An axiom of British military history is that “the battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton” — referring to the development of superior character by young men playing such games as cricket in boarding schools.
The claim can be reframed to assert that American military triumphs in World War II were won in obscure pastures in Louisiana, Alabama and other states in 1940—1941. The medium was field maneuvers that transformed a rag-tag assortment of officers and foot soldiers into a powerful military machine.
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