Patton Essay, Research Paper
Biographical Information
George Patton was born in 1885. His mother gave birth to him in California
at San Gabriel s hospital. He grew up on his grandfather s ranch at Lake Vineyard. When
he was a boy he was very curious and loved to hear his family read to him about wars
and adventures. (Province The Unknown Patton) At the age of 12 he fell in love with a
girl named Bea Ayer and later married her.
In 1904 George had made up his mind to go to West Point to become a soldier. He
won an appointment through a competitive examination held by Senator T. G. Bard of
California. George entered West Point in June of 1904. He was disliked by many of
the other cadets at West Point because of his cocky attitude and seriousness about being
a soldier. (Blumensor Patton) He was cocky because he felt himself to be a better soldier
than his class mates. (Province The Unknown Patton) He graduated in 1909 and was
commissioned a second lieutenant. George choose cavalry and was assigned to Troop K,
15th Calvary, stationed at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Before he left to go to Fort Sheridan he
proposed to Bea and was married at the Church of St. John at Beverly Farms,
Massachusetts. They left together to spend 2 and half years at Fort Sheridan.
At Fort Sheridan Mr. and Mrs. Patton lived in a small double house. They both
quickly adapted to military life. During their stay there Mrs. Patton gave birth to George s
daughter in 1911. She was named Beatrice Ayer Patton. A year after her birth they got
transferred to Fort Myer.
There George served as aide-de-camp to the American general John Joseph
Pershing on Pershing s expedition to Mexico in 1917. After Fort Myer the Pattons were
shifted rapidly form place to place. Patton had a tour at Fort Riley in the Cavalry School.
From there to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where Patton graduated with honors from
the General Service School.
During World War 1 in France, George established a tank training school and
commanded a tank brigade. In 1942 and 1943, during World War 2, he commanded U.S.
forces in Morocco, Tunisia, and Sicily. He played a key role in the heading Allied armored
thrust to Germany after D-Day. His Third Army broke through the German defenses in the
Normandy campaign and advanced rapidly across France. In March 1945 they crossed the
Rhine River into Germany and also moved toward Austria. After the war, George served
as the military governor of Bavaria, but because of criticism of his lenient policy toward
the former army he was relieved of the post. Late in 1945 he was fatally injured in a traffic
accident. He broke his neck and twelve days after the accident he died on December 21,
1945. He said that when he dies he wants to be buried with his men, so they buried him
in the military cemetery at Hamm, Luxembourg among 30,000 men who fought for
him.
Defining Moment
One of the greatest speeches delivered in World War 2 was by General Patton. The
speech was given to the Third Army on June 5, 1944. Patton told his men some of his
basic thoughts about the nature of war, strategy, and tactics. In the Speech to the Third
Army he spoke to his men in simple down to earth language that could be understood.
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. Americans love to fight, traditionally.
All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. You
are here today for three reasons. First, because you are here
to defend your homes and your loved ones. Second, you are
here for your own self respect, because you would not want
to be anywhere else. Third, you are here because you are
real men and all real men like to fight. When you, here,
everyone of you, were kids, you all admired the champion
marble player, the fastest runner, the toughest boxer, the big
league ball players, and the All-American football players.
Americans love a winner. Americans will not tolerate a
loser. Americans despise cowards. Americans play to win all
of the time. I wouldn’t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost
and laughed. That’s why Americans have never lost nor will
ever lose a war; for the very idea of losing is hateful to an
American……..There is one great thing that you men will all
be able to say after this war is over and you are home once
again. You may be thankful that twenty years from now
when you are sitting by the fireplace with your grandson on
your knee and he asks you what you did in the great World
War II, you WON’T have to cough, shift him to the other
knee and say, “Well, your Granddaddy shoveled shit in
Louisiana.” No, Sir, you can look him straight in the eye
and say, “Son, your Granddaddy rode with the Great Third
Army and a Son-of-a-Goddamned-Bitch named Georgie
Patton!”(Blumenson Patton)
Why Chosen
Speech to the Third Army was one of the few speeches that I enjoy. I have never
heard a speech before that fills a person up with so much courage. Patton in the speech
really relates to every soldiers feelings about going into battle. For example he says
You are not all going to die. Only two percent of you right
here today would die in a major battle. Death must not be
feared. Death, in time, comes to all men. Yes, every man is
scared in his first battle. If he says he’s not, he’s a liar. Some
men are cowards but they fight the same as the brave men
or they get the hell slammed out of them watching men fight
who are just as scared as they are. The real hero is the man
who fights even though he is scared. Some men get over
their fright in a minute under fire. For some, it takes an
hour. For some, it takes days. But a real man will never let
his fear of death overpower his honor, his sense of duty to
his country, and his innate manhood. Battle is the most
magnificent competition in which a human being can
indulge. It brings out all that is best and it removes all that is
base. Americans pride themselves on being He Men and
they ARE He Men. Remember that the enemy is just as
frightened as you are, and probably more so. (Blumenson
Patton)
In the speech Patton tells it how it is and I really like that in a person. He told
nothing but the truth , not once in the speech did he try and tell a lie. He tells
the soldiers why and how they should win against there enemy. Also, he spoke to the
soldiers about what is an Army and that there is no individual heroic Army.
An Army is a team. It lives, sleeps, eats, and fights as a
team. This individual heroic stuff is pure horse shit. The
bilious bastards who write that kind of stuff for the Saturday
Evening Post don’t know any more about real fighting under
fire than they know about fucking! We have the finest food,
the finest equipment, the best spirit, and the best men in the
world. Why, by God, I actually pity those poor
sons-of-bitches we’re going up against. (Blumenson Patton)
If this speech was never written or said I don t think we would of done as good as
we would of. This speech really got through to the soldiers. All of this is why the speech
to the Third army was chosen as the defining moment.
Criticism and commentary
Pattons outspoken comments on military, dramatic manners, political affairs, and
reckless behavior won him both applause and criticism. A lot of people thought General
Patton to be a great war hero and a brilliant military stradegy. But, on the other hand
people thought General Patton was a reckless killer who has no soul. Most civilians
thought Patton was a killer and some people in the military thought that also. The real
people who know him thought of him as a hero and smart in warfare.
Closing Statement
Patton was after perfection and was never satisfied with his performance. His great
good fortune that his life required the qualities essential to brilliant leadership. Patton was
one of America s greatest soldiers and one of the world s great captains. Some mystery
will forever remain around his genius in warfare, but that too is part of the legend
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