He had now achieved his destiny, joining the legions of ancestorsbefore him. Patton was as much an actor as he was a fine general. Ike revealed his reasoningin a 1946 review of the bookPatton and His Third Army: George Patton was the most brilliant commander of an army in the open field that our or any other service produced. This article contains stories, quotes, timelines, and other pieces of information on one of the most competent and flamboyant generals in American military history. The General agreed, wrote a short greeting, and the card was made up, published, and distributed to the troops on the twenty-second of December. We preach its importance. But it was not just a speech, it was a performance. The others lay dead or wounded. . . that they should attack by surprise and mass . We entered the city through the gate which Tancred stormed when the city was first taken (A.D. 1099). Death, in time, comes to allmen. Thirty years from now, when youare sitting around the fireside with your grandson onyour knee and he asks what you did in the great WorldWar II, you wont have to say, I shoveled shit in Louisiana.. August 16 Patton was promoted to the permanent rank of major general, bypassing the permanent rank of brigadier general. The present analysis examines the discourse used by General George Patton in a motivational speech from World War II, given to "the Third Army" on June 5th, 1944, before the Allied invasion. . This article contains stories, quotes, timelines, and other pieces of information on one of the most competent and flamboyant generals in American military history. HistoryOnTheNet 2000-2019. Patton was an American general who took part in both world wars. It is power.. Prior to the termination of active hos-tilities, you had captured in battle 956,000 enemy soldiers and killed or wounded at least 500,000 others. . The Chaplain preached a sermon on sacrifice and the usual bull, so as I put the wreath at the foot of the flagpole, I said, I consider it no sacrifice to die for my country. Simply because people prayed. Many of his associates, including Eisenhower, felt that "Old Blood and Guts" showed increasing signs of mental imbalance. . The author stated that General Patton . We are now fairly started on that phase of the campaign which I hope will be the final one. . 1923 December 24 Pattons son, George Patton IV, was born. Suddenly desperation and fear stripped away Pattonsveneer of bravado, and he began to shake with terror. Speech at the Hatch Memorial Shell, Boston, Massachusetts . This pommel was in the shape of a blunt acorn. Then you must have well-trained troops to carry it out: thats working. He lost more men to cold, famine, and disease than to Russian bullets. We want this war over with. For a man driven by a belief in his own destiny to lead troops in war-fare, peace was more frightening than war. I will probably get slapped down by the Church union.. George Patton was born in San Gabriel, California, on 11th November, 1885. General Patton is best known for leadingtheU.S. Third ArmyinFrance and Germany in the wake of the Alliedinvasion of Normandyin June 1944. In 1915, he was sent to Fort Bliss, Texas, where the cavalry troops were all turned out in Patton swords: It was a fine sight all with sabers drawn and all my sabers. Sure we want to go home. With the exception of Douglas MacArthur, Patton ranks as the greatest general the United States put on the field during the Second World War. The Chaplain came up the next day. We have continued in unity of purpose. But we are not stopping at the Siegfried Line. . Although I looked very carefully, I could see no indication of the fighting, but I did recognize the cactus hedge where the tanks got stuck. The title of the "Gen. George S. Patton biopic" was changed to Blood and Guts, as announced in the 17 Apr 1968 DV. Then about 1600 it stopped. Brave, undisciplinedmen have no chance against the discipline andvalor of other men. And when we get to Berlin,I am personally going to shoot that paper hanging sonof a bitch Hitler, just like Id shoot a snake! George S. Patton is a legendary World War II general, but much of his character as a military man was formed in the Great War. Site created in November 2000. The cards and Training Letter No. Many of the men drove over 40 consecutive hours. But he was a master of the dramatic pause, loweringhis voice to great effect, forcing the audience to listen carefully,before bellowing out a line of profanity. Our duty . Get him up here. We took off by plane for Jerusalem at 0700 and crossed the canal just south of Lake Tenes, which is near where the children of Israel crossed. September 12 Patton joined 15th Cavalry, Fort Sheridan, Illinois, and was assigned to Troop K. 1910 May 26 Patton and Beatrice Banning Ayer were married; they would later have three