Posted on 12/26/2016 12:04:45 PM PST by Bull Snipe
General George Patton's Third Army broke the German siege of the City of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.
The skies cleared, too. American combined arms.
Hooahh!
My father was with Patton’s Third Army...
Recommend reading: “To Save Bastogne”, by Robert Phillips.
a real warrior among the finest warriors
Then there’s one thing you men will be able to say when this war is over and you get back home. Thirty years from now when you’re sitting by your fireside with your grandson on your knee and he asks, ‘What did you do in the great World War Two?’ You won’t have to cough 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 George Patton!’
All right, you sons of bitches. You know how I feel. I’ll be proud to lead you wonderful guys in battle anytime, anywhere. That’s all.
How true.....
My Dad was in a foxhole on the outskirts of Bastgone when Patton arrived. All Dad would ever talk about was how terribly cold it was. (He was severely wounded several weeks later near Noville).
So was my Dad.
Platoon Sergeant,
3rd Army Corps (Patton’s Armored),
101st Combat Engineers,
26th Infantry “Yankee” Division, thru
Central Europe, Northern France, Rhineland & Ardennes.
Dad was also in Bastogne, and told me that it was -40, they were surrounded, had no food, very little fuel and ammo, and had to dig parsnips, carrots, radishes from the frozen ground and keep them in their pants and shirts until they thawed, so they could cook and eat. To this day - he’s 92 and in very good health - he hates the cold.
I’ve heard a bunch of academic political revisionists talk about how he was a bully, coward, martinet etc.
Every IIIRD Army vet I’ve met would stand a little straighter and prouder and say something like “I rolled with Patton!” when the subject came up.
Those men that I have met that served with the 3rd Army in Europe were rightfully proud of their service to our country and our allies.
I neglected to mention that Dad was shot by a nazi sniper, while dragging 2 of his wounded platoon soldiers from an open field, who’d also been shot.
Wow. Kudos to your dad. According to a magazine which I used to read in the 90’s, the Third Army was the greatest army in history as they captured and defeated more enemies in a short span. A well oiled machine led by Patton
(My dad was in 20th Armored, which arrived in France the month after Bastogne and then moved through southern Germany.) Once about forty years ago I played golf on a 110° day with an older man who, unlike the rest of us, seemed unfazed by the excessive heat. When I asked why he said, “I was at Bastogne, and I was so cold I swore I’d never again complain about the heat.”
NUTS!
God Bless our Dads.
A 3rd Army tank commander, a hardened battle veteran at age 21, was my mentor in route sales. While travelling around, Eddie confided several of his experiences, speaking with great hatred of Patton, whom he called "Old Blood-and-Guts" Patton--"his guts and your blood." Eddie told me, "Please, don't ever forget."
It has been a great privilege to know these veterans, and of the ensuing quality of character forged in their service to this country. They remain my heroes.
I was 8 years old at the time of the Battle of the Bulge. Now I'm 80, but have never forgotten the unity of Americans in their Age of Greatness, and the sacrifices of those years.
But we who will never forget will soon all be gone, no longer able to fend off the Clintons and Obamas who never knew the things not to be forgotten, who created their own new ecxesses of immorality and cruelty.
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