Those who knew both men at this early stage of their military careers had the feeling that George Patton would achieve greatness. Thats why Americans havenever lost and will never lose a war; for the very idea oflosing is hateful to an American. 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. . She also helped his spelling, as he now took to writing articles on military subjects (as well as riding to hounds, playing polo, and other recreational endeavors appropriate for an officer and a gentleman). Before heading tothe field hospital, he insisted that the ambulance driver take him tothe headquarters of the Thirty-fifth Division, where he began to dictatea report on the situation at the battle front. One account of what happened after Pattons telephone call to ONeill is related by Colonel Paul Harkins, Pattons deputy chief of staff. He wrote to Pershing, reminding him that he was the only American who has ever made an attack in a motor vehicle8 (he was referring to the motorized ambush he had led in Mexico), that his fluency in French meant he could read French tank manuals and converse with and take instruction from French tank officers, that he was good with engines, and that as tanks were the new cavalry it was an appropriate branch for a cavalry officer like himself. He personally led a troop of tanks into Germany lines near the town of Cheppy. Thetrouser legs were skinny and shoved into his black, laced-up fieldboots. Following an old cavalry credo to theeffect you should always Hit em where they aint, he saidto us: You have to grab em by the[censored] and kick emin the [censored] . Urge all of your men to pray, not alone in church, but everywhere. You sure stand in good with the Lord and the soldiers. The General then pinned a Bronze Star Medal on Chaplain ONeill. Hands lifted up, said Bossuet, smash more battalions than hands that strike. Gideon of Bible fame was least in his fathers house. 1. . Simply because people prayed. At twenty-nine, he was not yet a first lieutenant. . World War Two Timeline From The Great War To Germanys Surrender. Every manis a vital link in the great chain. Trusted by his troops and feared by the enemy, General George Patton was one of America's most dynamic--and controversial--war commanders. We were lucky in Africa, in Sicily, and in Italy. If theres any doubt in any of your Goddamn minds that Im going to be paralyzed for the rest of my life, lets cut out all this horse-shit right now and let me die, Patton lashed out. October 2 Patton was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general. Patton's "Blood and Guts" Speech - History (2022) Loading. George Patton was born in San Gabriel, California, on 11th November, 1885. I want the praying done., Chaplain ONeill: Yes, sir. . By that evening, the Germans had discovered Pattons forces, and perhaps more important, Pattons British rival, Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery, was preparing to cross the Rhine as well. As he came closer to the German lines, Patton was hit. People must try to use their imagination and whenorders fail to come, must act on their own best judgment. The most interesting thing I saw is the library of the Knights of Malta. When she returned, her husband had already died. You mean across the Rhine? Sure am, Patton replied, I sneaked a division over last night. She bore him two daughters and a son. Fortunately for our fame as soldiers, our enemy is worthy of us. 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. Who is with me? he yelled. With the skill of a methodactor, Patton would also strive to achieve an intimidating mienhiswar facethat would communicate his intensity to his audience. 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. This is a helluva way to die, General Patton told Gay. Both of us were students of current military doctrine. Patton recorded his thoughts in his journal: Malta, which we reached at three oclock, is quite different from the way I had pictured it. His legend only grows in significance when you consider his achievements. For Gods sake, send some gasoline.. Every single man in this Army plays a vitalrole . A very safe rule to follow is that in case of doubt,push on just a little further and then keep on pushing . That is courteous and considerate for the rights of others. Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. Every manis a vital link in the great chain. We are now fairly started on that phase of the campaign which I hope will be the final one. 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 cant preach! And we got rid of him. . He was comforted by his unshakeable faith, a faith hehad held since childhood and that he had carefully nurtured everyday since. But Pattons faith was not a mere contrivance with which he cynically tried to motivate his men. 1909 June 11 Patton was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant, 15th Cavalry. 1916 March 13 Patton detached from 8th Cavalry and attached to headquarters, Punitive Expedition, Mexico. The attack was set for December 19. Let me see it before you send it. 1904 June 16 Patton entered U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York. Patton was never one to delay an attack, convinced that each days delay gave the enemy more time to prepare. He had not failed them. Americans will not tolerate aloser. By Tim Shipman in . We believed . The Nazis are the enemy. Prayer does not have to take place in church, but can be offered any-where. War is a bloody, killing business. He commented at length on the four vows that each knight took upon induction into the order: on poverty, chastity, humility, and obedience. In April 1941 Patton, who had been acting commander of theSecond Armored Division for six months, was given permanentcommand and promoted to major general. . But his army was part of a whole organization and his operations part of a great campaign.. Were going tomurder those lousy Hun bastards by the bushel-f***ingbasket. Prayer to most of them is a formal, ritualized affair, involving special posture and a liturgical setting. One month after the disaster at Kasserine Pass, Patton led the American army at the battle of Gafsa and El Guettar. 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. July 24 Patton served as Commanding Officer, 5th Cavalry, Fort Clark, Texas. Americans love a winner. They were traveling at about thirty-five miles per hour when an army truck turned from a side road into their path. For this,. October 17 Patton was promoted to the temporary rank of colonel. Remember too that your God is with you. Guts. Americans love to fight, traditionally. 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. The present analysis examines the discourse used by General George Patton in a motivational speech from World War II, given to "the Third . . Some people call that getting the breaks; I call it God. An Army is a team. Site created in November 2000. He attended the West Point Military Academy but along with his friend, Courtney Hodges, was forced to leave after a year because of poor test results. The title was slightly amended to Patton, Blood and Guts, when the 14 Oct 1968 DV reported that Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. would shoot the movie "in the Dimension 150 process and release it for exhibition in that system." November 21 Journalist Drew Pearson publicized George Pattons slapping incident of Aug 3, 1943. On the battlefield, he was a competent commander respected by both sides. . Sure we want to go home. 