Timesuck with Dan Cummins - 480 - Old Blood and Guts: The Life and War of General Patton

Episode Date: November 10, 2025

Happy Veteran's Day! George S. Patton was a war-winning, poetry-writing, reincarnation-believing chaos machine. The Allies needed him. The Nazis feared him. His bosses… tolerated him. From heroic battlefield leadership to slapping hospitalized soldiers and creating international incidents with his mouth, Patton lived louder than almost anyone in uniform. This is the story of Old Blood-and-Guts: genius, troublemaker, and one of the toughest sons of bitches in U.S. military history.Merch and more: www.badmagicproductions.com Timesuck Discord! https://discord.gg/tqzH89vWant to join the Cult of the Curious PrivateFacebook Group? Go directly to Facebook and search for "Cult of the Curious" to locate whatever happens to be our most current page :)For all merch-related questions/problems: [e-mail] (copy and paste)Please rate and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and elsewhere and follow the suck on social media!! @timesuckpodcast on IG and http://www.facebook.com/timesuckpodcastWanna become a Space Lizard? Click here: https://www.patreon.com/timesuckpodcast.Sign up through Patreon, and for $5 a month, you get access to the entire Secret Suck catalog (295 episodes) PLUS the entire catalog of Timesuck, AD FREE. You'll also get 20% off of all regular Timesuck merch PLUS access to exclusive Space Lizard merch Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best. It removes all that is base. All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood. General George S. Patton. George Patton, known as Old Blood and Guts by many of his soldiers,

is considered one of the greatest generals in American military history. and one of the toughest, most courageous Americans who have ever lived. Known for his fiery temper, the loyalty of his soldiers, and his strategic prowess, Patton was critical to the success of the Allies on the Western Front in World War II. Patton was polarizing, both loved and hated by many, but respected by most, including the Germans he fought against. His career was marked by numerous controversies, including but not limited to, allegedly ordering his men to massacre unarmed prisoners of war and slapping

and belittling traumatized soldiers in the hospital. There were more triumphs in his career than controversies, though. He did so much to help the Allies win World War II. Patton truly believed he was literally born to fight, that he had lived many lifetimes already as other soldiers, and that war was his true purpose here on earth. He was a very interesting dude. He wrote poetry over much of his life.

He would cry at funerals, but was admittedly happiest on the battlefield, surrounded by so much death. Like most notable historical figures, like Muhammad Ali last week. Patton was a very complex individual, far from perfect. And this week, in honor of Veterans Day, and thanks to my own long-held curiosity about this man, we will cover the life and military career of George Patton in this historical, biographical, quotable edition of TimeSuck. This is Michael McDonald, and you're listening to TimeSuck.

You're listening to TimeSuck. Happy Monday, and welcome or welcome back to the Cult of the Curious. And happy Veterans Day. And also happy birthday to my wife, Lindsay, the Queen Veterans Day being her birthday. Love her the most. Hope any veterans listening or active duty enjoy this week's bit of military history. It's fascinating. There was only one George S. Patton.

I'm Dan Cumman, the suckmaster guy who floats like a stone and stings like a dinosaur bone, the heavyweight champion of podcasting in northern Idaho, and you are listening to TimeSuck. Hail Nimrod, Hail Lucifina, praise be to good boy, bojangles, and glory be to Triple M. No announcements again today other than again. Just happy birthday to Lindsay Lou. And happy Veterans Day to all of you, saying thank you for your service. It just never feels like enough. And now let's meet someone who maybe loved their service, at least the combat.

aspect of it, more than any other American before or since. Today's structure, a hell of a lot less complex than our subject. We'll start with an overview of George Patton's legacy, followed by a full timeline of his life and his controversy-laden career, and then we will wrap this shit up. As I mentioned a moment ago, George Patton was known primarily for his discipline, toughness and self-sacrifice, leading his soldiers to refer to him as old blood and guts. Though he was respected, revered even by most of his soldiers, Patton's brashness and notorious temper also landed him in hot water several times throughout his career. According to Britannica, in time Patton's

legacy has come to be defined by his controversial and sometimes erratic behavior, almost as much as by his martial prowess. For example, during the 1943 Sicily offensive pair of mules, We're standing on a bridge blocking Patton's armored convoy. Patent was irritated and impatient. And instead of, oh, I don't know, having somebody grab the animals, just calmly lead them out of harm's way, he walked over and shot him, and then ordered some of his men to push their dead bodies off the bridge.

Maybe he was hangary. Had a killer headache or something that day. Or maybe he was nuts. Also in Italy, two of Patton's men would be tried for killing dozens of Italian and German POWs that same summer, claiming they were acting on his orders. Patent denied responsibility for the incident, ultimately was not found guilty of any wrongdoing,

but as you will see in the timeline, his response to initially finding out that a bunch of unarmed men had been slaughtered was, you know, maybe a bit callous. And still in 1943, Patton was almost fired for literally slapping two hospitalized soldiers who showed no outward visible signs of injury.

Excuse me. He thought they were faking it. So he called them a bunch of names, mocked them for cowardice, slapped him in the face, and ordered them back to the front. Dwight Eisenhower, future president, and at the time the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe and a five-star Army General, had a little talk with Patton about that. It was incidents like these that cost Patton a command role for the Normandy invasion.

Historians generally agree that Patton was one of the greatest military leaders in United States history, but also one of the most complicated. He believed generals should always be visible to their troops. He often wore a polished helmet riding pants. knee-high cavalry boots and carried his ivory-handled pistols everywhere he went. He was eccentric, one might say, also generally looked pissed off. Patton called his signature stern expression his war face. He was a showman. He oversaw training maneuvers in a red, white, and blue-painted tank,

his Jeep and oversized rank placards on the front and back and a loud horn to announce his approach. Historian Alan Axelrod wrote, for Patton, leadership was never simply about making plans and given orders. It was about transforming oneself into a symbol. At one point, Patton even rode on top of a tank into a German-controlled village, making himself a very visible target for enemy fire, simply to inspire his men to be more courageous. Patton had black soldiers under his command, notably the Black Panthers of the 761st Tank Battalion,

who won distinction on the battlefield. However, he also saw black soldiers as inferior and disparaging. their overall performance in combat. Patton helped liberate numerous concentration camps, but also made numerous tone-deaf anti-Semitic comets during the post-war occupation of Germany. He was a devout Christian, but also strongly believed in reincarnation. Patton truly believed he had lived past lives here on Earth as a soldier

in some of history's most famous wars. Before the 1943 invasion of Sicily, British General Harold Alexander told Patton, you know George you would have made a great marshal from Napoleon if you had lived in the 19th century and Patton responded in all seriousness but I did he believed that after he died he would just come back to lead more armies in battles in the future one of you listening right now you're probably George Patton you just need to remember your roots so think damn it think I hope you enjoy your episode a war was Patton's primary almost sole purpose his driving force in life there was never

going to be any other career for him. I'm surprised a guy like that got married and had kids, but he did. Patton once wrote in a letter to his wife, when I'm not attacking, I get bilious. Uncommon word for cranky. I get cranky. Patent soldiers mostly enjoyed his profanity-laden speeches. Some really love them, but many other military leaders consider them wildly unprofessional. Patent was known for being impatient, impulsive, very little tolerance for officers who failed to succeed in his eyes with very little tolerance for anyone who failed at anything in his eyes. He deeply cared about and respected the men under his command, but he would also not hesitate to correct his soldiers mercilessly for even tiny infractions. Patten admitted some of his fault, saying his

honesty was his greatest virtue and greatest weakness. He was no diplomat. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, formerly the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, responded that his greatest virtue and his greatest fault were his audacity. On February 1st, 1945, Eisenhower wrote a memo ranking the military capabilities of his subordinate American generals in Europe, and he ranked Patton fourth. In his 1946 review of the book Patton and his Third Army, Eisenhower explained, George Patton was the most brilliant commander of an army in the open field that our or any other service produced, but his army was part of a whole organization and his operations part of a

great campaign. Eisenhower believe other generals should be given credit for planning the campaigns across Europe while Patton was a brilliant executor. Patent did not always play well with others. He also didn't like talking about war, strategizing for war nearly as much as fighting in war, as physically being in battle with bullets whizzing past him and bombs falling all around him. He was brave. He was courageous as hell. He made. have been legitimately a little bit fucking insane? One of my favorite kinds of people to learn about. Eisenhower wrote after Patton's death,

he was one of those men born to be a soldier, an ideal combat leader. It is no exaggeration to say that Patton's name struck terror in the hearts of the enemy. General Omar Bradley, former commander and close friend of Patton's, described him as, colorful but impetuous,

full of temper, bluster, inclined to treat the troops and subordinates his morons. He was primarily a showman. The show always seemed to come first. A showman, a warrior poet, just like Muhammad Ali last week in many ways. I imagine that Patton might have despised Ali for being a draft dodger, you know, conscientious objector. I don't think he would have understood Ali's race relations rationale, but also if the two men could have ever sat down and spoken somehow while both in their primes and were able to see past racial and religious and other differences, I imagine they would have respected the hell out of each other and realized they

actually had quite a bit in common, just fighters. Now let's get into one hell of a timeline. Hi-ha-ha! Shrap on those boots, soldier. We're marching down a time-suck timeline. George Smith Patton Jr. born on November 11, 1885, in San Gabriel, California, just 10 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles today. Today, San Gabriel is part of the L.A. Metro area, sprawl, you know, but back in 1885, you know, it actually truly stuck out as a separate community. It wasn't incorporated back then.

That wouldn't happen until 1913. Back in 1885, only around 500 people lived in an area that the Spanish had first settled when they built a Catholic mission there in 1771. And when that mission had been built, the Tongba people, the original inhabitants, of the Los Angeles area had villages around San Gabriel. While today San Gabriel has a large Asian-American population, particularly Chinese, when Patton was born, the area was mostly white and Hispanic. It was lively with 18 saloons, and the local economy was based mostly in agriculture,

citrus fruits, you know, grapes and other crops. It was also growing quickly becoming a bedroom community for Los Angeles connected by train. Patton was born into one of the few wealthy families in the area, the wealthiest, I imagine. They lived on a huge plot of land and he had a very privileged childhood and as the area essentially gentrified. A dude grew up on a legit estate, a 128-acre estate with the name of Lake Vineyard, land that would later become the heart of the neighboring city of San Marino. Patton's original childhood home was a one-story adobe structure while his grandparents lived nearby in a lavish two-story home with a wine cellar and a tile roof overlooking a lake surrounded by citrus trees and vineyards. That bigger house would later be torn down, and a new family home will be built by Patton's father in 1910, a big-ass home, three-story, 8,000-square-foot opulent mansion. Did not expect that, based on temperament and what he chose to do with his life. I expected Patton to have grown up poor, that he had to fight for everything he had, but that was not the case, not at all. His parents were George S. Patton and Ruth Wilson, the daughter of Benjamin Davis-Wilson, who was the second mayor of Los Angeles, the first full-time elected mayor.

and a wildly wealthy dude over two decades before Patton was born his grandpa had and his grandpa's for his Mount Wilson was named after his grandpa Mount Wilson above Altadina he purchased the 14,000 acre Rancho San Pasquale

which covered much of what would one day become Pasadena, Alhambra South Pasadena Altadina and San Marino so so much real estate that would later make the family so much money Roos' mother was Margaret Hurford

a widow from Virginia, the Patton family had a long military heritage, and young George was actually the third George Patton, but he called himself Jr. The very first George Smith Patton had been a colonel in the Confederate Army, while commanding a brigade at the Battle of Opecan, a Confederate loss that occurred in Winchester, Virginia. On September 19th, 1864, he was wounded, captured, and died. George William Patton, our Patton's father, was born in 1856, later changed his name to George Smith Patton in 1860. to honor his father. In addition to his paternal grandfather, Patton's great-uncle, Walter T. Patton, was also killed in the Civil War in Pickett's Charge, leading the 7th Virginia Infantry Regiment during the Battle of Gettysburg. Despite his ancestry, Patton never thought of himself as a Southerner or as a Confederate. He considered himself in California.

