Get him up here. It began with the crossing of the River Rhine in March 1945, with forces fanning out and overrunning all of Western Germany until their final surrender on May 8, 1945. . The speeches were intended to motivate the inexperienced Third Army for its pending combat duty. 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. The real hero is the man whofights even though he is scared . 1911 March 19 Pattons first child, Beatrice Ayer, was born. Grant us fair weather for Battle. All of the real heroes are not storybook combat fighters,either. George S. Patton: On Guts, Glory, and Winning relies on the writings, speeches, and poems of George Patton, and includes his prayer to stop the rain during the battle of northern Europe. July 26 Patton served as Commanding Officer, 2d Armored Brigade of 2d Armored Division, Fort Benning. In our next battle we shall, for the first time on this continent, have many thousands of Americans united in one command. Since all these genealogies, covering the knights from sometime in 1100 to date, are preserved in the library, it gives the greatest historical family tree in the world. That is not the way to win battles. 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. I know the Lord will help us again. . I have complete confidence that you will not fail. Beatrice flew to her husbands side after ordering that her children remain at home. Anyone who has ever viewed the motion picture PATTON will never forget the opening. 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! Blood, Guts, and Grease, to capture the younger, less known company and field grade officer before his daring exploits as a general officer in World . He was ecumenical in his beliefs, writing that God was probably indifferent in the way he was approached, but he opposed his daughters marriage to a Roman Catholic. If hesays hes not, hes a liar. His disarming smile charmed everyone who met him. . I know that Third Army will be in at the finish in the same decisive way that it has performed in all the preliminary battles. Each treated of a variety of subjects of corrective or training value to a chaplain working with troops in the field. December 16 Germany launched offensive in the Ardennes known as the Battle of the Bulge. The following day General Patton arrived at the pontoon bridge his engineers had constructed over the Rhine. In his private supplications to God, however, a different Patton emerges humble, uncertain, and seeking guidance. Coy Eklund, an officer on Pattons staff, confirms a story about Pattons insistence on inspirational sermons: It is no myth that one Sunday morning, after attending church services as he always did, he stalked into my office in the Army barracks in Nancy, France, where I was the senior duty officer. It would be better to attack as soon as Bradley could provide him with supplies. I was shotin the behind in World War I! Unsurprisingly, he didnt stay at his command post but roamed the field under fire, directing attacks; his tankers did well and showed plenty of fighting spirit. It worked out more or less that way, with Patton the first officeror soldier of any rank in the United States Armyassigned to the Tank Corps, where he was charged with establishing the First Army Tank School. Remember that these enemies, whom we shall have the honor to destroy, are good soldiers and stark fighters. What do you think he wants? It was perfectly clear to me. The Chaplain came up the next day. It is a magnificent experience wherein all the elements that have made man superior to the beasts are present: courage, self-sacrifice, loyalty, help to others, devotion to duty. Even the most enlightened of our politicians are blind and mad with self delusion. March 23 Patton, as commanding officer of the American Tank School in France, received his first 10 light tanks by train. As he lay bleeding in a bomb crater, Patton ordered Angelo toreturn to the tanks and point out the location of the machine gunnests. You won them; I as your representative wear them. July 7 Patton participated in Modern Pentathlon, Olympic Games. Please be advised it is quite profane. On or about the fourteenth of December, 1944, General Patton called Chaplain ONeill, Third Army Chaplain, and myself into his office in Third Headquarters at Nancy. . To order this book, please visit its online sales page atAmazonorBarnes & Noble. Patton was told that the attack could take place any time after November 5, and that aerial bombardment would be available before-hand. is plain. We're going to murder those lousy Huns by the bushel-f***ing-basket. George S. Patton Inspirational, Motivational, Positive 307 Copy quote This individual heroic stuff is pure horseshit. May 1 Served as Control Officer, Maneuvers, Fort Beauregard, Louisiana. That way I can keep firing my pistols! Haig, who didnt think much of most American officers, liked Patton, calling him a fireeater who longs for the fray. Patton, in turn, liked Haig, a fellow cavalryman, thinking him a proper polo-playing gentleman and even more of a charger than I am.7. Who is with me? he yelled. His path to the numerous monumental events that he experienced there began after he finished atWest Point. World War II U.S. Army Gen. George S. Patton Jr. and his soldiers embark on the road to Germany by invading North Africa Nov. 8, 1942, in the face of opposition by pro-Nazi French forces. We want this war over with. A heavy ivory-handled revolver rested in a shoulder holsterdraped under his left arm. There is something in every soldier that goes deeper than thinking or workingits his guts. It is something that he has built in there: it is a world of truth and power that is higher than himself. You have liberated or conquered more