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