As mentioned, Patton, or mentioned earlier, Patton believed he had mystical ties with past lives, you could say. He actually believed that he had been some of his ancestors. who were of Scottish, Irish, French, English, and Welsh ancestry. His great-great-grandfather Robert Patton immigrated from Scotland to America in the late 18th century, and his great-grandmother came from an aristocratic Welsh family with an extensive military background. Patton also came to believe he had once been a prehistoric mammoth hunter,

a Greek hoplite, a Roman legionary, and even the famed Carthaginian General Hannibal, who infamously commanded the forces of Carthaginian. including war elephants in their battle against the Roman Republic during the second Punic War occupying most of southern Italy for 15 years. Hannibal considered one of the greatest military tacticians and generals of Western antiquity alongside Alexander the Great Julius Caesar and a few others. Excuse me, supposedly Patton would sometimes describe Hannibal's battles from a first-person

point of view because, you know, he remembered being Hannibal back then, doing the fighting. And that is interesting. not going to lie if I'm having a drink with somebody anybody and they start talking about historical events from long ago in the first person I 100% think they're probably fucking nuts I am fascinated by people who have accomplished extraordinary things in their lives but are also obviously crazy like if you believe in the possibility of reincarnation okay whatever cool fine lots of things can be possible the Hindu view of reincarnation can be possible ghosts can be possible Jesus being the son of God is possible. Muhammad being a great prophet of God is possible. Joseph Smith being given golden plates by an angel is possible. It's fascinating to entertain non-scientific possibilities. But I always get freaked out when people start to speak with certainty. Like I can have a conversation about reincarnation. I can be open to the possibility of reincarnation. But if we're talking and suddenly you're like, so back when I was Hannibal, my eyebrow is definitely going

to be raised. And you know, maybe he was Hannibal. Maybe he was Hannibal in a past life. I don't fuck no but also maybe he was you know a little bit bad shit uh i do think this particular belief helped him a lot when it came to his courage in battle i mean how much less afraid are you going to be of death if you just truly believe like with all your heart and soul that you'll just come back as another warrior here pretty soon uh circling back to patten's ancestry his actual documented ancestry patten was not directly related to george washington but he could trace some of his english roots to george washington's great grandfather uh technically he washington's first cousin six times removed.

He took pride in things like that. Patton also descended from King Edward I through Edward's son, Edmund of Woodstock, first Earl of Kent. Patton's father came to California with his mother after his father was killed, after his father's father, his grandfather, you know, was killed during the Civil War. He was educated in Los Angeles, but then returned to Virginia, talking about his dad now, to attend the Virginia Military Institute, graduated in 1877, and then became a lawyer. and then he returned out west to work for his maternal uncle and his stepfather's law firm.

In 1887, two years after our Patton was born, Patton Sr. was elected district attorney of Los Angeles County, later became the first mayor of San Marino, California. It was also incorporated in 1913, just like San Gabriel. He would also run for Congress in 1894 and 1896. Would not win other time, but I guess he mounted some good campaigns. Patton's maternal grandfather, one of the wealthiest men in all of California

Benjamin Wilson, born in Tennessee in 1811, settled in California in 1841 when it was still part of Mexico. Wilson's father was a rancher and a lawyer who bought the massive ranch, I mentioned. Wilson had married into one of the original Southern California's settler families

when he married Ramona Yorba, the daughter of prominent Californino Bernardo Yorba, whom the city of Yorba Linda is named after. And Californios were people of managed dissent who settled in California before it was annexed by the United States. Wilson was often asked to assist with Native American affairs and was appointed as Justice of the Peace of the Inland Territory. In 1851, as I mentioned, he was elected as the second mayor

of Los Angeles. And in 1854, he established his own ranch and winery. By marrying Benjamin Wilson's daughter, the Pattons had now access to that wealth. And the family moved on to Wilson's Lake Vineyard Estate that I described earlier. The Patton's originally lived in a one-story adobe house on the ranch where they had a housekeeper, numerous servants, and even an English cook. George and his sister Ann, nicknamed Nita, his only sibling, were cared for by a governess, and they had a dozen horses and a pony to play with. My God. According to Ladis Law's Farago, author of Patton, Ordeal and Triumph, it was an eminently happy and tranquil home. Yet, the shadow of war was always close at hand.

Yeah, Patton grew up being constantly regaled with stories about his ancestors' battles in the American Revolution, the Civil War, and he loved these tales. He knew he wanted to be a soldier from a very young age. His father's friend, Professor Frederick Holder, a naturalist, also taught Patton to love nature, enjoyed spending hours outdoors because he didn't have to go to school, as his father did not believe in formal education for young children. George Patton, Sr. thought kids didn't do well with a strict curriculum, though he did spend the evening's reading to his children, which is very cool. By the age of seven, young Georgie, as his family called him, could recite long passages from Homer's Iliad and knew much of the Bible by heart. In 1897, when little Georgie was 12, his father decided it was time for him to go get a formal

education, and Patton was enrolled in Dr. Stephen Cotter-Clark's classical school for boys nearby Pasadena, which had incorporated a decade prior in 1886, and now was a proper town of about 9,000 people. Fast-growing town. It would be home to roughly 30,000. people in another decade. Patton struggled in school initially because he couldn't read, leading some historians to speculate he had undiagnosed dyslexia, just like Ali had, as we learned last week, another parallel. Yeah, Patton had memorized most of the Bible in Homer's Iliad just from hearing his dad read it to him, which is wild.

He eventually learned to read, but he would always struggle with math. Once literate, Patton became a voracious reader and later published his own articles on military topics. He enjoyed reading classical texts about military. military history. He admired historical figures such as Hannibal, I mean himself. How could he not enjoy remembering what he had done so long ago? He also enjoyed reading about Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Napoleon, you know, many others, as written by a biographer, Ladislaus, Farago. Episodes of the past were deposited in Patton's mind like grains of gold in a river, ready to be washed out. After a while, he identified himself with them and adopted them as, what he once

called his own subconscious memories. Okay. So did he just mix up having an exceptionally good memory with reincarnation? Feels like that's maybe what happened. It's like, yeah, buddy, of course you remember being Hannibal. You read that book about him 40 fucking times. And you have an incredible memory. It feels like it almost happened to me.

Yeah, it's because you keep reading all the time. He was still attending school in Pasadena when he formally decided to become a soldier. and when he also announced his intention to marry a beatrice ire excuse me who he'd call a local girl almost exactly the same age as him they were just two months apart and the daughter of boston industrialist and wealthy businessman frederick ayer when young george fell in love it had already been decided he would attend the virginia military institute to prepare for west point beatrice ayer spent the summer of 1902 on beautiful catalina island the old catalina wine mixer uh with her aunt and uncle who lived near the patent's cottage apparently that is

second home on the island because fuck it, why not? She watched George from a distance, hoped to be friends with him, but it took her a while to gather the courage to approach him. Ladislaus Farago wrote, beneath the little girlish, fastidious exterior of daintily dressed, white-gloved B-Ayer was a hard-fisted, tough young woman who could ride as well as hard, who could ride as well and as hard and fast as Georgie, and participate with plenty of gusto in all his tough and rough sports. She was not especially pretty, but there was sweetness in her blue eyes and a feminine charm that tempered the tomboy and appealed to Georgie. You know, pretty is a pretty subjective word.

I looked up old picks of her. I think she was very pretty. I think she was a lot prettier than George was handsome. So there you go, fucking lattice laws. What you fucking cool it on beat. Patton literally never did it. Oh my God. Words.

Patton literally never dated anyone else and neither did she. However, Patton likely had a wildly inappropriate relationship with someone else while they were married. oh boy i'll share that later patten and beatrice had an understanding by the end of that first summer that would be that they would wed at some point down the road and they corresponded for the next three years just wrote a bunch of letters uh they would actually not see each other again until march thirteenth nineteen o five patten had to focus on uh college first he enrolled in the virginia military institute in nineteen o four he had also applied to other universities with military corps of cadet programs and had been accepted to princeton but he chose v m i where he was a third-generation legacy student. And it was the preferred choice of his parents. The VMI had been founded in Lexington, Virginia, back in 1839. President Abraham Lincoln first called it the West Point of the South, and this nickname is still used today.

The VMI is much smaller than West Point. In fact, it is currently one of the smallest NCAA Division I schools in the U.S. Its enrollment is only around 1, super low for a Division I school. Unlike West Point, VMI cadets are given the option to pursue civilian endeavors or accept an officer's commission and active duty or reserves in one of the six branches upon graduation, the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. About 65 percent of VMI graduates do end up entering the military, and the VMI is one of the largest

producers of officers for the Army and Marine Corps every year. At first, Patton struggled at VMI with his reading and writing assignments, but he performed exceptionally well in uniform in appearance inspection, as well as in military drill. After a year at the VMI, California Senator Thomas Bard nominated Patent to attend West Point. And now he'll transfer there, moving to West Point, New York. There, Patton will be forced to repeat his plea, aka freshman year, because he had failed math back at VMI. He now started meeting with a tutor, worked hard to improve his grades, and he did. Similar to his time at the VMI, Patton had an average academic performance, but he excelled in the actual drills. He was a cadet sergeant-made.

major during junior year and cadet adjutant his senior year. Patton played football but had to stop several times due to a series of arm injuries, maybe some head injuries as well. Also tried out made the sword team. Did well in track and field where he specialized in the modern pentathlon, compete in and excelling and fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping. It's a horse jumping. Well, the horses were doing the jumping.

He wasn't jumping over horses. That'd be a cool one, though. They should flip that around. Olympic committee. make modern pentathletes or whatever the fuck they're called jump over horses If they can't jump over a horse

Fuck them They don't get to go to the Olympics Also pistol shooting And cross-country running Patton graduated from West Point June 11th 1909 Despite his academic struggles He would graduate 46 out of 103 cadets

And after graduation Patton was commissioned As a second lieutenant Excuse me in the army Sorry my stomach has been Fucked the last few weeks I don't know what's going on That same year

He was assigned to the 15th U.S. Cavalry at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, and then later at Fort Meyer, Virginia. And then the next year, May 26, 1910, Pat married his long time and long-distance beau, Beatrice Eyre. Rumor has it that shortly after their marriage, they fucked. Yeah, like a bunch of times. It's right here. Official sources, strange, you don't discuss that, but they must have. He must have hopped on that bike, gone for the most fun rides of his life, because they did have kids shortly thereafter.

The two would have three children together, Beatrice Smith. born March of 1911 I feel like back then a lot more women would name daughters after themselves look that comes up a lot in these but I don't feel like I hear a lot about that now Ruth Ellen was born in February of 1915

and then George Patton the 4th born in December 1923 got to get a fucking other George in there after his father's death George the 4th will change his name to George Smith Patton and drop the fourth I guess he did that to avoid the constant comparisons to his father which is you know fair

he'd also have a military career and a distinguished one at that. George 4 would go on to serve as a major general in the army. He would fight him both Korea and Vietnam, and then die of Parkinson's, another parallel of sorts to last week, or die while he had Parkinson's June 27, 2004. Both the Patton's daughters would also end up marrying men who would become generals. This family loved officers.

Back to their dad now. In 1912, Patton was selected to represent the U.S. at the Olympic Games. In Stockholm, Sweden. I didn't write Sweden in my notes. I just wrote Stockholm. I'm 99% sure that Stockholm's in Sweden in the pentathlon. Yet another parallel to last week's episode

on Muhammad Ali, not Stockholm, but the Olympics. He competed against military officers from around the world, placed fifth out of 42 contestants of the five Olympic events. Patton actually is surprising to the worst in shooting. I bet that pissed him off. There actually was some controversy

at the pistol shooting event. The judges believed Patton had missed the target with one of his shots, but he argued he was such a sharp shooter that one of his bullets had traveled through a bull bullet hole he had already made. And you know what? Maybe he did.

So he was definitely pissed off. He got robbed, possibly. Patton would again be selected for the 1916 Olympic team, but then those games canceled due to World War I. Patten wrote the following about competing in the Olympics. I was confident going into the games that I would win, perhaps too confident. I knew I had a strong advantage over my opponents and that I had participated in many other Olympic games, going back to the very first when I was a young, well-built, quite brave and handsome Greek hoplight, who both raced and wrestled in Olympia. No, he didn't go on mystic for that quote.

