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. Patton was number three. I wouldnt give a hoot in hell for aman who lost and laughed. 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 . George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 - December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France and Germany after the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. I should think the distance is less than half a mile. It was a two-piece dark greencorduroy outfit. I want to pin a medal on him.. In February 1944, Overlord planners at Supreme Allied Headquarters had formulated a planOperation Fortitude Southto deceive the Nazi commanders intothinking that the Norman landings were merely a feint to draw German defenders away from a main Allied invasion at Pas de Calais. For the first twelve years of his life, Patton was educated at home. to bea one-handed puncher. All rights reserved. Not surprisingly, the chaplain concluded his sermon exactly ten minutes later. He studied military history, as well as the last war and current developments. He immediately became calm, shakingoff his tremors of fear. Thats why Americans havenever lost and will never lose a war; for the very idea oflosing is hateful to an American. Beatrices dinner was interrupted when the nurse suddenly noticed that Patton had stopped breathing. . . I told them that I was going to relieve any preacher who talked more than ten minutes on any subject. Were not just going to shoot the sons of bitches, weregoing to rip out their living goddamned guts and usethem to grease the treads of our tanks. As he lay bleeding in a bomb crater, Patton ordered Angelo toreturn to the tanks and point out the location of the machine gunnests. . We are not trying to make the best of these days. ONeill later recalled. 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. Patton made the same point a few years later, after the invasion of Sicily: I had all the non-Catholic chaplains in the other day and gave them hell for having uninteresting services. I do not believe that much praying is being done.. Death, in time, comes to allmen. . "Patton" (1970) General George Smith Patton, Jr. Thats why Americans havenever lost and will never lose a war; for the very idea oflosing is hateful to an American. Both chaplains and men are removed from a special building with a steeple. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish Thy justice among men and nations. 1911 March 19 Pattons first child, Beatrice Ayer, was born. About a hundred and fifty doughboys followed him, but when theyarrived at the crest of the hill, the onslaught of gunfire forced themall to the ground, hugging it for protection. After we had left the church, we followed the Way of the Cross, which is a dirty street, to the point where the Roman Forum had stood. 'Old Blood and Guts', General Patton. . Keep moving. Once the Third Army had become operational, my mode of contact with the chaplains had been chiefly through Training Letters issued from time to time to the Chaplains in the four corps and the 22 to 26 divisions comprising the Third Army. When shells are hitting all around you and you wipe the She bore him two daughters and a son. 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. 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. immensely huge American flag, delivers his version of Patton's "Speech to. 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. They were actually in the heart of England itself. But he was nevertheless punctilious about gentlemanly conduct. 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. Napoleons defeat confirmed Emperor Nicholas Is dictum that Russia has two generals in which she can confide: Generals January and February. Paralyzed from the neck down, he was taken to a hospital in Heidelberg. His most importantpriority was training men for war. In addition, they had killed or wounded an estimated 88,000 enemy soldiers and taken another 30,000 prisoner. He was a communicant of the Episcopal Church, but he studied the Koran and the Bhagavad Gita. 1924 July 30 Patton was an Honor Graduate, Command and General Staff College. 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! that they should attack by surprise and mass . Sure we want to go home. . Death, in time, comes to allmen. May 12 Patton launched Operation Cowboy in Hostau, Czechoslovakia, rescuing 1,200 horses, including 375 of the Lipizzan breed, from potential Soviet slaughter. 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. It can be argued that he was one of the proudest Americans to ever live. From General Pattons speech to he Second Armored Division, December 1941: I shall be delighted to lead you against any enemy, confident in the fact that your disciplined valor and high training will bring vic-tory. 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. Even if you arehit, you can still fight back. . Know of nothing more I can do to prepare for this attack except to read the Bible and pray. At the end of 1943, while Pattons commanders were deciding his fate, the allied leadersRoosevelt, Churchill, and Stalinmet in Tehran to discuss strategy for defeating Germany and plans for the postwar world. Once the fighting in Europe ended in May 1945, Patton was denied a . 