children. The World War II general commanded the US 7th Army in its invasion of Sicily and the 3rd Army . Every man has a job to do and he must do it. Patton benefited from having six years of formal military education. Under Pershings command, Every horse and man was fit; weaklings had gone; baggage was still at the minimum, and discipline was perfect. Great living is not all output of thought and work. Patton is a 1970 film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and co-written by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the life of General George S. Patton and starring George C. Scott in his most iconic role. . The following is the complete text of General George Patton's speech to the United States . The enduring valor of the combat troops has been paralleled and made possible by the often unpublicized activities of the supply, administrative, and medical services of this Army and of the Communications Zone troops supporting it. On December 9, 1945, Patton was returning from a pheasant hunt with his chief of staff, Major General Hobart Hap Gay. The quickest way to get it over with is to go get thebastards who started it. May 12 Patton launched Operation Cowboy in Hostau, Czechoslovakia, rescuing 1,200 horses, including 375 of the Lipizzan breed, from potential Soviet slaughter. Addresses the 3rd Army. Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr. Old "Blood and Guts" himself, about whom many a colorful chapter would be written for the school boys of tomorrow. Although he was a part of the first war, he is more known for his victories in the Second World War. He was laid next to a Third Army soldier who had been killed in combat during the Battle of the Bulge. Guts. Death must not be feared. To beat such men, you must not despise their ability, but you must be confident in your own superiority. A heavy ivory-handled revolver rested in a shoulder holsterdraped under his left arm. We're going to murder those lousy Huns by the bushel-f***ing-basket. He passed away from pulmonary embolism as a result of the accident. Hed stop and talk to the troops; ask them did they get their turkey, how was it, and all that. His diary entry for that day is classic Patton: It was a clear cold Christmas, lovely weather for killing Germans, which seems a bit queer, seeing Whose birthday it is. The troops were cheerful but I am not, because we are not going fast enough., In the spring, as the Third Armys advance continued with clear weather, Patton again thanked the Lord for good weather: I am very grateful to the Lord for the great blessing he has heaped on me and the Third Army, not only in the success which He has granted us, but in the weather which He is now providing.. . From the Forum we got into the cars and drove to the Garden of Gethsemane, where there are still olive trees which just possibly may have been in existence at the time of the Crucifixion. But as a devout Christianwhatever the profanity in his speeches suggested otherwisehe couldnt help but be moved by walking in the footsteps ofJesus. When he reached the other side of the river, Patton pretended to stumble, imitating William the Conqueror, who famously fell on his face when landing in England but transformed the bad omen into a propitious one by leaping to his feet with a handful of English soil, claiming it portended his complete possession of the country. This individual heroic stuff is pure horseshit. A few minutes later, when the fog began to lift, Patton discovered that he had advanced beyond his own tanks, many of which were now entangled in a trench barrier over a hundred yards to his rear. . "Patton, ordeal and triumph". Americans will not tolerate aloser. I was shot in the behind in World War I! He did not literally run over bodies. Let us be gentle. May 14 Patton led soldiers who engaged Pancho Villas bodyguard and others at Rubio Ranch. When Kublai Khan attacked the Japanese island of Kyushu with his fleet of forty-four hundred ships in 1281, he encountered a typhoon that destroyed half his fleet. 1924 July 30 Patton was an Honor Graduate, Command and General Staff College. Patton pointed out that there was not enough ammunition, food, or gasoline to support all the armies. Patton was a fine leader, a great general, but he didn't do politics well. To order this book, please visit its online sales page atAmazonorBarnes & Noble. Decades later, in a February 1, 1945 memo, Eisenhower rankedthe military capabilities of his subordinate American generals in Europe. Thebilious bastards who write that kind of stuff for theSaturday Evening Post dont know any more about realfighting under fire than they know about f***ing! Peace was another matter. He also faced uncertainty about his career in peacetime. Copy. Prayer to most of them is a formal, ritualized affair, involving