Click here to see more articles in this category. He was named commanding general in April . 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. ARTICLES; FEATURED; May 29, 2015 Ivano Massari, Guest Author. Preachers who committed that particular sin he called pulpit killers. Clergy-men who insisted thou shalt not kill knew less about the Bible than he did, Patton argued. This quote is a good encapsulation of their friendship that began in the late 1910s. They were waiting for the arrival of that legendary figure, 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. Patton was told that the attack could take place any time after November 5, and that aerial bombardment would be available before-hand. The following day General Patton arrived at the pontoon bridge his engineers had constructed over the Rhine. General Patton is best known for leadingtheU.S. Third ArmyinFrance and Germany in the wake of the Alliedinvasion of Normandyin June 1944. Throughout the speech (Appendix 1) General Patton emphasises certain themes (Appendices 2 and 3 . Men this stuff that some sources sling around aboutAmerica wanting out of this war, not wanting to fight,is a crock of bullshit. 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.. We must ask God to stop these rains. 1911 March 19 Pattons first child, Beatrice Ayer, was born. Upon completing his crossing over a pontoon bridge, he took some dirt on the far bank, emulating his favorite historical figure William the Conqueror. Patton prayed to do his best, he prayed for solace in times of trouble, and he prayed for victory in times of war. Remember that theenemy is just as frightened as you are, and probablymore so. . If the general would sign the card, it would add a personal touch that I am sure the men would like, said the chaplain. Even if you arehit, you can still fight back. 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. I pray that I will fall forward when I amshot. Instead he demanded sermons and prayers which emphasized courage and victory. But his army was part of a whole organization and his operations part of a great campaign.. It is the reaction of the actors to the ordeal when it actually comes. immensely huge American flag, delivers his version of Patton's "Speech to. Even the most enlightened of our politicians are blind and mad with self delusion. May 14 Patton led soldiers who engaged Pancho Villas bodyguard and others at Rubio Ranch. Her ashes were later strewn over her husbands grave. Only four months earlier the fate of the Allied invasion of Europe hung on the course of a storm in the English Channel. Thetrouser legs were skinny and shoved into his black, laced-up fieldboots. 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. . George S. Patton as a lieutenant general Patton's Speech to the Third Army, alternatively known simply as "Patton's Speech" or "The Speech", was a series of speeches given by General George S. Patton to troops of the United States Third Army in 1944, prior to the Normandy Landings. The Saar campaign was launched on November 8, 1944. Enough to allow the Allies to break the backbone of the Von Runstedt offensive and turn a temporary setback into a crushing defeat for the enemy. Dont ever think that your job is unimportant. The conversation went something like this: General Patton: Chaplain, I want you to publish a prayer for good weather. 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. Seventh Armyin theMediterraneanandEuropean theaters of World War II. Many of the men drove over 40 consecutive hours. 1. The following is the complete text of General George Patton's speech to the United States . On the battlefield, he was a competent commander respected by both sides. Battle is not a terrifying ordeal to be endured. . 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. Fortunately for our fame as soldiers, our enemy is worthy of us. . In addition to the Stations of the Cross used by the Catholics, the Greeks have a number of extra ones, so that it is practically a days trip for a Greek priest to walk down the street, as they have to stop in front of each station. . . . . Foxholesonly slow up an offensive. Let us be gentle. The one honor which is mine and mine alone is that of having commanded such an incomparable group of Americans, the record of whose fortitude, audacity, and valor will endure as long as history lasts. Few would have predicted that Eisenhower would become the most brilliant star of the West Point class of 1915the class the stars fell on.. The two men once took a tank completely apart, down to the nuts and bolts, and reassembled it, apparently to satisfy their curiosity and to understand every detail of its intricate assembly. On February 14, 1943, Rommels Tenth and Twenty-first Panzer Divisions of the Afrika Korps launched an attack against the U.S. position. Site created in November 2000. July 1 Patton was promoted to the permanent rank of major. He did not literally run over bodies. As the official British history notes, it wasthe most complex and successful deception operation in the entirehistory of the war., A month after the Normandy invasion, secretly landing at an airstripnear Omaha Beach, Patton entered a waiting jeep. "Men, this stuff that some sources sling around about America wanting out of this war, not wanting to fight, is a crock of bullshit. Yes, every man is scared in his first battle. Using Patton's own diaries, speeches, and personal papers, Keane examines the general's actions and personality to shed light on his unique and . Eklund, he demanded, do you know Chaplain So-and-so?. 