publicly buried in the same grave with a dead pig.
John J Pershing, Pg 285, on his dealings with Moros, Pershing's memoirs, My Life Before the Great War, pg 285.

So far I can't find anything on the pig blood, bullet thing.

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