He wrote, The high spirit of sportsmanship and generosity manifested throughout speaks volumes of the character of the officers of the present day. There was not a single incident of a protest or any unsportsman-like quibbling or fighting for points, which I may say marred some of the other civilian competitions at the Olympic Games. Each man did his best and took what fortune sent them like a true soldier. and at the end we all felt more like good friends and comrades than rivals in a severe competition yet this spirit of friendship in no manner detracted from the zeal with which all strove for success after the olympics patten traveled to a sumura france to learn fencing from a jutant charles claret

a master of arms fencing instructor at a cavalry school he took all aspects of combat very seriously in nineteen thirteen patent was sent to study at the mounted service school in fort ryle Kansas, a U.S. Army Cavalry and Light Artillery Training Institution that existed from 1907 to World War I, a successor to the Cavalry and Light Artillery School, primarily known for instructing enlisted men in mounted tactics. Patton was both a student and an instructor of swordsmanship there. He received the title, Master of the Sword. That's a fucking badass title. Master of the Sword! I have the power! I cut him off there. He was the first Army officer to receive this title, denoting the U.S. military's top instructor in swordsmanship, and he would teach many officers in Kansas who were superior to him in rank.

Patton would also redesign modern combat doctrine for the cavalry there, favoring thrusting attacks over the standard slashing maneuver. He even designed a new sword. The U.S. model 1913 enlisted cavalry saber now known as the Patton Sword. In his free time, Patton played polo, played so aggressively, he often injured himself. Another biographer, he had several. Martin Bluminson has suggested that frequent head injuries Patton had during his youth, aggressively playing sports, likely contributed to some erratic behavior in later years, i.e. brain damage.

Soon after leaving Fort Riley, Patton saw his first combat. And you'll hear all about it after today's first to two-minute show sponsor breaks. if you don't like these ads I get it please sign up to be a space lizard on Patreon help us make monthly charitable contributions

get the catalog ad free get episodes early and more thanks for listen to our sponsors hope you heard a deal that makes sense to you and now let's return to 1915 when Patton saw his first combat he left in June of 1915

and he'd originally intended to return to the 15th cavalry which was heading to the Philippines but he worried that would be a dead end for his career So he traveled to Washington, D.C. during his 11 days of leave and convinced some friends in high places, remember his family is wealthy and well connected, to reassign him to the 8th cavalry at Fort Bliss, Texas, as he was anticipating that the current instability in Mexico could turn into a civil war. Patton was soon participating in patrols with the 8th cavalry during the or along the Mexican border, where he would soon become involved in the hunt for former time-suck subject, Pancho Villa, the focus of episode 95, way back in 2018. Pancho Villa was a famous Mexican revolutionary and guerrilla leader

joined the uprising against Mexican president Porfirio Oh my god, Porfirio Diaz in 1909 And later became the leader of the Division del Norte cavalry And the governor of Chihuahua born Dorotheo Orongo He grew up in Rio Grande on his parents' farm After his father died, he became the head of his household And killed a man who was harassing one of his sisters And then Via fled, fled, he was caught, he was imprisoned

But then he escaped and after he escaped, he became a bandito. Well, on the run, he joined an uprising against President Porfirio Diaz, and Via was soon promoted to the rank of colonel because of his fighting in leadership skills. He was a hell of a fighter. 1912, revolutionary Francisco Medero

was removed from power. Via was nearly executed. He returned to Mexico, after hiding out in the U.S. for a while and then formed his own military force known as the Division of the North. Via joined up with revolutionaries to overthrow General Victoriano,

Huerta, who took power during the Mexican Civil War, but conflicts soon arose. President Woodrow Wilson hated Huerta's regime, gave military support to his challenger, Venestiano Carranza, who won power in 1914. But then Wilson was disappointed with Carranza's leadership, and he now supported Pancho Villa's rebellion. But then the following year, fucking changed his mind. Wilson decided that Carranza had enacted, you know, sufficient democratic reform, so he switched sides again, withdraw his support from Pancho Villa. and Viann's forces respond by retaliating against the U.S.

In January of 2000, or 2000, a couple years ago, a couple years ago, Pancho Villa fucking traveled through time and attacked as border cities. Don't you remember that? No, January of 1916, Vian, his men kidnapped 18 Americans from a Mexican train and killed them. Then on March 9th, 1916, Pancho Vian, his forces attacked the little border town of Columbus, New Mexico. Via led approximately 1,500 dudes across the border to Columbus, where they killed 19 people and set most of the town on fire. And that led to President Woodrow Wilson crying as a lies out, pooping his pants.

No, it led to him ordering General John J. Pershing to lead 6,000 soldiers into Mexico on a hunt for Via. A number that would soon grow to 14,000. The search would last two years would lead to several deadly skirmishes, but they would not capture the elusive and formidable soldier. On March 11, 1916, two days after Ponchalvia's raid on Columbus, Patton made his first entry in his earliest war diary. writing, I was worried all day for fear the 8th Cavalry would not go to Mexico. After lunch, I saw Captain Moses, who told me the 8th would not go. While some soldiers, I would guess a lot of soldiers actually might be relieved.

Oh, I don't go fight in battle? Patent always rooting for the chance to fight. Patton was upset when he found out that his unit was not going to participate in the Mexican punitive expedition. So he appealed to Commander John J. Pershing hoping to join up with him, and he was named his personal aide to camp. And then Pershing was quickly impressed by Patton's eagerness and effort. Pershing was one of Patton's first role models, as he favored strong, decisive actions and commanding from the front. Pershing was a mentor to many generals who led the Army in World War II many years later, including Dwight D. Eisenhower,

Omar Bradley, Douglas MacArthur. He'll also end up having a personal connection to Patton. In 1917, he'll become engaged to Patton's only sibling, his sister, Nita, but their engagement will end because of their long separation during the First World War. Pershing's expeditionary force with Patton as Pershing at Persians side crossed into Mexico on March 15th which Patton documented in his diary Patten kept diaries for his entire life

which definitely helps when you want to examine that life also wrote a lot of letters as Pershing's aid Patton oversaw logistics of Pershing's transportation and acted as his personal courier Patton participated in the first motorized attack in the history of American warfare on May 14th, 1916

in which via second command Julio Cardenas and two of his guards were killed. I don't know what I was reading now. He was in charge of 10 soldiers and two civilians with the six infantry and three Dodge touring cars. They surprised Vez men. Not clear if Patton personally killed any of them, but he may have. They, as a group, did kill three of Via's men. And Patton made some early headlines.

When he ordered their three bodies to be tied to the hoods of his unit's cars like fucking trophies, like mounts, before driving them back to base. That's a little hardcore. Patented used a new ivory-handled Colt 45 in this battle, and afterwards he decided to carry around two of them. They wanted a second ivory pistol. Both had his initials engraved into them and became part of his later signature look. He was like a gunslinger.

You know what? He probably was a gunslinger at one point in his past lives. He probably used to be Bill the Kid. You know, wild Bill Hillcock? Some Bill, some Bill with pistols. Both Patton and Pershing received widespread media attention for this mission, and Patton was promoted to first lieutenant while part of the 10th cavalry, May 23rd, 1916.

Patton remained in Mexico until the end of 1916. Pershing's forces, they stayed around the border because the president forbade them from going too deep into Mexico. After he left the expedition, Patton was now sent to Front Royal Virginia to oversee horse procurement for the army until Persian intervened on his behalf, once again brought him into the combat he so craved. The U.S. entered World War I, April of 1917.

and General Pershing was made commander of the American expeditionary forces. The AEF was a formation of the military on the Western Front, mostly consisting of units from the army. The AEF was formally established July 5th, 1917, in Schumann, France. Patton was promoted to captain in May of 1917, left for Europe with 180 men as part of Persians' advance party. They departed on May 28th and arrived in Liverpool on June 8th. Patton was once again Pershing's aide,

oversaw the training of American soldiers in Paris until that September. Patten then moved to Shomon was assigned as a post-adjutant. It's a weird fucking word for me. Adjutant, actually is I guess how it's pronounced. Commanding the headquarters company

and overseeing the base. But Patton quickly became dissatisfied with this post. And can you guess why? That's right. No fighting. He hated hanging around on base, not fighting, truly. Plus, he was way more interested in tank warfare. While hospitalized with a bit of jaundice, Patton met Colonel Fox Connor of the AEF who encouraged him to work with tanks. In November of 1917, Patton left Pershing's headquarters staff, became the first officer appointed to the brand new U.S. Army Tank Corps.

The very first time a tank had been used in warfare was just the year before. Tanks had proved to be highly effective in France at the Battle of Cambrai. Patten studied that battle extensively and quickly became an expert in the emerging game-changing science of tank war. warfare. Over the following months, Patton organized, trained, even designed uniforms for the new tank units. He was fucking all in, which will help America tremendously in World War II. Old Elephant Warfare Master Hannibal will be so proud of his future self. After being promoted to major in January of 1918, Patton will organize the American tank school and start training American soldiers to use French tanks. Patton received his first 10 tanks, March 23rd, 1918, and because he was one of the

few people on Earth, with actual tank driving experience, he had to back seven of those ten tanks off the train himself. On April 3rd, 1918, Patton was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Jude was quickly climbing the rankings, and he now attended the Command and General Staff College in Longres. In August of 1918, Patton was placed in charge of the U.S. first provisional tank brigade, later re-designated the 304th Tank Brigade. Patten's light tank brigade was part of the tank core of the American First Army and Patton will personally oversee

the logistics of the tanks in their first combat use and reconnoit to the target area for the first attack himself. Also ordered that no U.S. tank ever surrender under any circumstances. Fucking fight or die.

Just like back when he was a Greek hoplight back in the good old days. On September 12th, 1918, Patton ignored orders to stay in radio contact. Whoops! And personally led the first tank units into battle

during the Sao Mihail offensive. The Battle of Sao Mihail was an allied victory and the first U.S.-led offensive in World War I. And if you want a deeper dive on World War I, tough shit. No, what I was going to say is I covered that crazy trench in poison gas-filled war back in 2018 in episode 113. The first U.S.-led battle lasted from September 12th

to September 16th, 1918, and gave Americans the opportunity to use the American expeditionary forces on the Western Front under their own command rather than that of French generals. The battle was also the first major use of the U.S. Army Air Service, the precursor to the U.S. Air Force. So historically, pretty significant.

It's a big battle. Over 260,000 Americans and French troops combined, I said that kind of weird. It was 260,000 combined American and French troops would fight in it against 75,000 German and Austro-Hungarian forces. While the U.S. and French would suffer 7,000 casualties. The Germans and Austro-Hungarians would suffer over 20. 2,000, around 2,000 were killed, 5,500 wounded, and 15,000 captured.

The attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating. Their artillery was out of place, and the American attack coming up against disorganized German forces proved more successful than they hoped. However, after a few days of fighting against retreating forces, the U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on muddy roads. A new military technology allowed the troops to advance faster than in previous wars, but now they had to figure out you know how to keep an advancing army well supplied

which they will as the war goes on after the battle was over Patton wrote a letter and sent it home to his dad so let's actually hear from from him what he was saying 20 September 1918 dear papa

we have all been in one fine fight and it was not half so exciting as I had hoped not as exciting as affairs in Mexico because there was so much company. When the shelling first started, I had some doubts about the advisability of sticking my head over the parapet, but it is just like taking a cold bath. Once you get in, it is all right. And I soon got out and sat on the parapet. At seven o'clock, I moved forward and passed some dead and wounded. I saw one fellow in a shell hole holding his rifle and sitting down.

I thought he was hiding, and I went to cuss him out. He had a bullet over his right eye and was dead. As my telephone wire ran out at this point, I left the adjutant there and went forward with lieutenant and four runners to find the tanks. The whole country was alive with them crawling over trenches and into the woods. It was fine, but I could not see my right battalion, so went to look for it. In doing so, we passed through several towns under shell fire, but none did more than throw dust on us. I admit that I wanted to duck, and probably did it first,

but soon saw the futility of dodging fate. Besides, I was the only officer around who had left on his shoulder straps and I had to live up to them. It was much easier than you would think, and the feeling, foolish probably, of being admired by the men lying down is a great stimulus. I walked right along the firing line of one brigade. They were all in shell holes except the general, Douglas MacArthur, who was standing on a little hill. I joined him when the creeping barrage came towards us, but it was very thin and not dangerous. I think each one wanted to leave, but each hated to say so. So we let it come over us.

