general patton blood and guts speech

General Patton's Famous "Blood and Guts" Speech to His Troops Anyone who has ever viewed the motion picture PATTON will never forget the opening. People must try to use their imagination and whenorders fail to come, must act on their own best judgment. . 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. After two hours, Pattons tankers and the 138th Regiment of theThirty-fifth Division subdued the Germans and seized the village ofCheppy. 1920 June 20 Patton reverted to the permanent rank of captain. Outside, the Chaplain said, Whew, thats a tough one! . . July 24 Patton served as Commanding Officer, 5th Cavalry, Fort Clark, Texas. . September 1 Patton re-entered as Cadet, U.S. Military Academy. 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.. 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 and I and a group of young officers thought . 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. Yes, every man is scared in his first battle. He inspired his troops. Winning converts was not easy, but Patton and Eisenhower were zealots. It consists of nothing but barren stony hills on which a few olive trees eke out a precarious existence. Americans love a winner. 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. . 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. 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. He credited her strength of character with strengthening his own. This was not just any battle, but a winner takes all. Patton would swiftly communicate his displeasure at ser-mons that dwelt on death or families whose sons would never return home. 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. In my mind we came here to thank God that men like these have lived rather than to regret that they have died.. Americans love to fight, traditionally. Why, by God, Iactually pity those poor sons of bitches were going upagainst. He gave us a British priest, who had lived a long time in Jerusalem, as a guide to see the sights. . George Patton. I do not want to be hitthere again. . He passed away from pulmonary embolism as a result of the accident. Without their loyalty, intelligence, and unremitting labors, success would have been impossible. That way I can keep firing my pistols! Speech at the Copley Plaza Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts, on June 07, 1945. 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. We must do something about those rains if we are to win the war.. Dont ever think that your job is unimportant. Beersheba and the surrounding country do not look too difficult, but certainly away from the wells the country is an absolute sand sea, and it is difficult to understand how Allenby ever moved a cavalry corps across it. 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 have no intention to reduce our vast striking force. One of his first acts as commanderhad been to build an amphitheater in the wooded hills of Fort Benningthat could accommodate the entire division. I guess I need it. The chaplain entered, said a few prayers and Patton thanked him. . July 6 Patton secretly flew into Normandy, France, while the Germans still believed he would lead the main invading force at Pas de Calais. 1932 June 2 Patton was awarded the Purple Heart for a wound sustained in 1918. Be Seated. One of his first acts as commanderhad been to build an amphitheater in the wooded hills of Fort Benningthat could accommodate the entire division. The admiring troops immediately dubbedhim the Green Hornet. One of the prisoners is Pattons son-in-law, John K. Waters. Playing with a pencil, he began to speak again. Patton was as much an actor as he was a fine general. Scott's rendition of the speech was highly sanitized so as not to offend too. One codex dating from 1420 and depicting the life of Saint Anthony, who spent his time being pursued by devils in the form of beautiful women, was particularly interesting to me because in one of the pictures it showed an armorers shop in which suits of armor, varying in date from early 1100 to 1400, were hung up for sale just as one hangs up clothes in a pawnshop. Were going tomurder those lousy Hun bastards by the bushel-f***ingbasket. . Foxholesonly slow up an offensive. The Third Army has no roster of Retreats. 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. April 11 Patton was made the commanding officer of the 2nd Armored Division. The World War II general commanded the US 7th Army in its invasion of Sicily and the 3rd Army . Enough War for a Lifetime. On this day, in 1945 one of the greatest American generals of WWII dies. The leadership had no interest in making room for a new weapon in the shrunken army. It is power.. Hed stop and talk to the troops; ask them did they get their turkey, how was it, and all that. His diary entry for that day is classic Patton: It was a clear cold Christmas, lovely weather for killing Germans, which seems a bit queer, seeing Whose birthday it is. The troops were cheerful but I am not, because we are not going fast enough., In the spring, as the Third Armys advance continued with clear weather, Patton again thanked the Lord for good weather: I am very grateful to the Lord for the great blessing he has heaped on me and the Third Army, not only in the success which He has granted us, but in the weather which He is now providing.. Americans love to fight. 1912 June 14 Patton sailed for Europe to participate in the Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden. The Third Armys sick rate equaled its battle casualty rate. It is our job to make the most of them. . The final stage of World War II in the European Theatre commenced with the Western Allied invasion of Germany. July 15 Patton formed a provisional corps in western Sicily, Italy. We are advancing constantlyand we are not interested in holding onto anything except the enemys balls! The opening scene-his famous "blood and guts" speech to his troops as they prepared to go into battle for the first time-remains one of the most famous scenes and greatest speeches in movie history. America settled into a period of inno-cence and isolation. . The author stated that General Patton . 