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To: Leaning Right
Yes. And "compassion" and "restraint" are not on their list of things to be admired. That's something both Bushes never quite understood. Both of them stopped short of going for an all-out victory. And in both cases that was interpreted as a weakness, something to be exploited.

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_S._Patton

1. Patton: [referring to Rommel's book, 'Infantry Attacks' or 'Infanterie greift an'] Rommel... you magnificent bastard, *I read your book*!

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2. Patton: The Carthaginians defending the city were attacked by three Roman legions. The Carthaginians were proud and brave but they couldn't hold. They were massacred. Arab women stripped them of their tunics and their swords and lances. The soldiers lay naked in the sun. Two thousand years ago. I was here.

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3. Patton: Now there's another thing I want you to remember. I don't want to get any messages saying that "we are holding our position." We're not holding anything. Let the Hun do that. We are advancing constantly and we're not interested in holding onto anything except the enemy. We're going to hold onto him by the nose and we're going to kick him in the ass. We're going to kick the hell out of him all the time and we're going to go through him like crap through a goose!

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4. Patton: Men, all this stuff you've heard about America not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of horse dung. Americans traditionally love to fight. All real Americans love the sting of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, big league ball players, the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost, and will never lose a war... because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans.

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5. Patton: Please inform these men that the mess hall is closed.
American GI Cook: But sir, it's only a quarter 'til eight.
Patton: From now on, you will open at six, and no man will be admitted after six-fifteen. Where are your leggings?
American GI Cook: Leggings? Oh hell, General sir, I'm a cook.
Patton: You're a soldier. Twenty dollar fine.
[two more soldiers enter the mess hall. Patton looks them over]
Patton: Gentlemen, from this moment, any soldier without leggings, without a helmet, without a tie, any man with unshined shoes or a soiled uniform... is going to be skinned.

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6. Patton: Now, an army is a team - it lives, eats, sleeps, fights as a team. This individuality stuff is a bunch of crap.

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7. Patton: The Nazis are the enemy. Wade into them. Spill *their* blood. Shoot *them* in the belly.

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8. Patton: We're gonna keep fighting. Is that CLEAR? We're gonna attack all night, we're gonna attack tomorrow morning. If we are not VICTORIOUS, let no man come back alive!

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9. Lt. Col. Charles R. Codman: You know General, sometimes the men don't know when you're acting.
Patton: It's not important for them to know. It's only important for me to know.

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10. Clergyman: I was interested to see a Bible by your bed. You actually find time to read it?
Patton: I sure do. Every goddamn day.

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11. Patton: [voiceover] For over a thousand years, Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of a triumph - a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeters and musicians and strange animals from the conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conqueror rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children, robed in white, stood with him in the chariot, or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror, holding a golden crown, and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting.

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12. General Omar N. Bradley: There's one big difference between you and me, George. I do this job because I've been trained to do it. You do it because you LOVE it.

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13. Soldier: Where ya goin', General?
Patton: Berlin. I'm going to personally shoot that paper-hangin' sonofabitch.

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14. Translator: The general would like to know if you will drink a toast with him.
Patton: Thank the general and tell him I have no desire to drink with him or any other Russian son of a bitch.
Translator: [Nervous] I can't tell him that!
Patton: Tell him, every word.
Translator: [In Russian] He says he will not drink with you or any Russian son of a bitch.
Russian general: [In Russian] Tell him he is a son of a bitch, too. Now!
Translator: [Very nervous] He says he thinks you are a son of a bitch, too.
Patton: [laughing] All right. All right, tell him I'll drink to that; one son of a bitch to another.

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14. Capt. Oskar Steiger: The absence of war will destroy him.
German officer: [on the Battle of Kasserine Pass] The Americans were under the command of British General Anderson.
[smiles broadly]
German officer: American soldiers and British generals - the worst of both worlds!
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel: [curtly] May I remind you that *Montgomery* is British?

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15. Colonel Gaston Bell: General McAuliffe refused a German surrender demand. You know what he said?
Patton: What?
Colonel Gaston Bell: "Nuts!"
Patton: [laughing] Keep them moving, colonel. A man that eloquent has to be saved.

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16. Patton: Thirty years from now, when you're sitting around your fireside with your grandson on your knee and he asks you, "What did you do in the great World War II," you won't have to say, "Well... I shoveled shit in Louisiana."

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17. Patton: There's only one proper way for a professional soldier to die: the last bullet of the last battle of the last war.

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18. Patton: In about fifteen minutes, we're going to start turning these boys into fanatics - razors. They'll lose their fear of the Germans. I only hope to God they never lose their fear of me.