The infantry were held up in a town, so I happened to find some tanks and sent them through it. I walked behind, and some Bosch, aka the Germans, surrendered to me. At the next town, all but one tank was out of sight, and as the infantry would not go in, I got on top of the tank to harden the driver, and we went in. That was most exciting, as there were plenty of Bosch. we took 30. On leaving the town I was sitting sidewise on top of the tank with my legs hanging down in the left side when all at once I noticed all the paint start to chip off the other side. And at the same time I noticed machine guns. I dismounted in haste and got on a shell hole, which was none too large. And every time I started to get out, the boss shot at me. I was at the point of getting scared as I was about 100 yards ahead of the infantry and all alone in the field. If I went back, the infantry would think I was running and there was no reason to go forward alone. All the time the infernal tank was going on alone as the men had not noticed my hurried departure. At last the bright thought occurred to me that I could move across the front in an oblique direction and not appear to run yet at the same time get back.

This I did, listening for the machine guns with all my ears, and laying down in a great hurry when I heard them. In this manner, I hope to beat the bullets to me. Sometime I will figure the speed of sounds and bullets and see if I was right. It is the only use I know of that math that has ever been to me. I found the major of the infantry and asked him if he would come on after the tank. He would not, as the next battalion on his left had not come up. He was killed ten minutes later. Then I drew a long breath and went after the tank on foot,

as I could not let it be going against a whole town alone. It is strange, but quite true that at this time I was not the least scared, as I had the idea of getting the tank fixed in my head. I did not even fear the bullets, though I could see the guns spitting at me. I did, however, run like hell. On reaching the tank, about 400 yards out in the field, I tapped on the back door with my stick, and thank God it was a long one. The sergeant looked out and saluted and said, What do you want now, Colonel? I told him to turn and come back. He was much depressed.

I walked just ahead of him on the return trip and was quite safe. We now got five tanks and decided to attack the town, but one of the tanks started shooting at our machine guns, and I had to go out again and stop it. A third time, I went out as the tanks were keeping too far to the right, but the last time was not as bad as. the machine gunner were mostly dead or chased away by the tanks. We took the town, four field guns, and 16 machine guns. Then I walked along the battlefront to see how the left battalion had gotten on. It was a very long way and I had no sleep for four nights and no food all the day as I lost my sack chasing a bosh. I got some crackers off a dead one.

He had not blood on them, not bled, but not blood on them, as in Polk Story. They were very good, but I would have given a lot for a drink of the brandy I had in my sack. The major of the left battalion was crying, because he had no more gas. He was very tired and had a bullet through his nose. I comforted him and started home alone to get some gas. It was most interesting over the battlefield, like the books, but much less dramatic. The dead were mostly hit in the head. There were a lot of our men stripping off buttons and other things,

but they always covered the face of the dead in a nice way. I saw one very amusing thing, which I would have liked to have had photographed. Right in the middle of a large field where there had never been a trench was shell hole from a 9.7 gun. The hole was at least 8 feet deep and 15 across. On the edge of it was a dead rat, not a large, healthy rat, but a small field rat, not over twice the size of a mouse. No wonder the war costs so much. On the 13th, we did nothing but the 14th, the left battalion personally conducted by me went to hunt for the enemy. We found the only place on the entire front, where for the space of half a mile, there were no troops. We went through and were

attacked by the Bosch. We drove them six miles, took a town at Johnville. on the Hindenburg line, a battery of field guns, 12 machine guns, but no prisoners. Then finding there were eight miles ahead of us on our own line, and that all the cannon in that part of Germany were shooting at us, we withdrew with only four men hit. I was at the start of this very fine feet of arms, but not at the finish, as I was ordered back just as the tank started, and before we knew the Bosch were there, we withdrew that night.

Total losses, four men killed, four officers, and four men wounded. I am riding this in what was once a house, but what is now sort of a quay. The boss shellus at 7.30 each night. It is now that time, so I will stop and put this in an envelope. This is a very egotistical letter, but interesting as it shows that vanity is stronger than fear, and that in war, as now waged, there is little of the element of fear. It is too well organized and too stupendous. I am very well, much love to all, your devoted son, George, a.k.a. Hannibal,

aka. Sophocles, aka Akbar, the William. a mammoth hunter, a.k.a. You get it. Um, obviously I added those last few words. Super cool letter. Interesting insight into Patton's mind. He seems eager to impress upon his dad that he is not afraid of warfare, right? Not afraid of death. And he really wasn't. And it's obviously important to him to make sure that the men he leads never think he is afraid. Like he would rather be shot and killed than to be seen retreating or showing fear. I wonder how his dad took that letter. I mean, I mean, I would admire his bravery. But if I get a letter, like that for my son, I think I'd be like,

you know, you don't have to sit on the tank like that? You really don't. You really truly don't. Sometimes retreating is strategic. Don't be afraid to retreat or hide. Hiding's fine. Don't try and get shot. Maybe, you know, stay back with your men. Maybe be careful. Please try not

to die. Patton was 32 years old at this point. And just a week after sending that letter, he did get shot. He was wounded by machine gun bullet in the Mews Argonne offensive. Now, the battles of the Mews-Argon were a series of final confrontations on the Western Front of World War I

lasting from September 26th to November 11th, 1918. After the Germans retreated from the Marne River in July of 18, the Allies designed a series of convergent and simultaneous offensive against the Germans, one of which was a joint operation in the Mews Valley.

The Americans proceeded west of the Mews River and the French went west of the Argonne Forest, led by General John Pershing again, a dude with a cool nickname of Blackjack, by the way. The the Americans made their way through the Argonne force for 11 days to the German defense, and the Germans retreated. By October 31st, the Argonne was clear to German troops, thanks to the combined forces of the Americans in French. On September 26, 1918, Patton was struck by a round

that tore into his left thigh while leading an attack on German machine gun positions. After getting shot, he continued commanding the battle for an hour from a shellhole. Then he insisted on filing his report at division headquarters before being taken to the hospital. Patten had a vision of his death during this battle writing. Just before I was wounded, I felt a great desire to run. I was trembling with fear when suddenly I thought of my progenitors, no, ancestors, and seemed to see them on a cloud above the German lines looking at me. I became calm at once and saying aloud,

It is time for another Patton to die. I called for volunteers and went forward to what I believe was certain death. Six men went with me, five were killed, and I was wounded, so I was not much in error. Holy shit Imagine me One of those six soldiers Following him Right into the fray

Right after hearing him yell It is time for another Patton to die Okay, good luck I am I'm gonna stay here I'm not sure that there's time For another cummins to die Maybe it's time for another cummins to live Maybe we should stay here

When the Purple Heart was reinstituted in 1932 Patton was given the medal for his combat wounds Patten later recalled about the battle Some of my reserve tanks were struck by some trenches or excuse me, we're stuck by some trenches. So I went back and made Americans hiding in the trenches dig a passage. I think I killed one man here.

He would not work, so I hit him over the head with a shovel. Are you allowed to do that? Are you allowed to murder one of your own soldier with a shovel? I don't know. Patton also wrote to his wife about his injuries, writing the bullet went into the front

of my left leg. He's very descriptive actually here. And came out just at the crack of my bottom, about two inches to the left of my rectum. It was fired at about 50 meters, 160 feet, so made a hole about the size of a silver dollar when it came out. Okay, that's a weird thing. That's a weird thing to write to your wife, isn't it?

To be that descriptive about almost get your bottle blown off? While still recovering, Patton was promoted to temporary colonel at the Tank Corps. On October 17th, he returned to duty, October 28th, saw no further action before the armistice, November 11th, which was his birthday. Patton was also a happy birthday patent also. Patton was awarded the Silver Star for Service in the First World War, which was later upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross. Patton was also awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal for his leadership with the Tank Brigade and the Tank School. During the demobilization after World War I, Patton reverted to the rank of captain.

And after World War I, Patton would serve in different positions in tank and cavalry units at different posts across the United States. Patton left France for New York City, March 2, 1919. He was assigned to Camp Meade, Maryland. and after reverting to his permanent rank of captain on June 30th, 1920, promoted to major again the following day. Sometimes war officers will be given quick promotions to perform in different capacities, but those promotions are not always permanent. This especially happens when there are not enough permanent positions

for everyone at the higher ranks when the war is over. I guess what makes sense on the battlefield doesn't always make sense, you know, back home on base. In 1920, Patton now 34 years old is given temporary duty in Washington, D.C., to serve on a committee, in a manual on tank operations. He developed a belief during his time in World War I that tanks were the future and that they should be used as an independent fighting force rather than as infantry support. Patton and some other like-minded officers pushed for more development of armored warfare

in the interwar period between the two world wars, but with a limited military budget and the prevalence of already established infantry and cavalry branches the U.S. would not develop its armored corps until 1940. So we had to wait two long decades. On September 30th, 1920, Patton relinquished command of the 304th Tank Brigade and was reassigned to Fort Meyer as commander of third squadron, third cavalry, and he hated it. Patton, unsurprisingly, loathed his duties as a peacetime staff officer, spent most of his time writing technical papers, given speeches on his combat experience, at the General Staff College in Leavenworth, Kansas.

From 1921 to 1922, Patton was commander of the first squadron of the third U.S. cavalry at Fort Meyer, Virginia. July of 1921 became a member of the American Legion Tank Corps post number 19. Following year, Patton had a moment of heroism when he led a rescue effort after a blizzard in January of 1922 destroyed the Knickerbocker Theater in D.C. 98 people died when they were watching some show, when the roof of the theater collapsed. 133 others were injured. Patton arrived at the theater well after some Marines got there. Patton and his men were given the job of dismantling the balcony rubble and removing bodies. The Marines already made many rescues of victims who survived.

They were given the accolades in the newspapers the following day. Patton, slightly bitter at only finding about, quote, a dozen corpses. Described to his father that the bodies were purple and squished to a dimension of about four inches thick. It's so fucking graphic. Patton was also reprimanded by his wife B for being way too fucking graphic. And his description of a headless woman pulled from the rubble to their young children. children told her young kids something crazy anyway kids so uh we see this woman's body in the rubble so i looked a lot like your mom actually about the same size did you save her daddy i thought it was going to ruth

i really did uh but you know what happened when i grabbed her legs pulled her out of the rubble and asked if she was all right what daddy she didn't say anything not a single word why daddy well because her head was missing darling well not missing i found it it was it was flat it was very flat nearly as flat as a flapjack A big piece of balcony Had not only squished it This is interesting It ripped it right off her body Can you believe that?

Her eyes were literally popped out And they were smashed next to her nose Never seen anything like it Her mouth pushed up onto her forehead And her neck Oh wow, her neck Oh the veins and the muscles and the blood Hey hey hey

Hey why you crying Hey sweetie I'm simply answering your question Okay Hey B B! Stop making our kids so soft From 1922 to mid-1923, Patton returned to Fort Riley, Kansas to attend the field officer's course at the cavalry school.

From 1923 to 1924, Patton served as U.S. Army General Staff in Boston. From mid-1923 to mid-1924, Patton attended the Command and General Staff College and finished 24th out of 248. In August of 1923, Patton saved three young boys from drowning when they fell off a yacht during a boat and trip in Salem and was awarded the silver life-saving medal in March 1925. He's fucking done a lot of shit.

Patton was temporarily appointed to the general staff Corps in Boston before being reassigned to the Hawaiian Division at the Schofield Barracks in Honolulu. Fuck yeah, love Hawaii. Two years later, May of 1927, Patton was transferred to the office of the chief of cavalry in Washington where he began to develop

new concepts for mechanized warfare. However, to his chagrin, Congress removed funding for an experiment to merge infantry cavalry and artillery into a combined arms force. From 1928 to 1931, Patton served in the office of the chief of cavalry, still very frustrated that he's not fighting. Feels like he is wasting his calling. Patton left that office in 1931 returned to Massachusetts, where he attended the Army

War College and then graduated with distinction in June of 1932. July of 1932, Patton was made executive officer of the third cavalry at Fort Myer in Arlington, which was ordered to move to D.C. by Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur. Another military hero, their Patton took command of the 600 soldiers in the 3rd Cavalry. On July 28, MacArthur ordered Patton's troops to advance on protesting veterans,

known as the Bonus Army, using tear gas and bayonets. Padman was not happy about this. He was pissed off about that. He thought the veterans' complaints were legitimate. He later said, although he found his orders to be, quote, most distasteful. He thought ending the protest would prevent an insurrection and save lives and property, ultimately.