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. I dont want to get any messages saying, I am holdingmy position. We are not holding a goddamned thing. For Patton, God was not a distant and impersonal being but a companion with whom he had a personal relationship. 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. 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. But aside from his ardor for his duties and his active social life with the right sort of people, Patton was starting to make his mark as an athleteindeed, in 1912 he represented the United States at the Olympics, competing in the modern pentathlon, which tested a competitors equestrian skills with a steeplechase, marksmanship with a pistol, fencing, swimming three hundred yards, and running cross country two and a half miles. As the chaplain noted, however, strictly speaking it was the Third Army commanders letter, not ONeills. All of the real heroes are not storybook combat fighters,either. 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. General George S. Patton Jr. was buried at mid-morning on December 24, 1945, in a grave dug by German prisoners of war. December 20 Weather in the Ardennes cleared. The Third Armys sick rate equaled its battle casualty rate. Patton was a fine leader, a great general, but he didn't do politics well. In order to be a Knight of Malta, it was necessary to have sixteen crosses of nobility, so that when anyone came up to be a knight, he had to present his genealogy, which was then studied by a college of heralds, and, if proven correct, permitted to join. Beatrice flew to her husbands side after ordering that her children remain at home. Although he was a part of the first war, he is more known for his victories in the Second World War. From the Tomb we went to the Crusaders Chapel where those who became Knights of Jerusalem were knighted. I want to talk to you about this business of prayer. Patton rubbed his face in his hands, sat silently for a moment, then rose up and walked to the high window of the office where he stood with his back to ONeill, watching the falling rain. 3. The justice of our cause and not the greatness of our race makes us con-fident. . Pray when fighting. We're going to murder those lousy Huns by the bushel-f***ing-basket. 1905 June 5 Patton turned back to repeat initial year. The crossguard and the shape of the blade were correct. . 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. 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. It being near Christmas, we also asked General Patton to include a Christmas greeting to the troops on the same card with the prayer. Not surprisingly, the chaplain concluded his sermon exactly ten minutes later. We believed . 1885 November 11 Patton was born in San Gabriel, Los Angeles County, California. 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. . Born in 1885, Patton attended the Virginia Military Institute and the United States Military . Then you must have well-trained troops to carry it out: thats working. 19031904 Patton attended Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia, as Cadet. Patton was known as "Blood & Guts" ("Our blood, his guts"), was a common gripe among his troops for his hard-driving discipline, which paid off in lower casualties and great success on the battlefield. The vow of Humility was got around by the simple expedient of washing a poor mans feet three times. 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. All rights reserved. I was shot in the behind in World War I! None of Defeats. There was no glory in it and no chance for him to achieve the greatness he sought. 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. General Patton knew his entrance into German-occupied territory was of monumental historical importance. He had now achieved his destiny, joining the legions of ancestorsbefore him. 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. 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. October 2 Patton was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general. General Patton's "Blood and Guts" Speech the Troops (Warning Language) General Patton Posted on 3/17/2003, 5:26:05 AM by The Magical Mischief Tour The Speech Given somewhere in England on June 5th, 1944 "Be seated." Men, this stuff that some sources sling around about America wanting out of this war, not wanting to fight, is a crock of bullshit. By Tim Shipman in . Here he wrote much of the Knights of Malta and the rules of their order. 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