One hundred ninety-two men were killed, 2,624 wounded, and 2,459 were captured or went missing. Urge all of your men to pray, not alone in church, but everywhere. I do not want to be hitthere again. That is not the way to win battles. Peace was another matter. He realized how profoundly death was related to life, how unimportant the change from life to death really was, how everlastingthe soul. July 6 Patton secretly flew into Normandy, France, while the Germans still believed he would lead the main invading force at Pas de Calais. With every good wish to each of you for a very Happy Christmas, and my personal congratulations for your splendid and courageous work since landing on the beach. That way I can keep firing my pistols! Brave, undisciplinedmen have no chance against the discipline andvalor of other men. . Not surprisingly, the chaplain concluded his sermon exactly ten minutes later. When she returned, her husband had already died. There is still a tendency in each separate unit . The Nazis are the enemy. . We must do something about those rains if we are to win the war.. An Army is a team. April 14 Patton was promoted to the permanent rank of general. Alden Hatch's biography traces Patton's life from his California childhood to his accidental death in Germany shortly after the end of World War II. Reprinted in Charles Sumner Olcott, The Life of William McKinley, Volume 2 (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1916), 109-111. . . 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. Book by Ladislas Farago, 1963. December 20 Weather in the Ardennes cleared. If the band played a piece first with the piccolo, then withthe brass horn, then with the clarinet, and then withthe trumpet, there would be a hell of a lot of noise butno music. The general then continued, Chaplain, sit down for a moment. Many elements of the speech were recycled over and over. I wish, said Patton, you would put out a Training Letter on this subject of Prayer to all the chaplains; write about nothing else, just the importance of prayer. Find out more about George S. Patton below! For this,. What was coming now? it is the call of ones [sic] ancestors and the glory of combat. We have no intention to reduce our vast striking force. The Saar campaign was launched on November 8, 1944. 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. It's just about him. . The vow of Humility was got around by the simple expedient of washing a poor mans feet three times. Grant us fair weather for Battle. 1915 February 28 Pattons second child, Ruth Ellen Patton Totten, was born. . 157 Copy quote I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom. Pattons efficiency as a tank commander won him promotion to lieutenant colonel, but he worried the war would end before he had a chance to lead his tankers in combat. No one can live under the awful responsibility that I have without Divine help, he wrote. A very safe rule to follow is that in case of doubt,push on just a little further and then keep on pushing . 1885 November 11 Patton was born in San Gabriel, Los Angeles County, California. . General Pattons communication was not limited to his speeches; he alsoprojected strength in his demeanor and in his dress. Patton arrived in Europe in 1917 as a captain. Patton believed that without prayer, his soldiers would crack up under the unrelenting pressures of battle. Every single man in this Army plays a vitalrole . America settled into a period of inno-cence and isolation. General Patton was notblessed with a deep, booming voice. Her ashes were later strewn over her husbands grave. Foxholesonly slow up an offensive. Patton of the brisk, purposeful stride. 1909 June 11 Patton was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant, 15th Cavalry. You won them; I as your representative wear them. . He graduated at twenty-four, accepting a commission in the cavalry and duty at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. He insisted it was not a sin to kill if one served on the side of God, citing the Old Testament story of David slaying Goliath. 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. . But he was a mighty man of valor. Pray with others. While attempting to lead a unit of pinned-down infantry against the Germans,he was shot through the leg but continued to direct the attack. We want this war over with. 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. Patton of the harsh, compelling voice, the lurid vocabulary, the grim and indomitable spirit that . September 15 St. Mihiel Offensive was launched. All rights reserved. General Patton: Be seated. I was shotin the behind in World War I! December 10 Patton served as Commanding Officer, 3d Cavalry, Fort Myer, Virginia. It wasnt money that mattered to him, but the fact that she was poised, pretty, and polished (she had been educated in Europe, spoke French, as did he, and played the piano). Men, all this stuff you hear about America not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of bullshit. He spoke to his men like it, and they returned a response of almost mechanised fighting ability. . March 31 Reached Hawaii and was assigned to the G-1 and G-2 Hawaiian Division. That way I can keep firing my pistols! She went to the dining room, leaving her husband with the attending nurse. 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. . All of the real heroes are not storybook combat fighters,either. As fresh gunfireerupted, all the soldiers but Patton leapt back into the security of thetrench. June 11 Became Distinguished Graduate, Army War College. 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. 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. Patton sent Ike a congratulatory note , remarking that while he was pleased to think that his notes had been of some assistance, I feel sure that you would have done as well without them. It is likely, though, that Patton felt that his notes were the primary reason for Eisenhowers success at the college. . Death, in time, comes to allmen. If we die killing, well and good, but if we fight hard enough, viciously enough, we will kill and live. All real . Thats why Americans havenever lost and will never lose a war; for the very idea oflosing is hateful to an American. You mean across the Rhine? Sure am, Patton replied, I sneaked a division over last night. 