Patton led his third cavalry down Pennsylvania Avenue and dispersed the protesters, the first military general or military officer to use tanks in Washington, D.C. And I feel like I should share some info about this bonus army protest before moving forward. But before I do that, time for today's second and two mid-show sponsor breaks. Thanks for listening to those sponsors. Hope you heard some deals you like. Now let's learn about that bonus army. The so-called bonus army was a group of roughly 43,000 demonstrators, 17,000 in World War I veterans, plus our families and affiliated groups who gathered in Washington, D.C., in mid-1932, to demand early cash redemption of their service bonus certificates.

Many of the war veterans have been out of work since the beginning of the Great Depression. The World War Adjusted Compensation Act of 1924 had awarded them bonuses in the form of certificates they could not redeem until 1945. each certificate issued to a qualified veteran soldier bore a face value equal to the soldier's promised payment with compound interest. The principal demand of the bonus army was the immediate cash payment of their certificates. They needed that money now. The practice of wartime military bonuses began back in 1776 as payment for the difference between what a soldier earned and what they could have earned had they not enlisted or been drafted. Before World War I, a U.S. soldier's military service bonus adjusted for rank was a combination of land and money. A Continental Army private received 100 acres and 80 bucks at the war's end,

while the Major General received 1100 acres. In 1855, Congress increased the land grant minimum to 160 acres and reduced the eligibility requirements to 14 days in military service or one battle. But as the country became more settled, this provision of land eventually became a major political issue, particularly in Tennessee, where almost 40% of Arab land had been given to veterans as part of their bonus. By 1860, 73,500,000 acres had been issued in a lack of available land led to the program's abandonment and replacement with the cash-only system. But then we started fucking over our veterans more and more with each passing decade.

Breaking with tradition, the veterans of the Spanish-American War did not receive a bonus, and after World War I, soldiers got 60 bucks, equivalent to about $1,300 today. Woo-hoo! Thanks for eating mustard gas, losing some toes to trench foot, earning a life time a shell shock PSD, motherfucker. Appreciate you winning that war for Europe. Now, God bless. Thank you for your service. Take that $1,300 and go fuck yourself.

I hate how this country treats veterans. Do you know how much extra money an American soldier currently gets if they're deployed in an area with hostile fire? $225 a month. That's insulting. But the people who make the weapons of war, who often never place themselves in any danger, they'll make millions. The business of blood.

Anyway, the American Legion created a 1919, led a political movement for an additional bonus for World War I vets. But on May 15th, 1924, President Calvin Coolidge vetoed a bill granting bonuses to veterans of World War I, saying patriotism bought and paid for is not patriotism. And that was some easy shit to say for Coolidge, who never served. Congress overrode Coolidge's veto of the bonus bill enacting that World War Adjusted Compensation Act, I mentioned earlier.

Each veteran was now to receive a dollar for each day of domestic service, up to a maximum of $500, and a $1.25 for each day of overseas service for a maximum of $625. Deducted from this was $60 for the $60 bucks they received upon discharge. Amounts of 50 or less were immediately paid, all other amounts issued as certificates of service maturing in 20 years. There were 3,662,374 adjusted service certificates issued with the combined face value of $3.64 billion. Congress established a trust fund to receive 20 annual. payments of 112 million that with interest would finance the 1945 disbursement of the

3.6 billion for the veterans. Meanwhile, veterans could borrow up to 22.5% of their certificates face value from the fund. But in 1931, because of the Great Depression, Congress increased the maximum value of such loans to 50% of the certificates face value. And then although there was congressional support for the immediate redemption of the full value of the military service certificates, President Hoover, and congressman aligned with him, opposed such action and reasoned that the government would have to increase taxes to cover the cost of the payout. Meanwhile, so many guys who had lost limbs had their minds turned into mush, etc., guys disabled, not at work in the Depression, their kids going hungry, they can't get the full bonus they

need to survive, so they protest. And the country they fought for turns new service members and law enforcement against them. Two protesters, two veterans are shot and killed. tanks are brought in the bonus army marchers many with their wives and children are forcibly pushed out their shelters and belongings burned

very sad state of affairs Patton was right to despise it or to despise it March 1st 1934 Patton was promoted to lieutenant colonel and transferred to the Hawaiian division in early 1935 during that posting he had a conflict

with his commander Hugh Aloysius Drum during a polo match I was going to make a comment on Aloysius but I don't have anything during a polo match Drum was in the stands rebuked Patton for his use of profanity

during the game and then Drum was humiliated when a bunch of civilian players stood up for Patton and told Aloysius some form of dude shut the fuck up in Hawaii Patton

was hoping for war according to another patent biographer Carlos Deste Patton was closely following hostilities with Japan and wrote a plan to intern the Japanese residents

of the Hawaiian Islands in the event of attack as a result of the atrocities carried out by Japanese soldiers on the Chinese in the Sino-Japanese War. 1937, Patton wrote a paper titled, Surprise, which predicted with chilling accuracy a surprise attack by the Japanese on Hawaii. While waiting, while hoping for the U.S. to enter war, Patton grew depressed, like literally got depressed because it had been so long since he'd been in battle.

And it looked like he might not go into battle anytime soon. He's in his early 50s now, he starts drinking heavily, and allegedly begins an affair with his 21-year-old. old niece by marriage, Gene Gordon, which we will discuss later in the timeline. Dear God, niece, never a good idea to fuck your niece, if you don't already know. This affair, this alleged affair, will almost result in his wife Beatrice, aka. B. leaving him. Okay, back to the timeline, 1937, Patton sailed back to Los Angeles for some extended leave and got kicked by a horse on the family ranch, fractured his leg, a leg that

then developed phlebitis, an inflammation of a vein, which nearly killed him and almost forced him out of the military. While recovering, he took a six-month administrative assignment in the academic department of the cavalry school at Fort Riley. 1938, Patton was promoted to colonel, a permanent promotion, and he served as commander of the fifth U.S. cavalry in Fort Clark, Texas for six months. But still, he's depressed. He's getting older.

He's 52 years old. He's worried that by the time the U.S. military enters another war, he won't be part of it. In December of 1938, Patton was reassigned as commander of the third U.S. cavalry at Fort Myron in Arlington, where he remained until 1940. There he met the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, George C. Marshall, who considered Patten a candidate for promotion to general. In 1939, Army Chief of Staff Malin Craig retired in Patton's nemesis, Hugh Aloysius Drum, was a candidate to be his successor. Luckily, he'll be passed over in favor of George Marshall, another big name in the military. September 1st,

1939, German forces under Hitler invade Poland, marking the start of World War II. The U.S. military entered a period of mobilization and Patton's war wean started to tingle bit reposition itself in his drawers as he was tasked with building up the power of America's armored forces. Patent was temporarily promoted to Brigadier General in 1940 in preparation for the possibility of war and was made commander of the second armored brigade part of their second armored division part of the first combined arms doctrine. From 1940 to 1941, Patton his second armored brigade were stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. In December of 1940, Patton staged a high-profile mass exercise where a thousand tanks and other military vehicles were driven

from Columbus, Georgia to Panama City, Florida, and back. Patton repeated that exercise with his entire division of 1,300 vehicles the following month, teaching these guys how to move across the land with a lot of vehicles and get their supplies, you know, caught up with them and all that stuff. Patten even earned a pilot's license and observed the drills from the air looking to find ways to deploy tanks a little more effectively in combat. That move earned him a spot on the cover of Life magazine. In April of 1941, Patton was promoted to Major General. During the so-called Tennessee maneuvers, June of 1941,

Patton led his division and executed 48 hours worth of planned objectives in nine hours. During the so-called September Louisiana maneuvers, Patton led the Red Army during a mock battle, lost in Phase 1, but in Phase 2 led the Blue Army, executed a 400-mile end run around the Red Army and captured Shreveport, Louisiana. During the October-November, Carolina maneuvers, Patton's division captured Lieutenant General Aloysius.

got that fucking drum guy who served as commander of the opposing army until the exercise umpires ruled the circumstances would not have transpired in combat allowing him to return to headquarters but Patton loved to capture him

soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor Patton organized the desert training center near Indio California to simulate combat maneuvers in North Africa he was made commander of one armored corps first and second armored divisions is war wing close to full

staff now but While there were naval engagements in the Atlantic following Pearl Harbor, while the Marines would fight the following summer, the U.S. Army's first major land combat operation was Operation Torch in North Africa. That would not begin until November 8, 1942. Patton was under the command of Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, entering 1942. And he was assigned to help plan the Allied invasion of French North Africa as part of Operation Torch. Patton was given command of the two corps as two corps as part of the Army's Western Task Force. which consisted of 33,000 men and 100 ships destined for landings centered on Casablanca, Morocco. Wow, man, 100 ships, 33,000 dudes.

Before leaving for Africa, Patton wrote the following letter to his father-in-law, Frederick Ayer. War Department, Washington, D.C., October 20, 1942. For reasons of official secrecy, this will not be mailed for some time. Probably by the time you get it, you will have read in the papers where I am, and if I still am. In spite of my faults, you have always treated me as a real brother, and I have felt that way towards you. I do appreciate all you have been and done to and for me.

My admiration for you as a man is without limit. You also have my devoted love, as have all your family. The job I am going on is about as desperate adventure as has ever been undertaken by any force in the world's history. We will have to meet and defeat superior numbers on a coast where one can only land 60% of the time. so my proverbial luck will have to be working all out. However, I have a convinced belief that I will succeed.

If I don't, I shall not survive a second Dorn Kouquet, if that is how you spell it. Of course, there is the off chance that political interests may help and we shall have, at least initially, a pushover. Personally, I would rather have a fight. It would be good practice. However, in any event, we will eventually have to fight and fight hard and probably for years. Those of us who come back will have had some interesting experience. experiences. And further, when we get back, we will have a hell of a job on our hands.

I should like to have a crack at the latter part. So far as B and the children are concerned, I know that under your supervision, they could not be better off. I'm enclosing a sealed letter to be, which you are only to give her when and if I am definitely reported dead. I expect you to keep it a long time. Letters, even to me, will probably be censored, so avoid political and financial statements you don't want others to read. This all sounds very gloomy. But it is not really so bad. All my life, I have wanted to lead a lot of men in a desperate battle. I am going to do it.

And at 56, one can go on with equanimity. There is nothing much one has not done. Thanks to you and B, I have had an exceptionally happy life. Death is as light as a feather. Reputation for valor is as heavy as a mountain. Very affectionately, G.S. Patton, Jr. Damn. dude was ready to die truly and truly excited to fight in a battle where the odds were stacked against him the landings patent worried about took place november 8th vishy french forces opposed the landings but patten's men pushed through the resistance casablanca fell on november 11th and patented in armistice with the french general charles noakes and if you're confused and thinking wait a minute i thought the french were on our side in war two you're right they were most of them as the nazis first began to

to flex their military might in Europe, a group of French traders sided with Nazi Germany, formed a new puppet government of sorts based in the town ofishi. Too much to get into here thoroughly, but these guys that started out loosely collaborating with the Nazis, bending over for them, looking their boots, bend in the knee, and then eventually they just became Nazis themselves for all intents and purposes. Before Patton's initial landings on the coast of Morocco, he told his troops, we shall attack and attack until we are exhausted, and then we shall attack again. Following Patton's victory, the Sultan of Morocco impressed with Patton, presented him with a military decoration, with a citation,

the lions in their dens tremble at his approach. That's badass. Patten also oversaw the conversion of Casablanca into a military port and hosted the Casablanca conference in January of 1943. On March 6 of that year, after the defeat of the U.S. 2 Corps by the German Africa Corps in the Battle of Cassarine Pass, where Allied forces took on 10,000 casualties, including 3,300 U.S. soldiers killed or wounded, another 3,000 taken captive, where the U.S. lost 183 tanks compared to destroying just 20. Patton-replaced Major General Lloyd Frieden Hall as commanding general of the two corps and was promoted to lieutenant general.