than 82,000 square miles of territory, including 1,500 cities and towns, and some 12,000 inhabited places. Many of the men drove over 40 consecutive hours. Click here to see more articles in this category. General Patton: Be seated. opening. We talk too much of sacrifice, of the glory of dying that freedom may live. Each deserves credit. We are better-equipped, bet-ter fed, and in the place of his blood-gutted Woten, we have with us the God of our fathers known of old. There is one great thing you men will be able to saywhen you go home. October 3 Patton joined 3d Cavalry at Fort Myer, Virginia, as Commanding Officer, 3d Squadron. All of the real heroes are not storybook combat fighters,either. Pray alone. Were going tomurder those lousy Hun bastards by the bushel-f***ingbasket. By that I mean that the riflemanwants to shoot, the tanker wants to charge, the artillerymanto fire . He had now achieved his destiny, Patton thought, joining the warriorkinsmen who had gone before. We are advancing constantlyand we are not interested in holding onto anything except the enemys balls! . Somelines became classic. Therewas his grandfather Colonel George Patton, killed at Winchester inthe Civil War; and Colonel Waller Tazewell Patton, who died fromwounds received at Gettysburg. When Patton had completed all his preparations for battle, he turned to the Bible and entrusted everything, including the weather, to God. Thats where prayer comes in. The author stated that General Patton . So he decided to imitate William the Conquerors entrance into England before leading Norman forces in their heroic conquest of the entire island in 1066. Patton became famous during this time for his tough motivating speeches to his troupes and earned the nickname "old blood and guts." Invasion of Italy After Pearl Harbor, the U.S. entered World War II. He was dying; but he had no fear of death. Patton succeeded Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower as the Military Governor of the U.S. . I want to pin a medal on him.. Although Patton is most famous for his actions during the Second World War, Patton also participated in the Mexican Revolution and the First World War. When there is fighting, everyone prays, but now with this constant rainwhen things are quiet, dangerously quiet, men just sit and wait for things to happen. Remember that theenemy is just as frightened as you are, and probablymore so. Patton 360 Rogue General. I should think the distance is less than half a mile. He sat beside her in church each Sunday as she recited the liturgical responses from the Book of Com-mon Prayer, and he developed an amazing capacity to repeat passages at length. Live to return to our family and our girl as conquering heroesmen of Mars. Brave, undisciplinedmen have no chance against the discipline andvalor of other men. Planes on combat missionsflying over and the sound of guns all the while. May 18 Patton was ordered to report to General Pershing in Washington, D.C.; appointed Commanding Officer, Headquarters Troop, AEF. His active military duty lasted from 1909 to 1945. The soldier who cracks up does not need sympathy or comfort as much as he needs strength. . A very safe rule to follow is that in case of doubt,push on just a little further and then keep on pushing . The Allied war effort was virtually shut down for five days. The quickest way to get it over with is to go get thebastards who started it. He chose the latter, thinking it the quickest way to combat and further promotion. Somelines became classic. 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. Americans play towin all of the time. Chaplain, how much praying is being done in the Third Army? inquired the general. At the end of 1917 he was assigned to establish the American Expeditionary Force Light Tank School. The vow of Chastity was not enforced except by one Grand Master, who, in order to discourage the amorous activities of his dependents, required that all the girls live across the harbor from the forts, so that when a knight wanted to see his lady-love, he had to row across and thereby bring great discredit upon himself. . You can also buy the book by clicking on the buttons to the left. 19031904 Patton attended Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia, as Cadet. None of Defeats. When he first arrives in North Africa at the beginning of the film, he is just receiving his promotion to lieutenant general (three stars), which he remains until April 14, 1945, less than a month from V-E day. Every man has a job to do and he must do it. Patton recorded his thoughts in his journal: Malta, which we reached at three oclock, is quite different from the way I had pictured it. . Patton restarted the course and graduated in 1909 (46/103) and won a commission in the cavalry. In the fall of 1913, he was sent to the Cavalry School at Fort Riley, Kansas, where he was to be both student and instructor, serving as Master of the Sword. At his own expense, he went to France to hone his swordsmanship before taking up his new post. . Our bravery is too negative. I do not want to be hit there again. We have had no quitters; and our leadership has been masterful. There is still a tendency in each separate unit . Seventh Armyin theMediterraneanandEuropean theaters of World War II. The point of interest is that most historians are prone to classify armor by dates, whereas here we have visual proof that as late as 1400 all types of armor, both mail and plate, were still being used. Two weeks later, one of the most severe storms ever to strike Normandy sank or disabled a number of Allied ships and wiped out the American Mulberry artificial harbor off Omaha Beach. October 17 Patton was promoted to the temporary rank of colonel. He