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. 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? . Throughout the speech (Appendix 1) General Patton emphasises certain themes (Appendices 2 and 3 . His diary entry for November 7, 1944, reads: Two years ago today we were on the Augusta approaching Africa, and it was blowing hard. Patton was a fine leader, a great general, but he didn't do politics well. Seventh Armyin theMediterraneanandEuropean theaters of World War II. It gives you a thrill and my eyes filled with tears . October 17 Patton was promoted to the temporary rank of colonel. George S. Patton (1885-1945) was a high-ranking WWII general, who led the U.S. 7th Army in its invasion of Sicily and northern France in the summer of 1944. Patton was number three. He wrote to his wife Beatrice on July 10, 1944, Sunday Iwent to a field mass. 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. All men are afraid in battle. In April 1941 Patton, who had been acting commander of theSecond Armored Division for six months, was given permanentcommand and promoted to major general. This individual heroic stuff is pure horseshit. 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. 19031904 Patton attended Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia, as Cadet. A passionate belief in the crucial role that tanks could play in the future and the will to make it happen seemed to sustain both men during this period. Brave, undisciplinedmen have no chance against the discipline andvalor of other men. 4. "Patton, ordeal and triumph". But Patton would have none of this. Patton was told that the attack could take place any time after November 5, and that aerial bombardment would be available before-hand. We were taken through this by the librarian. Look at the weather. The Chaplain came up the next day. His aunt read to him three to four hours a day. Men this stuff that some sources sling around aboutAmerica wanting out of this war, not wanting to fight,is a crock of bullshit. It's not called "Blood and Guts: An American General". . 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. 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. As the chaplain noted, however, strictly speaking it was the Third Army commanders letter, not ONeills. In his many trials, Patton turned to God and found remarkable serenity. Please be advised it is quite profane. It is almost completely covered with villages and the areas between them are crowded with tiny fields. Well get rid of the son of a bitch. If hesays hes not, hes a liar. A man has to have intake as well. Some men are cowards but theyfight the same as the brave men or they get the hellslammed out of them watching other men fight who arejust as scared as they are. Better yetthe tank company in which he fought. This article is part of our largerresource meant to provide facts, information, and stories about the life of George S. Patton. 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. Patton would swiftly communicate his displeasure at ser-mons that dwelt on death or families whose sons would never return home. General Patton Speech | 6th Armored Division | 31 May 1944 Alyosha 394 subscribers Subscribe 2.3K Share 92K views 4 years ago General George S. Patton speech to the 6th Armored. George C. Scott, portraying Patton, standing in front of an immensely huge American flag, delivers his version of Patton's "Speech to the Third Army" on June 5th, 1944, the eve of the Allied invasion . He soon learned that hewas to lead the Third Army and that his first responsibility was toclear the Brest peninsula of Germans. 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. Pray for victory. Let the Germans do that. On 1 October 1919, Patton gave a speech to the Tank Corps on The Obligation of Being an Officer. It touched on Pattons grand view of the profession of arms: Does it not occur to you gentlemen that we . 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. In his private supplications to God, however, a different Patton emerges humble, uncertain, and seeking guidance. He came from Israels smallest tribe. . Why, by God, Iactually pity those poor sons of bitches were going upagainst. But between the plan and the operation there is always an unknown. In my mind we came here to thank God that men like these have lived rather than to regret that they have died.. Now lets cut the guts out of those Krauts and get the hell on to Berlin. I do not believe that much praying is being done.. Even in the heat of combat he could take time out to direct new methods to prevent trench feet, to see to it that dry socks went forward daily with the rations to troops on the line, to kneel in the mud administering morphine and caring for a wounded soldier until the ambulance came. . He just as quickly changed moods, joking, Relax, gentlemen, Im in no condition to be a terror now. When he was informed that the hospital chaplain was there to pray by his side, Patton responded, Well, let him get started. Pray alone. The film won a Best-Picture Oscar as well as Best Actor for George C. Scott. 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? The General wanted a prayerhe wanted one right now and he wanted it published to the Command. General Patton was an intellectual warrior who obsessively studied every facet of warfare - while studying his Bible daily. General Patton "Blood and Guts" Speech to the Third Army on June 5th, 1944 (The parts in red are excerpts that have been translated into Vietnamese) Be seated! 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. Any great military operation takes careful planning, or thinking. He sought topresent the striking image of a leader, an image that demanded attention and inspired his troops by its swagger. 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. . Patton could be painfully direct. . General George S. Patton Jr. was buried at mid-morning on December 24, 1945, in a grave dug by German prisoners of war. Gen. George S. 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