The Allies were up against Erwin Rommel, the German Field Marshal, who commanded the Africa Corps, dude given the nickname of the Desert Fox for his shrewd military leadership in North Africa during World War II. He did was a tactical genius, very, very formidable. foe. Major General Omar Bradley was reassigned to Patton's two corps as his deputy commander and Patton was ordered to get a bunch of demoralized soldiers ready for action against a foe. They did not think they could defeat in just 10 days. They desperately needed to win. U.S. military commanders were very concerned that U.S. troops were too green. They could not defeat battle-hardened

Germans. Patton ordered everyone to wear clean, pressed uniforms, established a rigorous schedule, and he required strict adherence to military protocol. He also wrote a letter. This one to his troops, you know, distributed to his troops. All of us have been in battle. But due to circumstances beyond the control of anyone, we have, heretofore, fought separately. In our next battle, we shall, for the first time on this continent, have many thousands of Americans united in one command. In union, there is strength. Our duty is plain.

We must utterly defeat the enemy. Fortunately, for our famous soldiers, our enemy is. worthy of us. The German is a war-trained veteran, confident, brave, ruthless. We are brave. We are better equipped, better fed, and in the place of his blood-gutted woden,

we have with us the god of our father's known of old. Pretty fucking sick reference to the Norse god Odin there. He continues. The justice of our cause and not the greatness of our race makes us confident. But we are not ruthless, not vicious, not aggressive. Therein lies our weakness. Children of a free and sheltered people who have lived a generous life. We have not the pugnacious disposition of those oppressed beasts, our enemies, who must fight

or starve. Our bravery is too negative. We talk too much of sacrifice of the glory of dying that freedom may live. Of course, we are willing to die, but that is not enough. We must be eager to kill, to inflict on the enemy. The hated enemy wounds, death and destruction. If we die killing well and good, but if we fight hard enough, ficiously enough, we will kill and live, live to return to our family and our girl is conquering heroes, men of Mars, the reputation of our army, the future of our race, your own glory rests in your hands. I know you will be worthy. Holy shit, that is a badass pep talk. Oh, hell, Nimrod. God damn. Before an attack near Goffsa, a city in Tunisia, Patton also said in his instructions to his soldiers,

I expect to see such casualties amongst officers. Excuse me, I expect to see such casualties among officers, particularly staff officers, as will convince me that a serious effort has been made to capture this objective. Dude did not pull punches. Some of you fuckers are going to die today, right? That's what it's going to take, get this job done. On March 7th, or 17th, excuse me, the U.S. 1st Infantry Division, Gafsa in the Battle of El Gattar, pushing back German and Italian forces.

Maybe that letter worked. Patton's men lost 22 tanks, but they destroyed 37. So that's some good progress. But the U.S. did lose a lot of men, officers and more. 4 to 5,000 killed or wounded roughly as many casualties as they inflicted on the enemy. Still, this battle proved to military leaders that Patton and his men could take on the Nazis and inflict more damage than they absorbed. By April, Patton's army had reached Gabes in Tunisia.

but had been abandoned by the Germans. Patton then gave up command of two corps to Omar Bradley, returned to the first armored corps in Casablanca, Casablanca, or two plants, sorry, I am dealing with this cold and it's driving me fucking crazy. To plan Operation Husky, the Allied and Vision of Sicily. Patton took Palermo in July. His first armored corps was officially renamed

the 7th Army just before his force of 90,000, landed before dawn, July 10th, 1943 on beaches near the town of Lakata, Sicily. Maserati, Bugara Spaghetti! The army fought off counter-attacks at Gila, and Patton personally led his troops against German reinforcements. After taking Palermo, Patton focused on Messina, eventually taking the city on August 16th with 7,500 casualties out of 200,000 men.

Meanwhile, 113,000 Axis soldiers were killed or captured during the mission. Damn! Patton's time insists, Lee, not without controversy. July 19th, Patton received a transmission limiting his attack on Messina, but he disregarded it. And then his chief of staff claimed the message. which was lost in transmission until after the city had fallen. The now infamous mule incident, I mentioned earlier, took place on July 22nd.

So he's, you know, disregarding some mortars. He's killing some mules. One of the worst incidents Patton was involved in, though, was the Biscari Massacre. The Biscari Massacre refers to two incidents in which U.S. soldiers killed 71 Italian and two German unarmed POWs at the Regia, Aeronauticas, 504 Air Base, and Santo Pietro, a small village in southern Sicily July 14th, 1943. After the 7th U.S. Army

and the British 8th Army invaded Sicily, U.S. units went to airports in the southern part of the island and some massacres of civilians were reported. For example, 12 Italians died in Vittoria, including the mayor of a local village and his 17-year-old unarmed son killed with a bayonet to the face.

The 180th Infantry Regiment had been given the task of capturing the Biscari Airfield and linking up the U.S. first infantry division. The first incident of the so-called massacre is referred to as the West incident. By 10 a.m. soldiers with the 180th infantry regiment had taken 45 Italian and three German prisoners. The executive officer for the first battalion, 180th infantry regiment, Major Roger

Denman, ordered non-commissioned officer Sergeant Horace T. West to take the group of prisoners to an inconspicuous area to hold them for questioning. Sergeant West and several other soldiers marched the POWs about a mile away. Weston Halls of the group ordered eight or nine to be taken to the intelligence officer for some questioning. West took the remaining POWs off of the road, lined him up, and shot him with a Thompson submachine gun that he had gotten from the first sergeant. When the first sergeant had asked what he had wanted it for, West replied that he was going to, quote, kill the sons of bitches. West told the soldiers guarding the POWs to, quote, turn around if you don't want to see it. When the bodies were found 30 minutes later, it was clear

that almost every POW had been shot to the heart. Investigators later learned that after West had emptied the machine gun, he stopped to reload, then walked. around the bodies shot each person who was still moving. The 37 bodies caught the attention of chaplain lieutenant, Colonel William E. King, the next day. He reported the event to senior officers who were initially reluctant to go to court because of fear of bad press, hurting troop morale, and public support of the war. The second incident referred to as the Compton incident. Captain John T. Compton was the commander of Sea Company, First Battalion, 180th Infantry Regiment.

He landed south of the Akate River during the invasion of Sicily. He had gone three days without sleep Because he was, quote, too excited to sleep Only slept an hour and a half On the fourth day, my God, before the attack On the Biskari Airfield. They arrived around 11 a.m. July 14th, facing heavy fire. Snipers were targeting

Wounded American soldiers and the medics attempting to help them. Out of the 34 men in Compton's second platoon, 12 were wounded or killed in action. In an attempt to locate the snipers, private Raymond C. Marlowe crept down into a nearby draw. He had only got about 25 yards into the draw when he encountered an Italian soldier.

He shouted at the Italian, who ran into a dugout further down the draw. A couple minutes later the Italian soldier re-emerges unarmed with 35 others, several of whom are dressed as civilians. Private Marlow walked him up to the hill, or up the hill, excuse me, to his outpost, reported to a squad leader, Sergeant Hare. I told him that I had gotten these fellows that were shooting at us while we were getting out from under that artillery fire, he said. Acting as an interpreter, Private John Gazetti,

asked the prisoners if they had been acting as snipers and received no response. Hare then heard of the prisoners out of the draw Asked First Lieutenant Blanks What he should do with them Blanks asked Compton Compton for instructions Compton asked Blanks if he was sure They were the snipers that had been shooting at them

Blanks said yes And Compton said get them shot Blanks ordered Hare to assemble a firing squad And shoot the prisoners Compton accompanied the firing squad Of 11 men to the ridge Overlooking the draw The American soldiers lined up

And positioned themselves six feet away From the prisoners who begged them not to shoot Gazetti asked Compton if he had anything to say. Compton did not, and told the men to fire on his order. He said he, quote, didn't want a man left standing when the firing was done. A few prisoners now began to run, and the firing squad opened fire, shooting and killing them all. On the morning of July 15th, General Omar Bradley informed Patton that U.S. troops had killed 50 to 70 unarmed prisoners in cold blood. Patton recorded that conversation in his diary and wrote,

I told Bradley that it was probably an exaggeration. but in any case to tell the officer to certify that the men were snipers or had attempted to escape or something as it would make a stink in the press and also would make the civilians mac anyhow, they're dead so nothing can be done about it.

However, once Patton discovered that the inspector general found no provocation on part of the prisoners or on that part of them, he reportedly said, try the bastards. Sergeant Horace West went to trial. In September of 1943, he admitted to the killings,

but his lawyer argued he was fatigued and under extreme emotion distress, therefore he was temporarily insane. The prosecution noted that West had borrowed the machine gun and an additional magazine and appeared to acting cold blood. West's second defense was that he was following the orders of his commanding general, aka Patten, who had said prior to the invasion of Sicily that prisoners should only be taken in limited circumstances.

West regimental commander, Colonel Forrest Cookson, testified that the general, again, Penel Patton, said if the enemy continued to resist after U.S. troops had came within 200 yards of their defensive position surrender did not need to be accepted. West was found guilty of murder, stripped of his rank, sentenced to life in prison. He was detained in North Africa to avoid negative publicity.

However, Eisenhower reviewed his record of trial. The record of his trial decided to, quote, give the man a chance after he served, quote, enough of his life sentence to demonstrate that he can return to active duty. West sentence was remitted November 24th, 1914. So he didn't serve much of his life

and he was restored to active duty. And then he finished the war and was honorably discharged. Captain John T. Compton pleaded not guilty, said he was following the orders of his commanding general, Patton, given in his speech. He was acquitted October 23, 1943, but the judge advocates reviewed declared that Compton's actions were unlawful. And then Compton was killed in action just days later, November 8, 1943. Patton was questioned by the war department, Inspector General, and stated his comments had been misinterpreted. He said that nothing he had said, quote, by the wildest stretch of the imagination, could have been taken as an order to murder. murder POWs, and he was clear of wrongdoing. But with what we know about Pat, did he give them

some speech about taking no prisoners? It seems he did. I can only find snippets of what he supposedly said to his men the day before they landed in Sicily, but he allegedly urged them to be merciless and told them, quote, when we land against the enemy, don't forget to hit him and hit him hard. When we meet the enemy, we will kill them. We will show him no mercy. He has killed thousands of your comrades, and he must die. If your company officers and leading your men against the enemy, find him shooting at you, and when you get within 200 yards of him he wishes to surrender,

oh no, that bastard will die, you will kill him, sticking between the third and fourth ribs, referring to a bay net there. I mean, if that's what he said, you know, then when they killed those POWs, you could definitely argue that they were following orders.

Maybe that's why they didn't actually get punished, not really in the end. Patent faced criticism, again the following month, in August of 1943, when he struck some hospitalized soldiers who exhibited no outward signs of injury. Patten visited the first guy, Private Charles Cull, at the 15th evacuation hospital outside of Nicosia, Sicily.

He was not visibly injured. Patton would describe the soldier as, quote, the only errant coward in his army, sitting trying to look as if he had been wounded. When asked what was wrong, Private Cool responded, I guess I just can't take it. One doctor who witnessed Patton's response recalled, quote, the general immediately flared up, cursed the soldier, called him all types of coward, then slapped him across the face with his gloves, and finally grabbed the soldier by. by the scruff of his neck and kicked him out of the tent, like literally. Patten himself later wrote about the cool incident. I gave him the devil, slapped his face with my gloves, and kicked him out of the hospital. Company should deal with such men, and if they shirk their duty, they should be tried for cowardice and shot.

Two days later, Patton issued in order, quote, it has come to my attention that a very small number of soldiers are going to the hospital on the pretext that they are nervously incapable of combat. Such men are cowards and bring discredit on the arms. and disgrace to their comrades, whom they heartlessly leave to endure the danger of battle while they themselves use the hospital as a means of escaping. You will take measures to see that such cases are not sent to the hospital, but are dealt with in their units.

Those who are not willing to fight will be tried by court-martial for cowardice in the face of the enemy. I mean, I know we deal with people dealing with mental health problems a lot more effectively now, a lot more sensitively now. But also, this was war. And in war, sometimes, you know, you probably just can't afford to. to be sensitive and understanding. Probably not the best place for compassion all the time.

You know, one man's mental health crisis, real or not, can truly get other men killed. That's just the reality of it, other men, other women. Someone with the counselor's compassion probably shouldn't be leading soldiers in a do or die. We're fighting against the greatest threat to, you know, a humane and decent world and history type of situation.

