Just for fun......The Ultimate Soldier

[Biggus Dickus]

it's been a while since we had one of these............
I have just been thinking about the ultimate soldier...who would be in the top 10...obviously all soldiers are brave and by joining up are willing to sacrifice their lives for their respective people and country,...but for me there are a few that stand head and shoulders above the rest.......Special forces come to mind....but for me the ultimate Soldier of all time has to be............

1. The Spartans, a warrior race.....bred to be Soldiers...I don't think it gets much harder than that....or does it???

What would get your Vote?

[carvel2]

Lt. Terence Edward Waters (463718)(deceased), The West Yorkshire Regt (Prince of Wale's Own) attached The Gloucestershire Rgt.
G.C.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Waters_(GC)
Nobility, service, compassion. Not ashamed to say it makes me shed a tear every time I read it.

[Invisible officer]

The Samurai should get a very high ranking in the Top 10.

And the British. Loosing the starting battles, but rarely beaten in the long run.

[Big Al]

Shaka's Zulus! If they showed fear or flinched while running bearfoot across a field of thorns (and believe me, the thorns are seriously big) then their running mate would bludgeon them to death with his Knobkerrie! If he didn't do it, then he was killed in the same way. What better incentive do you need?

Mind you, the Spartans trained without the women, didn't they?

[Cubster]

Ghengis' Mongols, but only if hosses are allowed.

[mikeland]

Hmmm... Great thread BD and an interesting one. I like all the suggestions so far... and if you are looking for the noble warrior then these are all hard to beat, though perhaps the legions of Rome at various points could be real contenders....

But if you are talking about best soldiers ever, morality aside I would probably go for the Waffen SS. I admit i have been reading up on them so they are fresh in my mind. Okay I know they were not all crack troops but nany were, they were dedicated, highly trained, motivated and exceptional fighters. They often fought to the last man with units being totally  wiped out, and in appalling conditions. There were soldiers that were barely out of the line, barely out of combat, for years at a time without cracking or giving up. Fanatics, yes, but also stunning soldiers. 

Sadly their reputation is tarnished with the twisted political system they followed and the many war crimes they committed.

[Biggus Dickus]

Hmmm... Great thread BD and an interesting one. I like all the suggestions so far... and if you are looking for the noble warrior then these are all hard to beat, though perhaps the legions of Rome at various points could be real contenders....

But if you are talking about best soldiers ever, morality aside I would probably go for the Waffen SS. I admit i have been reading up on them so they are fresh in my mind. Okay I know they were not all crack troops but nany were, they were dedicated, highly trained, motivated and exceptional fighters. They often fought to the last man with units being totally  wiped out, and in appalling conditions. There were soldiers that were barely out of the line, barely out of combat, for years at a time without cracking or giving up. Fanatics, yes, but also stunning soldiers. 

Sadly their reputation is tarnished with the twisted political system they followed and the many war crimes they committed.

Mike i have to say...I nearly said the Waffen S.S...the first 12 Divisions for sure........of modern soldiers likely without equal....for me it isn't about winning it is about not giving up....and they rarely did.
They would be first for me but for the Spartans......300 with their King, and a couple of thousand other Greeks standing against an army of at least 120,000, although it was said to be a million by others....though quite how they fed that many is another matter!!!
The Spartans had no hope, but it is believed they killed 20,000 of the Persians before they were over run.

On the eastern front the SS, no doubt were in a similar situation at times.....if common sense and diplomacy has broken down and you are in a situation where live rounds are being used you'd want troops like the S.S.....war crimes aside......and all troops commit those...(only the losers get prosecuted) the SS are certainly up there.

[stampedingviking]

Arnie

[Big Al]

I would have said Grossdeutschland before the SS. For the SS, I would have named Das Reich.

But what about our chaps at Agincourt, or rather, Azincourt? I mean, they took out the cream of France while vastly outnumbered and shouldn't have stood a chance!

[Correus]

Lt. Terence Edward Waters (463718)(deceased), The West Yorkshire Regt (Prince of Wale's Own) attached The Gloucestershire Rgt.
G.C.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Waters_(GC)
Nobility, service, compassion. Not ashamed to say it makes me shed a tear every time I read it.

Why the number after the name?