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19. Patton: What's the matter with you?
Soldier Who Gets Slapped: I... I guess I... I can't take it sir.
Patton: What did you say?
Soldier Who Gets Slapped: It's my nerves, sir. I... I... I just can't stand the shelling anymore.
Patton: Your *nerves*? Well, hell, you're just a God-damned coward.
[Soldier starts sniveling]
Patton: [Slaps him, once forehanded, then backhanded on the rebound]
Patton: Shut up! I won't have a yellow bastard sitting here *crying* in front of these brave men who have been wounded in battle!
[Soldier snivels some more, and Patton swings a vicious forehand slap, knocking his helmet away]
Patton: *Shut up!*
[to the doctors]
Patton: Don't admit this yellow bastard. There's nothing wrong with him. I won't have sons-of-bitches who are afraid to fight *stinking up this place of honor!*
[to soldier]
Patton: You're going back to the front, my friend. You may get shot, and you may get killed, but you're going up to the fighting. Either that, or I'm going to stand you up in front of a firing squad. I ought to shoot you myself, you god-damned... bastard! Get him out of here!
[pulls his service automatic. At that, the doctors leap forward and hustle the soldier out of the tent. Patton keeps shouting at the soldier's back]
Patton: Take him up to the front! You hear me? You God-damned coward!
[Takes deep breath]
Patton: I won't have cowards in my army.

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20. Patton: In ten days I'll have a war on with those Communist bastards, and I'll make it look like THEIR fault.

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21. Patton: [apologizing to his troops after the "slapping" incident] I can assure you that I had no intention of being either harsh or cruel in my treatment of the... soldier in question.
My sole purpose was to try to restore in him some sense of appreciation of his obligations as a man and as a soldier.
"If one could shame a coward," I felt, "one might help him to regain his self-respect." This was on my mind. Now, I freely admit that my method was wrong, but I hope you can understand my motive. And that you will accept this explanation... and this... apology.

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22. General Omar N. Bradley: What we really need is... someone tough enough to really pull this outfit together.
Brig. Gen. Hobart Carver: Patton?
General Omar N. Bradley: Possibly.
Brig. Gen. Hobart Carver: [with a smile] God help us!

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23. Patton: Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee of Thy great goodness to restrain this immoderate weather with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for battle. Graciously harken to us as solders 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. AMEN.

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24. Patton: [Bradley frowns as Patton pins on his new stars] What's the matter, Brad? I've been nominated by the president.
General Omar N. Bradley: I know... but it doesn't become official until it's been approved by the Senate.
Patton: Well, they have their schedule and I have mine.
General Omar N. Bradley: [smiles wryly] George, I think if you were named Admiral of the Turkish navy, your aides could dip into their haversacks and come up with the appropriate badges of rank. Anyway, congratulations, George...
[extends his hand, then pulls it back]
General Omar N. Bradley: *premature* congratulations.
Shakes Patton's hand]

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25. Patton: [Patton is apologizing to the troops after the slapping incident]
I thought I would stand here like this so you could see if I was really as big a son of a bitch as you think I am.

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26. Patton: You know, Dick, if I had my way, I'd meet Rommel face to face; him in his tank and me in mine. We'd meet out there somewhere... salute each other, maybe drink a toast, then we'd button up and do battle. The winner would decide the outcome of the entire war.

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27. Patton: I love it. God help me I do love it so. I love it more than my life.
Patton: God, how I hate the twentieth century.

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28. Patton: We're going to have to fight the Russians eventually anyway. It might as well be now while we've already got the army here to do it.

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29. Lt. Col. Charles R. Codman: [Codman is handed a letter while riding through the newly liberated Palermo] This is from from General Alexander, sir, reminding you that you are not to take Palermo.
Patton: Send him a message, Cod. Ask him if he wants me to give it back.

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30. Correspondent: General, we're told of wonder weapons the Germans were working on: Long-range rockets, push-button bombing weapons that don't need soldiers. What's your take on that?
Patton: Wonder weapons? My God, I don't see the wonder in them. Killing without heroics. Nothing is glorified, nothing is reaffirmed. No heroes, no cowards, no troops. No generals. Only those that are left alive and those that are left... dead.

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The number of speeches given by Patton is not clear, with one source saying four to six, but this is one of his more memorable quote: ...
You won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country. ... never lets his fear of death overpower his honor, his sense of duty to his country, ... If not, some German son-of-a-bitch will sneak up behind him and beat him to death ...

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My father, a non-citizen, fought in WWII in north Africa and Anzio.
He was given U.S. citizenship on leaving the Army.
He NEVER, EVER talked about the war.
He got malaria in North Africa and survived it.
However, malaria damages the heart and my daddy passed away TOO SOON.

Thanks for reading down this far.

16 posted on 09/13/2014 10:03:37 AM PDT by cloudmountain
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To: cloudmountain
Funny thing, I never get tired reading about Patton. Your post was not long enough!

The father of a friend of mine served with Patton in France. He hated Patton because the general was so strict. One time Patton personally fined him for not wearing a tie in a combat zone. But he also respected Patton. Not because of the strictness, but because Patton got the job done.

Perhaps strictness and getting the job done are related. But I of course never mentioned that to the old veteran!

17 posted on 09/13/2014 11:14:44 AM PDT by Leaning Right (Why am I holding this lantern? I am looking for the next Reagan.)
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