Great article. Reminds of some lines in Gen. Patton’s speech - “America loves a winner” is one of them. The first part is history, second part has more intro and then the speech. Sadly, the recording was destroyed.
http://www.pattonhq.com/speech.html
General Patton’s Address to the Troops
Wow:
“The General paused and looked over the crowd. “You are not all going to die,” he said slowly. “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. They are not supermen.”
Too bad it couldn’t have been memorialized when he gave it, but it seems from the speech it was beyond top secret-he wasn’t even supposed to be in England. Probably wouldn’t have happened unless all of the troops had already been restricted to base.