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. He talked about Gideon in the Bible, said that men should pray no matter where they were, in church or out of it, that if they did not pray, sooner or later they would crack up. To all this I commented agreement, that one of the major training objectives of my office was to help soldiers recover and make their lives effective in this third realm, prayer. His profanity was merely a device to capture the attention of his soldiers. . I do not want to be hitthere again. Some day I want to see the Germans raise up on theirpiss-soaked hind legs and howl, Jesus Christ, its thatgoddamned Third Army again and that son of a bitchPatton.. April 11 Patton was made the commanding officer of the 2nd Armored Division. 'Old Blood and Guts', General Patton. He was dying, but he had nofear of death. I dont want them to. His aunt read to him three to four hours a day. 1943 March 6 Patton was named the commanding officer of the US II Corps. . A break in the weather on June 6 allowed the amphibious assault on Normandy to proceed. A week before the Rhine crossing, General Patton had held a press conference in which he delivered a classic performance, mixing the humorous, provocative, and the profane. This war is where he brought forth the new strategy 1013 Words 3 Pages Better Essays Preview George Patton . Pray for our Army, and Pray for Peace. Patton 360 Rogue General. October 2 Patton was relieved for statements made to the press about former Nazi Party members. . . But as a devout Christianwhatever the profanity in his speeches suggested otherwisehe couldnt help but be moved by walking in the footsteps ofJesus. To ensure that his order was carried out, he spent the bitterly cold day driving from one unit to another. Those who pray do more for the world than those who fight; and if the world goes from bad to worse, it is because there are more battles than prayers. We did not see a single beehive, although there were quite a number of mimosa trees. . Know of nothing more I can do to prepare for this attack except to read the Bible and pray. In 1941, on the day the menof the Second Armored Division completed their orientation at FortBenning, Patton appeared wearing a new uniform, which, characteristically,he had designed himself. We have had no quitters; and our leadership has been masterful. 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. September 15 St. Mihiel Offensive was launched. Eisenhower was self-effacing and came from dirt-poor beginnings. The quicker they are whipped,the quicker we can go home. Rip them up the belly. In my opinion it is a fake, since the pommel is not of the correct shape, nor has it sufficient weight. . The Allies were really fighting three enemies, Patton told Bradleythe Germans, time, and the weather. I know the Lord will help us again. The following day General Patton arrived at the pontoon bridge his engineers had constructed over the Rhine. 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. But he was only as good as the company in which he fought. . immensely huge American flag, delivers his version of Patton's "Speech to. 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. The 1970 film "Patton" starts out the way the real Gen. George S. Patton would have wanted it to: with one of the famed general's off-the-cuff, down-to-reality speeches to his men in the 3rd Army. So Patton called Bradley again. If we die killing, well and good, but if we fight hard enough, viciously enough, we will kill and live. Americans love to fight. Nor was there any enthusiasm in Congress, given the countrys isolationist mood, for appropriating funds for the military. He came away from his experience in Mexico full of admiration forand a desire to emulatePershing. Throughout his life he prayed daily and attended church almost every Sunday, even in wartime. At the time of his speech, he was a full general (four stars), as evidenced by his helmet. 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 was a fine leader, a great general, but he didn't do politics well. Big generals and little soldiers were there, as were the royalty and the commoners of this tiny country from which General Patton drove the Germans in that crucial battle last Christmastide. We're going to murder those lousy Huns by the bushel-f***ing-basket. The general considered himself a descendant of the warriors, part of the same lineage of warriors who gladly risked their lives for a noble cause. He didn't kiss ass, he understood that war is not something to be made into soft talk - war is a brash bloody hell. 62 of 70 found this interesting | Share this We are brave. The turning point of World War II. April 14 Patton was promoted to the permanent rank of general. On March 23, 1945, Eisenhower wrote a warm letter to General Patton: I have frequently had occasion to state, publicly, my appreciation of the great accomplishments of this Allied force during the past nine months. He had been chastised for leaving his command post during the battle at Saint-Mihiel, but he did the same during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. July 25 Spent time in Beverly, Massachusetts hospital with a broken leg. Dont ever think that your job is unimportant. . With all the pomp and ceremony befitting an officer of his rank, the room is called to attention as he ascends the stage. . George S. Patton. I was shot in the behind in World War I! 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. 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. General Patton : A Soldier's Life (2002) by Stanley P. Hirshson, . Each treated of a variety of subjects of corrective or training value to a chaplain working with troops in the field. An armored division is the most powerful organizationever devised by the mind of men . Americans love a winner. Pray with others. He was dying; but he had no fear of death. Up to now, in the Third Army, God has been very good to us. We want this war over with. 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. They were actually in the heart of England itself. The Army Engineer was called in, and we finally decided that our field topographical company could print the prayer on a small-sized card, making enough copies for distribution to the army. [t]anks could have a more valuable and more spectacular role. . To be successful, Patton believed, a man must plan, work hard, and pray. General Patton was an intellectual warrior who obsessively studied every facet of warfare - while studying his Bible daily. The jacket was waist length with brass buttons upthe right side in the style of an old Confederate officers uniform. We entered the city through the gate which Tancred stormed when the city was first taken (A.D. 1099). 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. George S. Patton was one of America's most famous and colorful generals. And dontgive the enemy time to dig one either. Patton restarted the course and graduated in 1909 (46/103) and won a commission in the cavalry. It's not called "Blood and Guts: An American General". In his new book George S. Patton: Blood, Guts, and Prayer, author Michael Keane takes readers on a journey through Patton's career in three parts: his military prowess, his inspirational. 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