1934 March 1 Patton was promoted to the permanent rank of lieutenant colonel. His active military duty lasted from 1909 to 1945. On this day, in 1945 one of the greatest American generals of WWII dies. Patton was a fine leader, a great general, but he didn't do politics well. . Polo was his substitute. . It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base. George S. Patton (November 11, 1885-December 21, 1945) was an American Army general noted for winning battles in World Wars I and II. Patton of the harsh, compelling voice, the lurid vocabulary, the grim and indomitable spirit that . He inspired his troops. Seventh Armyin theMediterraneanandEuropean theaters of World War II. The inexperienced American armys first major encounter with the Germans resulted in a resounding defeat at the Kasserine Pass in Tunisia. He spoke to his men like it, and they returned a response of almost mechanised fighting ability. The vow of Obedience was rigidly enforced. In the days of chivalry, the golden age of our profession, knights (officers) were noted as well for courtesy and being gentle benefactors of the weak and oppressed. All day the 9th of July 1943, there was a storm but it cleared at dark. Great living is not all output of thought and work. The year after the publication of War As I Knew It, Monsignor ONeill felt compelled to write his own account of the prayers origin, which was published in The Military Chaplain magazine as The True Story of the Patton Prayer. ONeill complained that the footnote on the Prayer by Colonel Paul D. Harkins. It seems to me that at the head of a regiment of cavalry any thing would be possible.5 What seemed immediately possible, or so Patton hoped, was war in Mexico that would involve the United States. However, if he was a successful knight, he received from the Order more than a hundredfold over what he gave, so that most of them died very rich. 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 . There is one great thing you men will be able to saywhen you go home. 18971903 Patton attended Stephen Cutter Clarks Classical School for Boys, Pasadena, California. Chaplain, how much praying is being done in the Third Army? inquired the general. . 2. Few would have predicted that Eisenhower would become the most brilliant star of the West Point class of 1915the class the stars fell on.. He hadshown his courage and faced his fears. Americans despise cowards. 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. He said, God damn! He was promoted to first lieutenant. June 6, 1944 - Led by Eisenhower, over a million troops (the largest invasion force in history) stormed the beaches at Normandy and began the process of re-taking France. Eisenhower prepared to leak a story that General Patton had lost his commandbecause of displeasure at some of his indiscretions and thatthe main invasion of the continent was delayed by bad weather. He staggeredforward a few steps before collapsing. Two weeks later, General Patton took over command of II Corps from Fre-dendall and wrote this letter to the troops now under his command: All of us have been in battle. One account of what happened after Pattons telephone call to ONeill is related by Colonel Paul Harkins, Pattons deputy chief of staff. Pray for victory. See answer (1) Best Answer. He was comforted by his unshakeable faith, a faith hehad held since childhood and that he had carefully nurtured everyday since. are also the modern representatives of the demigods and heroes of antiquity?. You mean across the Rhine? Sure am, Patton replied, I sneaked a division over last night. . If we die killing, well and good, but if we fight hard enough, viciously enough, we will kill and live. . The day after ONeill had shown Patton the prayer for fair weather for battle and the accompanying Christmas greeting, he presented the general with Training Letter No. 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. Pattons army was victorious at El Guettar, and the Germans learned that the United States Army, led by its new commander, was no longer to be taken lightly. 2. then they will organize a battalion and I will command it. 1915 February 28 Pattons second child, Ruth Ellen Patton Totten, was born. I dont want to hear of any soldier under my commandbeing captured unless he has been hit. . I was shotin the behind in World War I! Heservedin numerous staff positions throughout the country. July 26 Patton served as Commanding Officer, 2d Armored Brigade of 2d Armored Division, Fort Benning. The knights also had to take four vowsPoverty, Chastity, Humility, and Obedience. There is nothing todo at the moment but be a secret weapon.. . The best is the enemy of the good was one of his favorite maxims. With that the general rose from his chair, indicating that the meeting was concluded, and ONeill returned to his office to prepare the training letter Patton had requested. His diary entry for November 7, 1944, reads: Two years ago today we were on the Augusta approaching Africa, and it was blowing hard. 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. In addition to the requirement of sixteen crosses of nobility, a knight had to spend eighteen months at sea on the galleys as a fighter, and then work in a hospital. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Speech at the Hatch Memorial Shell, Boston, Massachusetts . It is here that he struck up a friendship with another young officer, Dwight David Eisenhower. We talk too much of sacrifice, of the glory of dying that freedom may live. . 