Someone with something akin to Patton's disposition, probably better suited for that. I just don't think the normal rules of morality always apply in war. poor private cool though he really was sick he was later diagnosed with chronic dysentery and malaria he wasn't faking it man had I been over there pat

Patton might end up slapping and berating me can't imagine how brutal fighting that war was on august 10th Patton went to the 93rd evacuation hospital near san Stefano, Sicily private Paul Bennett had been diagnosed with combat fatigue Bennett was sitting up shivering when Patton found him when Patton asked him what was wrong Bennett began to cry and then he said it's my nerves

Patton didn't show a lot of compassion He replied What did you just say? My God By like strong like crazy dad voice What did you say? Bennett repeated It's my nerves

I can't stand the shelling anymore A dude had PTSD And Patton didn't believe in PTSD Patton slapped him in the face And shouted Your nerves hell You're just a goddamn coward You yellow son of a bitch

And then Patton continued Shut up that goddamn crying I won't have these brave men Who've been shocked seen a yellow bastard sitting here crying. Patton slapped him again, hard enough to knock off his helmet liner, said to the receiving officer, don't you admit this yellow bastard. There's nothing to matter with him.

I won't have the hospitals cluttered up with these sons of bitches who having the guts to fight. Patton then turned back to the soldier and said, you're going to kick back to the front, or you're going back to the front lines. And you may get shot and killed, but you're going to fight. If you don't, I'll stand you up against the wall and have a firing squad kill you on purpose. Jesus. He then reached for one of his pistols and said, I'd have shoot you myself, you goddamn whimper and coward.

Finally, he departed after saying, I may have saved his soul if he had one. Medical officers and journalists reported the incidents to Supreme Commander Eisenhower. Patton received a letter of reprimand and was ordered to apologize, which I guess he did begrudgingly. Eisenhower's reprimand said,

I clearly understand that firm and drastic measures are at times necessary in order to secure desired objectives. But this does not excuse brutality, abuse of the sick, nor exhibition of uncontrollable temper in front of subordinates. Very diplomatic way. Be like, dude, what are you fucking doing?

Calm down, man. Eisenhower, disappointed as he was, also could not afford to lose Patton and ask reporters to bury the story. However, news of the incident broke anyway in late November of 1943 when radio commentator Drew Pearson, quote, decided it was time to let loose on Patton.

It was widespread outrage, and many called for Patton to be fired. The Senate delayed his promotion to permanent major general. Secretary War, Henry L. Stimson, argued, however, that Patton must be retained as a commander because of the need for his, quote, aggressive winning leadership in the bitter battles, which are to come before final victory. Still, Patton would not command another force in combat for the next 11 months. And his infamous war wean, the little general, will now go pretty limp.

Omar Bradley, junior to Patton and rank and experience was selected in his stead to command the first U.S. Army in England to prepare for Operation Overlord. the secret plans for the invasion of Normandy. This decision may have actually been made before the slapping incidents occurred, but Patton blamed them for him being denied the job he had dreamt of. Eisenhower thought the invasion of Normandy was too important to risk any uncertainty, and he felt the slapping incidents were an example of Patton's inability to exercise proper discipline. In his apology, Patton told medical personnel that he had always regarded cases of shell shock as being the most tragic. And his intention was to shame the soldiers to try to snap.

them out of it. So, you know, tough love angle. These incidents showed Patton's lack of understanding of shell shock, aka a form of PTSD. Dwight Eisenhower wrote that Patton, quote, sincerely believed that there was no such thing as true battle fatigue or battle neurosis. Yeah, probably because he never felt that, right? He was blessed by Oden. He fucking was Odin. He was perpetually reincarnated god of war. According to General Omar Bradley, Patton, quote, could not believe that men could break under an intense mental strain as a result of the hardships endured in war. Patton's daughter, Ruth Ellen, agreed that he honestly did not believe in battle fatigue. Dude was wired so strongly just to fight. You know, he just literally could not comprehend

someone else not being emotionally or mentally capable of handling it. Just, you know, like did not compute for him. Biographer Carlo Desti also agreed that Patton did not believe in battle fatigue. And historian Dennis Scho Walter noted that Patton believed, quote, battle fatigue was a euphemism for cowardice. However, in his diaries, Patton did write about encountering other soldiers, whom he acknowledged were suffering shell-shock, but he believed in an older definition based on his experience in the First World War, where total immobilization was the only acceptable symptom requiring hospitalization. He truly thought anything else was cowardice. Patten wrote, The greatest weapon against the so-called battle fatigue is ridicule. If soldiers would realize

that a large proportion of men allegedly suffering from battle fatigue are really using it as an easy way out, they would be less sympathetic. Any man who says he has battle fatigue is avoiding danger and forcing on those who have more hardihood than himself in the obligation of meeting it. If soldiers would make fun of those who would begin to show battle fatigue, they would prevent its spread and also save the man who allows himself to malinger by this means from an afterlife of humiliation and regret. Dude was old school. Even the 1940s when dudes were so much less sensitive, so much more traditionally manly, you know, quote, unquote, than they are now. He was considered old school back then.

To be fair to him, you know, it had to have been tough to transition from his Greek hoplite instincts, you know, from killing woolly mammoths to more modern warfare. January 26, 1944, Patton is given command of the third U.S. Army in England, a new field army assigned to prepare soldiers for the invasion of France. And the little general starts to tingle and move around again. The climax of Patton's career came in the summer of 1944 during this sweep of the third army across northern France. little general rock hard uh the germans not happy to hear that patten was back the nazis legit feared this wild man they respected patten more than any other allied commander and thought he would be central to any plan to invade europe from england prior to the normandy invasion patten was publicly put in command of the first u.s army group uh fusag a fictitious army meant to deceive german

commanders into thinking the invasion would take place in france's uh boudet calais region Patton was a prominent figure in Operation Fortitude, the name for this deceptive scheme. Utilizing a network of British double agents, the Allies fed German intelligence, a stream of false reports about troop sightings and Patton's promotion to commander of Fusag. The Germans were fully convinced

that Patton was preparing his command for an invasion of Porta Calais. Fusag utilized decoys, props, and fake radio signal traffic, which helped conceal the real location of the invasion of Normandy. The Ghost Army consisted of 1,100 artists, designers, and sound engineers. That's so cool.

According to a History Channel program, quote, the Ghost Army could simulate a force 30 times its size as it operated as close as a quarter mile from the front lines. One Army report stated, rarely, if ever, has there been a group of such few men, which had so great an influence on the outcome of a major military campaign. Ghost Army member Freddie Fox described his unit as, quote, a traveling roadshow that went up and down the front lines

impersonating the real fighting outfits. Wow. They worked under the cover. a darkness, inflating rubber tanks, jeeps, trucks, artillery, and aircraft, while artists painted with such detail, it could trick Nazi aerial reconnaissance. Meanwhile, Patton was on orders to keep a low profile to deceive the Germans into thinking he was in Dover, England. Thanks to Operation Fortitude, the German 15th Army remained at Pouda Kla, to defend against Patton and even held their positions after the invasion of Normandy on June 6th because they were

convinced Patton was going to act. The Ghost Army would perform more than 20 missions throughout 1944 and 19. Most of the Ghost Army arrived in England in May of 1944 as D-Day Prep was being finalized. The Ghost Army engaged in its first large-scale deceptions in the summer of 1944, deploying 50 dummy tanks and positioning sound trucks within a few hundred yards at the front line during the siege of the French port of Brest. And as part of Operation Brittany, the Ghost Army deceived the Germans about the location of General Patton's Third Army. Patton was welcoming of the Ghost Army and made suggestions for how they could improve their deception.

A few months later, the Ghost Army would save Patton when a gap opened up in his line during the attack on the city of Mets until real reinforcements arrived, the Ghost Army held the line for seven days with inflatables and loud speakers that played sounds of tanks, soldiers, and sergeants. That is incredible.

Leading up to the invasion of France, Patton delivered a series of different versions to the same speech, or excuse me, of the same speech, his most famous speech that would just be called the speech to the Third Army intended to motivate them for combat. He began delivering these speeches to soldiers in the UK around February of 1944,

most famous version given on June 5th, 1944, delivered without notes, and Patton soldiers later recorded his words. Patton told his men some version of the following. Be seated. Men, all this stuff you hear about America not wanting to fight. Wanting to stay out of the war is a lot of horse dung. Americans love to fight. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle.

When you were kids, you all admire the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, the big league ball players and the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner, and we 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. The very thought of losing is hateful to America. battle is the most significant competition in which a man can indulge

it brings out all that is best and it removes all that is base you are not all going to die only 2% of you right here today would be killed in a major battle every man is scared in his first action if he says he's not he's a goddamn liar but the real hero is the man who fights

even though he's scared some men will get over their fright in a minute under fire some take an hour and for some it takes days But the real man never lets his fear of death Overpower his honor His sense of duty to his country And his innate manhood All through your army career

You men have bitched about what you call this Chicken shit drilling This is all for a purpose To ensure instant obedience to orders And to create constant alertness This must be bred into every soldier I don't give a fuck for a man Who is not always on his toes

But the drilling has made veterans of all you men You are ready A man has to be alerted all time if he expects to keep on breathing. If not, some German son of a bitch will sneak up behind him and beat him to death with a sock full of shit. There are 400 neatly marked graves in Sicily,

all because one man went to sleep on the job. But they are German graves because we caught the bastard to sleep before his officer did. An army's a team. It lives, eats, sleeps, and fights as a team. This individual hero stuff is bullshit. The bilious bastards who write that stuff

for the Saturday evening post don't know any more about real battle than they do about fucking. Now we have the finest food and equipment, the best spirit, and the best men in the world. You know, by God, I actually pity those poor bastards we're going up against. By God, I do. All the real heroes are not storybook combat fighters. Every single man in the army plays a vital role.

So don't ever let up. Don't ever think that your job is unimportant. What if every truck driver decided he didn't like the whine to the shells and turn yellow and jumped headlong into a ditch? That cowardly bastard could say to himself, hell, they won't miss me. Just one man in thousands. What if every man said that?

Where in the hell would we be then? No, thank God Americans don't say that. Every man does his job. Every man is important. The ordnancemen are needed to supply the guns. The quartermaster is needed to bring up the food and clothes for us because where we are going, there isn't a hell of a lot to steal. Every last damn man in the mess hall,

even the one who boils the water to keep us from getting the GI shit has a job to do. Each man must think not only of himself, but think of his buddy, fighting alongside him. We don't want yellow cowards in the army. They should be killed off like flies. If not, they will go back home after the war. God damn cowards and breed more cowards. The brave men will breed more brave men.

Kill off the goddamn cowards, and we'll have a nation of brave men. One of the bravest men I saw in the African campaign was on a telegraph pole in the midst of furious fire while we were moving towards Tunis. I stopped and asked him what the hell he was doing up there. He answered fixing the wire, sir. Isn't it a little unhealthy up there right now, I asked? Yes, sir, but this goddamn wire has got to be fixed.

I asked, don't those planes strafing the road bother you? And he answered, no, sir, but you sure as hell do. Now, there was a real soldier, a real man, a man who devoted all he had to his duty, no matter how great the odds, no matter how seemingly insignificant his duty appeared at the time. And you should have seen the trucks on the road to Gobbis. These drivers were magnificent. All day and all night they crawled along those sons of bitch roads, never stopping, never deviating from their courts, with shells bursting all around them.

Many of the men drove over 40 consecutive hours. We got through on good old American guts These were not combat men But they were soldiers with a job to do They were part of a team Without them the fight would have been lost Sure, we all want to go home We want to get this war over with

But you can't win a war lying down The quickest way to get it over with Is to get the bastards who started it We want to get the hell over there And clean the goddamn thing up The quicker they are whipped The quicker we go home The shortest way home is through Berlin and Tokyo

So keep moving And when we get to Berlin I am personally going to shoot That paper-hanging son of a bitch Hitler When a man is lying in a shell hole If he just stays there all day A boss will get him eventually The hell with that

My men don't dig foxholes Foxholes only show up on an offensive Keep moving We'll win this war But we'll win it only by fighting And showing the Germans that we've got more guts Than they have or we'll have We're not just going to shoot the bastards

We're going to rip out their living goddamn gut And use them to grease the treads of our tanks We're going to murder those lousy hun cock-suckers By their bull-fucking basket Bushal fucking basket You know what I meant? God damn it, soldiers, some of you, men. You are wondering whether or not

you'll chicken out under fire. Don't worry about it. I can assure you that you'll do all your duty. War is a bloody business, a killing business. The Nazis of the enemy. Wait into them, spill their blood or they will spill yours. Shoot them in the guts, rip open their belly. When shells are hitting all around you

and you wipe the dirt from your face and you realize that it's not dirt, it's the blood and guts of what was once your best friend, you'll know what to do. I don't want any message saying I'm holding my position. We're not holding the goddamn thing. We're advancing constantly, and we're not interested in holding anything

except the enemy's balls. We're going to hold him by his balls, and we're going to kick him in the ass, twist his balls and kick the living shit out of him all the time. Our plan of operation is to advance and keep on advancing. We're going to go through the enemy like a shit through a tin horn. There will be some complaints. They are pushing our people too hard.