special posture and a liturgical setting. Pattons Third Army could attack twenty-four hours after getting the signal. April 14 Patton was promoted to the permanent rank of general. This was not just any battle, but a winner takes all. Praying, he said, is like plugging in on a current whose source is in Heaven. Prayer completes the circuit. The official cause of death was pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure. It gives you a thrill and my eyes filled with tears . Confident in his own religious convictions and his knowledge of the Bible, Patton did not hesitate publicly to contradict a chaplains sermon, as this diary entry for Armistice Day, 1943, reveals: We went to a Memorial Service at the cemetery at 1100. When the war ended, Patton said, 'You don't know what Hell looks like from the top, but that's what Germany looks like'. There were enough supplies, however, for one army. The soldier who cracks up does not need sympathy or comfort as much as he needs strength. With the same IF as before they will make a brigade and I will get the star(of a brigadier general). As one soldierrecalled: I am positive the Patton image was born on the first day hespoke in that bowl. We disregard the lessons of HistoryThe red fate of Carthage; the Rome of shame under the Praetorian guardand we go on regardless of the VITAL necessity of trained patriotismHIRING an army . We were taken through this by the librarian. In his private supplications to God, however, a different Patton emerges humble, uncertain, and seeking guidance. Paralyzed from the neck down, he was taken to a hospital in Heidelberg. Another codex which was interesting was one of the original printings of the Bible, using wood type. September 15 St. Mihiel Offensive was launched. We must ask God to stop these rains. Thetrouser legs were skinny and shoved into his black, laced-up fieldboots. How did General Patton die? It being near Christmas, we also asked General Patton to include a Christmas greeting to the troops on the same card with the prayer. Occupation Zone after World War II. He stood up, grabbed his walking stick, and turned to the soldiersbehind him. It is thus one of historysironies that General Pattons greatest victory might have come in abattle in which he played no active role. Every single man in this Army plays a vitalrole . Somelines became classic. In fact, it was surprisingly easy. I got a medal for charging at the enemy, butI have had to spend a lot of time explaining how I gotshot in the behind! That chance came at Saint Mihiel on 12 September 1918. I know how you feel, but there is nothing to be done.4 Patton, like a young Napoleon, had ambitiously hoped to be a brigadier general by twenty-seven. In 1943, two years before his death, Patton had spoken at an Armistice Day service honoring American dead, saying, I consider it no sacrifice to die for my country. Were going tomurder those lousy Hun bastards by the bushel-f***ingbasket. This is a helluva way to die, General Patton told Gay. General George S. Patton is one of the most famous American generals in history. Uncertain of the role, if any, he might play in the coming invasion of Europe, Patton took a sightseeing trip to the Holy Land and Malta. Scott's rendition of the speech was highly sanitized so as not to offend too. . It is run by a composite group consisting of Catholics, Greeks, and Copts, and by a strange freak of chance, or British political insight, the doorkeeper is a Mohammedan. Few would have predicted that Eisenhower would become the most brilliant star of the West Point class of 1915the class the stars fell on.. They both contemplated leaving the service, but they both stuck it out, just as a later generation of officers, in the post-Vietnam eramen like Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powellwould again rebuild the army into the worlds greatest military force. . . His path to the numerous monumental events that he experienced there began after he finished atWest Point. 1932 June 2 Patton was awarded the Purple Heart for a wound sustained in 1918. One of his first acts as commanderhad been to build an amphitheater in the wooded hills of Fort Benningthat could accommodate the entire division. All the men with riflesand helmets, the altar the back of a jeep. Patton, not wanting to compromise his armys success with publicity, telephoned Omar Bradley the following morning and uncharacteristically told him to keep it a secret. It was quite impressive. I want the praying done., Chaplain ONeill: Yes, sir. The vow of Humility was got around by the simple expedient of washing a poor mans feet three times. The opening scene-his famous "blood and guts" speech to his troops as they prepared to go into battle for the first time-remains one of the most famous scenes and greatest speeches in movie history. General Pattons religious beliefs, like the man himself, were unique and defy easy characterization. 