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 . Instead he demanded sermons and prayers which emphasized courage and victory. Up to now, in the Third Army, God has been very good to us. the Third Army" on June 5th, 1944, the eve of the Allied invasion of France, code named "Overlord". July 26 Patton served as Commanding Officer, 2d Armored Brigade of 2d Armored Division, Fort Benning. The weather was still clear when we walked into General Pattons office. 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. December 16 Patton was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. . I do not want to be hitthere again. But we are not stopping at the Siegfried Line. Thats why Americans havenever lost and will never lose a war; for the very idea oflosing is hateful to an American. May 12 Patton launched Operation Cowboy in Hostau, Czechoslovakia, rescuing 1,200 horses, including 375 of the Lipizzan breed, from potential Soviet slaughter. Sure we want to go home. 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! All rights reserved. But Pattons faith was not a mere contrivance with which he cynically tried to motivate his men. . Patton arrived in Europe in 1917 as a captain. In Gideons day, and in our own, spiritually alert minorities carry the burdens and bring the victories. 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? . All realAmericans love the sting and clash of battle. In our next battle we shall, for the first time on this continent, have many thousands of Americans united in one command. It was soon knownas the Patton Bowl. The earliest versions of his soon-to-be-famousblood and guts speeches were delivered there. In proudly contemplating our achievements, let us never forget our heroic dead whose graves mark the course of our victorious advances, nor our wounded whose sacrifices aided so much in our success. 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] . The justice of our cause and not the greatness of our race makes us con-fident. Chaplain, I am a strong believer in Prayer. September 15 St. Mihiel Offensive was launched. Misses do not kill, but a bullet in the heart or a bayonet in the guts do. His voice was actually ratherhigh, certainly not the gravelly bass of George C. Scott in the Hollywoodmovie Patton. He was comforted by his unshakeable faith, a faith hehad held since childhood and that he had carefully nurtured everyday since. . . The film won a Best-Picture Oscar as well as Best Actor for George C. Scott. . His neck was broken. . This third-person account of the speech comes from The Unknown Patton by Charles M. Province, who compiled it from innumerable sources. George Campbell Scott, portraying Patton, standing in front of an. Please use this data for any reference citations. Pattons speeches typically included humor, almost always profaneand often self-deprecatory: I do not know of a better way to die than to be facingthe enemy. 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. To ensure that his order was carried out, he spent the bitterly cold day driving from one unit to another. November 21 Journalist Drew Pearson publicized George Pattons slapping incident of Aug 3, 1943. 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. He had not failed them; he had shown his courage and faced his fears. As he charged forward,Patton eerily saw himself as a small, detached figure on the battlefield,watched all the time from a cloud by his Confederate kinsmen and hisVirginia grandfather. 5. He valued these machines, ordering that no U.S. be surrendered. 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 had now achieved his destiny, joining the legions of ancestorsbefore him. ONeill maintains that he told Patton over the telephone that he would research the topic and report back to him within an hour. Our bravery is too negative. 1905 June 5 Patton turned back to repeat initial year. 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. The others lay dead or wounded. it is the call of ones [sic] ancestors and the glory of combat. He was laid next to a Third Army soldier who had been killed in combat during the Battle of the Bulge. Let us be men. . Somelines became classic. He chose the latter, thinking it the quickest way to combat and further promotion. Addresses the 3rd Army. Patton could, famously and frequently, swear up a storm. December 21 Patton passed away from pulmonary embolism as the result of an automobile accident. George S. Patton was one of America's most famous and colorful generals. His path to the numerous monumental events that he experienced there began after he finished atWest Point. These were not combat men. Patton seemed to understand instinctively that the faces werebeckoning him to his destiny. His profanity was merely a device to capture the attention of his soldiers. Then you must have well-trained troops to carry it out: thats working. It is time for another Patton to die, he saidaloud. Those who knew both men at this early stage of their military careers had the feeling that George Patton would achieve greatness. Part of our passion was our belief in tanksa belief derided at the time by others.The two men shared a detailed knowledge of the mechanical workings of tanks and an appreciation of their potential strategic uses beyond mere assistance to the infantry. 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. . . 1915 February 28 Pattons second child, Ruth Ellen Patton Totten, was born. Using Patton's own diaries, speeches, and personal papers, Keane examines the general's actions and personality to shed light on his unique and . George S. Patton. But he was a mighty man of valor. 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. 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. General Patton's speech to the Third Army was given on June 5, 1944, the eve of the Allied invasion of Europe. It is almost completely covered with villages and the areas between them are crowded with tiny fields. Death must not be feared. See if we cant get God to work on our side., Chaplain ONeill: Sir, its going to take a pretty thick rug for that kind of praying., General Patton: I dont care if it takes a flying carpet. Audio mp3 of Address delivered by George C. Scott. . He wrote to General Leonard Wood asking for his advice and assistance. 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. He was dying, but he had nofear of death. $15.24 8 Used from $4.06 4 New from $15.24. 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