Thursday, November 13, 2008
Veteran’s Day Week Post 2
Posted by Zach in News

“Go forward until the last round is fired and the last drop of gas is expended…then go forward on foot!” General George S. Patton

I talked to my grandpa on the phone earlier this week. I asked him what he thought about General Patton, and he said that Patton was a great man and a terrific general. During WW2, my grandpa saw Patton in person in France when the General proposed a personal inspection of the men. I asked if he wore the ivory handled revolvers that people attribute to him, and my grandpa said, “oh sure.” Patton, historians note, was a snappy dresser.

Apparently, the General demanded behavior as disciplined as his own. He once said to the officers of the Second Armored Division, “You cannot be disciplined in great things and indisciplined in small things. Brave undisciplined men have no chance against the discipline and valor of other men. Have you ever seen a few policemen handle a crowd?” Following his own advice, Patton insisted that his men adhere to a rigid dress code.

When Patton took control from Fredendall of the II Corps, he decided to institute stricter discipline with an aim to instill unit pride. This included daily shaving, and steel helmets for everyone, even doctors. His troops also had to wear leggings and neckties. Patton answered his critics with this, “It is absurd to believe that soldiers who cannot be made to wear the proper uniform can be induced to move forward in battle.”

While some may disagree with his conclusions (pot smoking college professors who long for those days in the minibus when they first became aware of their own infallibility), no one can disagree with his success as a military leader (unless you’re a pot smoking college professor who thinks that the only true military leaders are Argentinian Marxist revolutionaries).

Even Patton’s enemies were forced to admire his leadership. Stalin, whom Patton openly ridiculed, conceded that Patton’s French advance was beyond the planning and strategic capabilities of the Red Army. German Field Marshal Gerd Von Rundstedt put Patton at the top of the US generals when he claimed, “Patton was your best.” Even Hitler was forced to take notice calling him “that crazy cowboy general.”

After Patton’s death, one journalist wrote, “Gen. George S. Patton believed he was the greatest soldier who ever lived. He made himself believe he would never falter through doubt. This absolute faith in himself as a strategist and master of daring infected his entire army, until the men of the second American corps in Africa, and later the third army in France, believed they could not be defeated under his leadership.” And they weren’t.

On December 21, 1945, Patton died of an embolism. He was paralyzed in an auto accident on December 9th, one day before he was to return to the US. A man who was made for his time, and who loved his country, faced his end at the end of a great American success. Perhaps it’s better for him that he was spared the sight of the 1960s.

Despite our culture’s approval of indecisive leadership, and inclination to discourage success, I’m glad that there is room in America to honor a man like Patton. He saw the board clearly, and made his moves without the need to keep his hand on the piece. During the Battle of the Bulge, Patton needed a day’s worth of good weather. Never without a plan, he asked the Third Army’s Chaplain, James O’Neill, to compose a prayer and plead with God for fair conditions. The weather cleared, and Patton immediately gave O’Neill a Bronze star before he continued planning. I think it’s this decisiveness and conviction that makes my Grandfather speak of the man with such respect. And in a day where we honor our Veterans, it seems fitting to follow suit.

2 Responses to “Veteran’s Day Week Post 2”

Brade comments:
Thursday, November 13th, 2008

If anyone hasn’t seen the movie Patton, go take care of that pronto. I saw it about a year ago for the first time, and it’s probably my favorite war film.

Ben comments:
Friday, November 14th, 2008

I wish he could have caught a glimpse of our present age: it seems like some of those hippies conjured up the personal computer, an invention which has allowed us this opportunity to blog. And blog with perspicacity and conviction, thanks to heroes like Patton who, in no small way, preserved our freedom of speech.

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