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. . She seemed to want her husband to herself one final time. An armored division is the most powerful organizationever devised by the mind of men . while containing the elements of a funny story about the General and his Chaplain, is not the true account of the prayer incident or its sequence.. 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. But Pattons faith was not a mere contrivance with which he cynically tried to motivate his men. George Patton was born in San Gabriel, California, on 11th November, 1885. . On the battlefield, he was a competent commander respected by both sides. The encounter seemed to confirm Hitlers contempt for the battle-worthiness of American soldiers. Then if I make good and the T. do and the war lasts I will get the first regiment. But we must urge, instruct, and indoctrinate every fighting man to pray as well as fight. He had a massive library, a "who's who," of ancient and modern war.. However, they did get across and Napoleon crossed at about the same place and also lost his baggage when the wind shifted. After lunching with the Commanding General, we drove back to the airfield and flew back to Cairo along the coast, passing over Gaza. Patton lost his rank of colonel and reverted to captain. . The first part presents the background, the second the speech itself, interrupted by brief From the Tomb we went to the Crusaders Chapel where those who became Knights of Jerusalem were knighted. And whenever he achieved anything important, whether it was his admission to West Point or a victory in battle, Pat-ton always gave thanks to God. On the night of March 22, 1945, elements of the Third Army crossed the Rhine at the German town of Oppenheim. For this,. George S. Patton. 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). 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. Both of us were students of current military doctrine. Known as "Old Blood and Guts," George S. Patton, Jr. was one of the most colorful generals of World War II. opening. This is because a lot of people back home are praying for us. It appears as a footnote in War As I Knew It, a book based on Pattons diaries and published in 1947, after his death. Patton arrived in Europe in 1917 as a captain. Why, by God, Iactually pity those poor sons of bitches were going upagainst. It was useless to try to move from the relative safety ofthe small hollow blown in the earth. Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. Death must not be feared. That unknown spells defeat or victory, success or failure. The Chaplain came up the next day. World War Two Timeline From The Great War To Germanys Surrender, When Patton Enlisted the Entire Third Army to Pray for Fair Weather, California Do not sell my personal information. We were taken through this by the librarian. Upon completing his crossing over a pontoon bridge, he took some dirt on the far bank, emulating his favorite historical figure William the Conqueror. personality earned him the nickname Old Blood and Guts and he was renowned for his quick-temper. An armored divisionis that element of the team which carries out therunning plays. 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. . I do not want to be hitthere again. Pray alone. Americans will not tolerate aloser. He formulated his own views in articles, including his conclusion that Tanks are not motorized cavalry; they are tanks, a new auxiliary arm whose purpose is ever and always to facilitate the advance of the master arm, the Infantry, on the field of battle.Before the next great war he amended that view, recognizing that tanks could be an offensive force of their own. Many of the men drove over 40 consecutive hours. He first came to attention as a commander fighting Pancho Villa in Mexico and helped revolutionize the use of tanks in warfare. He gave us a British priest, who had lived a long time in Jerusalem, as a guide to see the sights. July 25 Spent time in Beverly, Massachusetts hospital with a broken leg. . How did General Patton die? 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! Beatrice flew to her husbands side after ordering that her children remain at home. . But Patton would have none of this. Peace was another matter. But the time is now to intensify our faith in prayer, not alone with ourselves, but with every believing man, Protestant, Catholic, Jew, or Christian in the ranks of the Third United States Army. Thetrouser legs were skinny and shoved into his black, laced-up fieldboots. . We're going to murder those lousy Huns by the bushel-f***ing-basket. . It was a two-piece dark greencorduroy outfit. Pray when driving. . . September 26 Patton was seriously wounded during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in France. He was laid next to a Third Army soldier who had been killed in combat during the Battle of the Bulge. For Patton, God was not a distant and impersonal being but a companion with whom he had a personal relationship. 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. . None of Defeats. He cant preach! And we got rid of him. Back home, he wrote an article that led to the 1913 redesign of the U.S. Cavalry saber. It lives, sleeps, eats, and fights as ateam. Descended. March 31 Reached Hawaii and was assigned to the G-1 and G-2 Hawaiian Division. You've got to spill their blood, or they will spill yours. It was in this capacity that Patton met Field Marshal Haig. She also read to him from John Bunyans Christian allegory, The Pilgrims Progress. 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