asked her what time it was, and when she told him, he said that he was tired and told her she should go eat dinner; they could finish the chapter when she returned. He felt that love was all around him, like a subdued light. Napoleons defeat confirmed Emperor Nicholas Is dictum that Russia has two generals in which she can confide: Generals January and February. . You've got to spill their blood, or they will spill yours. In this eviscerated post-war army, trying to build support for the tank proved an impossible task. General George S. Patton's Personal Jeep Driver Remembers the Legendary Man American Veterans Center 803K views 5 months ago "Growing Up Patton: Reflections on Heroes, History and Family. On December 9, 1945, Patton was returning from a pheasant hunt with his chief of staff, Major General Hobart Hap Gay. George and I and a group of young officers thought . Born in 1885, Patton attended the Virginia Military Institute and the United States Military . Leading an expedition of three cars and ten men whose mission was to buy corn for the soldiers in camp, he organized an impromptu raid that netted him one of Pancho Villas officers and two banditos shot down in a gunfightPatton armed with revolver and rifle. He passed away from pulmonary embolism as a result of the accident. Patton left the window, sat at his desk and leaned back in his swivel chair. He had now achieved his destiny, joining the legions of ancestorsbefore him. Mikolashek goes beyond General George S. Patton's well-known reputation as a military tactician and strict disciplinarian, notably portrayed by George C. Scott in the 1970 eponymous movie Patton. . Better known for his profanity than for his prayers, George Patton was actually a devout and religious man. But it was not just a speech, it was a performance. . I told them the attack would go on. The reputation of our army, the future of our race, your own glory rests in your hands. Eklund, he demanded, do you know Chaplain So-and-so?. I will run the school. 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. 5. 62 of 70 found this interesting | Share this The vow of Poverty required him to give four-fifths of his then estate to the Order. At eleven oclock on the morning of December 8, General Patton telephoned the head chaplain, Monsignor James H. ONeill: This is General Patton; do you have a good prayer for weather? Many elements of the speech were recycled over and over. 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. The weather was the most serious threat. France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia bear witness to your exploits. Outside, the Chaplain said, Whew, thats a tough one! Well get rid of the son of a bitch. Those who knew both men at this early stage of their military careers had the feeling that George Patton would achieve greatness. The 664th Engineer Topographical Company worked around the clock to reproduce 250,000 cards bearing the prayer for fair weather and General Pattons Christmas greeting. The encounter seemed to confirm Hitlers contempt for the battle-worthiness of American soldiers. God has His part, or margin, in everything. Pattons exploits in World War II, and his quotable phrases, are legendary. . By God, I do! He was named commanding general in April . This article is part of our largerresource meant to provide facts, information, and stories about the life of George S. Patton. The jacket was waist length with brass buttons upthe right side in the style of an old Confederate officers uniform. My men dont dig foxholes. The leadership had no interest in making room for a new weapon in the shrunken army. Reprinted in Charles Sumner Olcott, The Life of William McKinley, Volume 2 (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1916), 109-111. George S. Patton. Death, in time, comes to allmen. Pattons return from the conflict in Europe was marked by the hangover of war familiar to many veterans. There was General Hugh Mercer, mortallywounded at the battle of Princeton in the Revolutionary War. 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. Patton ordered a hot turkey dinner for every soldier in the Third Army on Christmas Day. It is power.. Patton came form a long line of soldiers. That way I can keep firing my pistols! This article is from the bookPatton: Blood, Guts, and Prayer2012by Michael Keane. But between the plan and the operation there is always an unknown. Patton prayed to do his best, he prayed for solace in times of trouble, and he prayed for victory in times of war. However, they did get across and Napoleon crossed at about the same place and also lost his baggage when the wind shifted. Even if you arehit, you can still fight back. August 3 Patton visited a field hospital in Sicily, Italy, and slapped Charles Kuhl for what he considered cowardice as Kuhl suffered no physical wounds. Over endless dinners and drinks they would debate and discuss tank tactics and strategy, expanding their discussions to include a small but growing circle of like-minded men. . He wrote to General Leonard Wood asking for his advice and assistance. His head was encased in a tight-fitting leather helmet withgoggles. Eisenhower, on the other hand, was usually underrated, his easygoing manner masking a burning ambition. He is remembered for his heroic march to halt the Nazi's December 1944 offensive in the Battle of the Bulge and also for slapping Sergeant Charles Kuhl and Private Paul Bennett, August 1943, for cowardice while they were in an army hospital. I dont want to get any messages saying, I am holdingmy position. We are not holding a goddamned thing. On the battlefield, he was a competent commander respected by both sides. 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