Proposal: Notables Category update

Question

I am proposing that category's such as (for example British Army Generals) get raised to being a subcategory of (in this case British Notables).

The thought is this, you have a profile of individual who has served in the line of duty, in some cases being killed in action, missing in action, being a prisoner of war, and/or being commended for an act of bravery.  I know the Notables Project has a thing about if a profile has a corresponding Wikipedia profile...

I've linked a New Zealand General who fought at Gallipoli in WWI as an example

What do you think of this idea?

Answer 1

I am thinking that military service alone is not a qualifier for notability. Certainly the man you refer to is notable with a description such as "the most decorated and longest serving." Things like that are a fit. It really is a case-by-case call. Have they made a significant impact on a particular battle or campaign? I served for 7 years and I don't feel I did anything notable, even though my section was part of the development/testing of digital facsimile machines. Most military people would tell you they are part of a group effort. So, how do we call one person notable? 

Often, the notables will be Admirals and Generals who make the big decisions to move troops, ships, etc. Sometimes a person in the ranks makes a supreme sacrifice or is involved in an incident that garners news coverage. (Such as Lt. William Calley). These would also be notables. Winners of major medals in all countries would also qualify. But folks like me or my husband, a retiree with 25 years service, would not be a fit. (in my opinion.) I like to think we served honorably, but not notably. 

Comments

I agree with Natalie as well

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Great answer, Natalie.  I would agree wholeheartedly, taking in my 14 years military service.  Honourable service but not notable.  I am in the process of adding / categorising every Australian Army General (at least those no longer living).  There are some very notable people and then there are those who served well but not notable (unnotable?).

Answer 2

A Wikipedia page means they're definitely in the Notables project, but if the person doesn't have one, but still is notable, they're still in.  The Project says:

We use Wikipedia's standards for notability. Note, though, that many notable people do not yet have a page on Wikipedia. Feel free to ask Project Leaders about whether someone meets the guidelines, or read through them yourself and use your best judgment. Many, many important people are not on WikiTree yet!

Comments

I do know that, I'm part of the project. What I'm trying to get across is notability of military service (which currently is not the case)

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moved comment to an answer

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I have long felt that, if somebody is listed in any encyclopedia or similar work, then they qualify as notable for our purposes. So, if somebody is listed in, say, the Encyclopaedia Britannica, then they're notable, whether they're listed in Wikipedia or not. 

For Britain, there's the Dictionary of National Biography. Canada has the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, the Canadian Encyclopedia, and (if you can find a copy) the Encyclopedia Canadiana. There's also the World Book, the New Book of Knowledge, the Encyclopedia Americana, and (must loved by the writers of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In), the Funk & Wagnall's. There are probably more, and  lo and behold, there are at least three similar works for New Zealand: the Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, and Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.

So, in my opinion, if your general is listed in any of those works, then he qualifies as notable.

Answer 3

"The thought is this, you have a profile of individual who has served in the line of duty, in some cases being killed in action, missing in action, being a prisoner of war, and/or being commended for an act of bravery."

I think there's a specific project that covers this, namely the Roll of Honor project.  Please review the project page and determine whether that meets your need.  I don't believe that the Notables Project is relevant here, unless the general in question is truly famed or if, perhaps, they were known for some sort of military related innovation.

Comments

I agree!

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I agree as well

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Me too.

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I also agree with this .

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I agree with this. A person may also be classified in multiple categories, so one category may be under the Roll of Honor project, while another category may be under the Notables project.