2. He had now achieved his destiny, Patton thought, joining the warriorkinsmen who had gone before. Heservedin numerous staff positions throughout the country. And when we get to Berlin, I am going to personally shoot that paperhanginggoddamned son of a bitch just like I would a snake., The troops cheered Pattons remarks. We have no memory of a lost battle to hand on to our children from this great campaign. He died at the age of 60 and he died in a freak accident after the war had been won. . She seemed to want her husband to herself one final time. . You mean across the Rhine? Sure am, Patton replied, I sneaked a division over last night. The Nazis are the enemy. Two days later, the U.S. armies in Europe were engaged in the greatest battle ever fought by American forces. It can be argued that he was one of the proudest Americans to ever live. Patton read it and directed that it be circulated without change to all of the Third Armys 486 chaplains, as well as to every organization commander down to and including the regimental level. His most importantpriority was training men for war. What separates this book from all of the many about World War II's most famous battle commander is the extensive use of exquisite B&W combat photos on every spread, which illuminate the text on those pages. Though he had been sidelined from the invasion, he played an important role in it by his absence. . Contains Profanity. Both chaplains and men are removed from a special building with a steeple. Tough days may be ahead of us before we eat our rations in the Chancellery of the Deutsches Reich. . General Patton's Speech to the 3rd Army 1. Pattons communication was not limited to his speeches; he alsoprojected strength in his demeanor and in his dress. December 8 Patton calls Chaplain James H. ONeill and asks if he has a good prayer for weather., December 1214 Prayer cards are distributed to Pattons troops, asking, Grant us fair weather for battle.. General Patton : A Soldier's Life (2002) by Stanley P. Hirshson, . Once the fighting in Europe ended in May 1945, Patton was denied a . By that I mean that the riflemanwants to shoot, the tanker wants to charge, the artillerymanto fire . He would not tolerate defeatism in prayers or sermons. 1944 March 26 Task Force Baum heads out for Hammelburg to liberate the prisoner of war camp there. He was named commanding general in April . December 20 Weather in the Ardennes cleared. . But his army was part of a whole organization and his operations part of a great campaign.. Americans play towin all of the time. He was zealous in his duties and got the action he sought. Pattons presence was still asecret to the enemy. . We must be eager to kill, to inflict on the enemythe hated enemy wounds, death and destruction. May I say, General, that it usually isnt a customary thing among men of my profession to pray for clear weather to kill fellow men., General Patton: Chaplain, are you trying to teach me theology or are you the Chaplain of the Third Army? Before he did that, Patton gave himself a crash course in French tanks, which included test-driving them, firing their guns, and even walking the assembly line to see how they were made. What do you think he wants? It was perfectly clear to me. It is now 0230 and raining hard. General Patton is best known for leading the U.S. Third Army in France and Germany in the wake of the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. General Patton was an intellectual warrior who obsessively studied every facet of warfare - while studying his Bible daily. Brave, undisciplinedmen have no chance against the discipline andvalor of other men. As he came closer to the German lines, Patton was hit. Even if you arehit, you can still fight back. We have had no quitters; and our leadership has been masterful. The jacket was waist length with brass buttons upthe right side in the style of an old Confederate officers uniform. The Armistice came on his thirty-third birthday. That way I can keep firing my pistols! July 25 Spent time in Beverly, Massachusetts hospital with a broken leg. France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia bear witness to your exploits. One cannot read Pattons diaries, letters, speeches, and personal papers without being struck by the frequency with which he appeals to God and turns to the Bible for inspiration. I pray that I will fall forward when I am shot. His disarming smile charmed everyone who met him. He personally led a troop of tanks into Germany lines near the town of Cheppy. We talk too much of sacrifice, of the glory of dying that freedom may live. All of the real heroes are not storybook combat fighters,either. 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