I don't give a damn about such complaints. I believe that an ounce of sweat will save a gallon of blood. The harder we push, the more Germans we kill. The more Germans we killed, the few of our men will be killed. pushing harder means fewer casualties. I want you all to remember that. My men don't surrender.

I don't want to hear of any soldier under my command being captured unless he's hit. Even if you are hit, you can still fight? That's not just bullshit either. I want men like the lieutenant in Libya who with a luger against his chest swept aside the gun with his hand,

jerked his helmet off with the other and busted the hell out of that boss with a helmet. Then he picked up the gun and killed another German. All this time, the man had a bullet through his lung. That's a man for you. Don't forget. You don't know I'm here at all. No word of the fact is to be mentioned in any letters

The world is not supposed to know what the hell they did with me I'm not supposed to be commanding this army I'm not supposed to be in England Let the first bastards to find out be the goddamn Germans Someday I want them to rise up on their piss-soaked hind legs and howl Ahk it's the goddamn third army that son of a bitch patting again Then there's one thing you men will be able to do And say when this war is over you get back home

30 years from now when you're sitting by your firesire with your grandson on your knee And he asked what did you do in the Great World War II You won't have to cough and say Well, your granddaddy 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 goddamn son of a bitch named George Patton All right, you sons of bitches You know how I feel I'll be proud to lead you wonderful guys And battle anytime, anywhere That's all.

Woo! That was a little tricky to time. I would have had it if I would have messed up. Holy fuck. When I first read that speech, my honest emotions where, well, I haven't done shit with my life. I'm a coward. I should throw myself off a bridge. When have I ever kicked ass like Pat and did?

I'm not a man. I mean, later I reflected and thought, you know, there's more than one way to be a good person. But still, God, what a speech. A 19-year-old me hears that. 20 or 21-year-old me hears that. I'm guessing that while I would still be so terrified, so scared as hell, I'd also be pretty fucking pumped, you know? Tuvahatta!

Woo! Wow! Next day, June 6, 1944. D-Day, Patton wrote a letter to his 20-year-old son, George Jr., who was enrolled at West Point. Patton Sr. was in England, trained in the Third Army in preparation for the battles that would follow the invasion of Normandy, and here is what he said. Dear George, at 0700 this morning, the BBC announced that the German radio had just come out with an announcement of the landing of Allied paratroops and of large numbers of assault craft near shore. So that is it. This group of unconquerable heroes, whom I command, are not in yet, but we soon will be. I wish I was there now, as it is a lovely sunny day for a battle, and I am fed up with just sitting.

I have no immediate idea of being killed, but one can never tell, and none of us can live forever. So, if I should go, don't worry, but set yourself to do better than I have. All men are timid on entering any fight. Whether it is the first fight or the last fight, all of us are timid. Cowards are those who let their timidity get the better of their manhood. You will never do that because your bloodlines on both sides. I think I've told you the story of Marshal Terrain, who fought under Louis XIV. On the morning of one of his last battles, he'd been fighting for 40 years.

He was mounting his horse when a young aide-de-camp, who would just come from the court and had never missed a meal or heard a hostile shot said, Marshal Terrain, it amazes me that a man of your supposed courage should permit his knees to tremble as he walks out to mount. Terrain replied, My Lord Duke, I admit that my knees do tremble. But should they know where I shall this day take them, they would shake even more. That is it. Your knees may shake, but they will always take you towards the enemy. Well, so much for that. There are apparently two types of successful soldiers.

Those who get on by being unobtrusive, and those who get on by being obtrusive. I am of the latter type, and seem to be rare and unpopular. But it is my method. One has to choose a system and stick to it. People who are not themselves are nobody. To be a successful soldier, you must know history. Read it objectively. Dates and even the minute details of tactics are useless. What you must know is how each man reacts. Weapons change, but man who uses them changes not at all.

To win battles, you do not beat weapons. You beat the soul of a man of the enemy man. To do that, you have to destroy his weapons, but that is only incidental. You must read biography and especially autobiography. If you will do it, you will find that war is simple. Decide what will hurt the enemy most within the limits of your capabilities to harm him and then do it. Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.

My personal belief is that if you have a 50% chance, take it. Because the superior fighting qualities of American soldiers, led by me, will surely give you the extra 1% necessary. In Sicily, I decided as a result of my information, observations, and a sixth sense that I have that the enemy did not have another large-scale attack in his system. I bet my shirt on that, and I was right. You cannot make war safely, but no dead general has ever been criticized, so you have that way out always.

I am sure that if every leader who goes into battle will promise himself that he will come out either a conquer or a corpse, he is sure to win. There is no doubt of that. Defeat is not due to losses, but to the destruction of the soul of the leaders, that live to fight another day doctrine. The most vital quality as a soldier can,

A soldier can possess is self-confidence, utter, complete, and bumptuous. You can have doubts about your good looks, about your intelligence, about your self-control. But to win in war, you must have no doubts about your ability as a soldier. What success I have? What success I have had? Results from the fact that I have always been certain that my military reactions were correct. Many people do not agree with me. They are wrong.

The unerring jury of history written long after both of us are dead will prove me correct. Note that I speak of military reactions. No one is born with them any more than anyone is born with muscles. You can be born with the soul capable of correct military reactions or the body capable of having big muscles, but both qualities must be developed by hard work. The intensity of your desire to acquire any special ability. I'm going to start that music over. When I practiced it, it just never comes out like when I read it. The intensity of your desire to acquire any special ability depends on character, on ambition. I think that your decision to study this summer instead of enjoying yourself shows that you have character and ambition.

They are wonderful possessions. Soldiers, all men in fact, are natural hero worshippers. Officers with a flair for command realize this and emphasize in their conduct, dress and deportment the qualities they seek to produce in their men. When I was a second lieutenant, I had a captain who was very sloppy, and usually late he got after the men for just those faults. It was a failure. The troops I have commanded have always been well-dressed, been smart saluted. been prompt and bold in action because I have personally set the example

in these qualities. The influence one man can have on thousands is a never-ending source of wonder to me. You are always on parade. Officers who through laziness or a foolish desire to be popular fail to enforce discipline and the proper wearing of uniforms

and equipment not in the presence of the enemy will also fail in battle. And if they fail in battle, they are potential murderous. There is no such thing as a good field soldier. You are either a good soldier or a bad soldier. Well, this has been quite a sermon,

but don't get the idea that it is my swan song because it is not. I have not yet finished my job. Your affectionate father. I love that. I love that took the time to tell his son, you know, what he thought the most important qualities

of being a soldier were, being a leader were, held Nimrod. And also, that music was Edward Elger's variations on an original theme, the Nimrod variation, so I had to use. it. And I love that thing about setting a good example. I always admire that about leaders who practice what they preach. And the ones that don't, I don't have any respect for. You know, if somebody's telling me like, hey, do this, do that, do this, do that. And they clearly don't do those things

themselves. And I feel like they probably never did. I'm just like, shut the fuck up. Like, I truly have no respect for their words. I do love that Patton, you know, like he walked the walk. I mean, you don't have to agree with all his viewpoints and you probably won't. Definitely by the end of this one. But still, you know, he did follow his beliefs, uh, consistent. And now before we jump into Patton's final battles, as he leads the Third Army in an aggressive advance across France, Germany, and into Czechoslovakia in late 1944 and 1945, we need to look at something else going on in his life at this time that is not as cool. Rumors of Patton's alleged affair with his niece, Jean Gordon, a revived in 1944, and years later the publication of memoirs of Patton's daughter Ruth Ellen

and correspondents between Patton and his wife Beatrice revealed the family indeed believed they did have a romantic relationship. However, some biographers are doubtful. They think Patton himself made it up to prove his virility in his declining age. I don't know about that. Why would you pick your niece for that role? That seems wildly far-fetched to me. But that's what some belief,

biographer Carlo deeste, wrote that Patton's quote, behavior suggests that in both 1936 in Hawaii and in 1944 and 1945, the presence of the young and attractive gene was a means of assuaging the anxieties of a middle-aged man troubled over his virility and a fear of aging.

I think he probably had an affair with her. Let's take into why I think that. Started with taking a moment to learn a little bit about her background. Gene was born February 4th, 1915, meaning Patton was almost 30 years older than her. Jean's mother was the half-sister of Patton's wife, Beatrice. Jean was close friends with Patton's daughter,

Ruth Ellen. She spent many vacations with the Patton family, was a bridesmaid in both of Patton's daughter's weddings. For fuck's sake. She was like another daughter. Her involvement with Patton supposedly started during a vacation in the 1930s. The family visited Patton in Hawaii while he was posted there

and these two began flirting. Beatrice did not accompany Patton and Jean on a horse buying trip to a nearby island and when they returned it was clear to her that something had happened. Writer Nancy J. Morris quotes Ruth Ellen's memories of her mother's reaction via biographer Carlo Destes' research.

Beatrice apparently told her daughter, quote, Your father needs me. He doesn't know it right now, but he needs me. In fact, right now he needs me more than I need him. I want you to remember this, that even the best and truest of men can be bedazzled and make fools of themselves. So if your husband ever does this to you,

you can remember that I didn't leave your father. I stuck with him because I am all he really has, and I love him, and he loves me. Oof, that is some pretty heartbreaking rationalization there. Ruth Ellen denied the rumors during her lifetime, but her posthumously published memoirs and her nephew's work on the patents, which she collaborated on, revealed her true beliefs.

Gene completed the Red Cross's nurse's aid training course, volunteered at several Boston hospitals before she was sent to England in May of 1944. She contacted Patton in July, visited her in London. He visited her in London before departing for Normandy. Patten later told his close friend, General Everett Hughes, that he wanted to keep her presence a secret.

Hughes asked about the relationship, and Patton allegedly told him boastfully that Jean had, quote, been mine for 12 years. If that statement is accurate, it would suggest that he was actually involved with her before Hawaii back when she was 17 and he was 46. Yikes! Literally equivalent to me starting to sleep

with one of my daughter Monroe's friends right now. Like, scandalous isn't even the word, so explosive. But even more gross, because niece, dear God. Jean was assigned to the ARC Clubmobile group attached to the Third Army headquarters. She was one of the, quote, donut girls who served donuts, coffee, and cigarettes to soldiers, boosted morale with music, dancing, and conversation. She was also Patton's companion and hostess when he entertained guests.

Patten had a practice of inviting Red Cross girls to dine with his staff. According to Everett Hughes, Patton quarreled with Gene, soon before Hughes visited his headquarters in May of 1945. Then they made up, continued the affair during Patton's leave in England. Patten would return to the U.S. that June and Hughes took a distraught Jean to his apartment so she could cry. Beatrice wrote about her concerns regarding an affair to Patton repeatedly, which he consistently dismissed.

He denied he was seeing Gene. But the evening before he left for the U.S. Patton confessed to Everett Hughes that he was, quote, scared to death of going back home to America. When he returned, he told Hughes, Beatrice gave me hell. I'm glad to be in Europe. Patton's wartime diary contains multiple references

to his relationship with Gene. Gene's supervisor with the ARC Clubmobile maintained that Jean and Patton had a father-daughter relationship but Jean was actually in love with the married captain Jean returned to the U.S. at the same month Patton died and when she heard the news she reportedly said

I think it is better this way for Uncle Georgie there was no place for him anymore and he would have been unhappy with nothing to do according to biographer Carlo Adeste after Patton's death Beatrice met Gene at a hotel in Boston confronted her over the affair Adeste wrote

Beatrice's jealousy of Jean Gordon was that of an older woman for a young and attractive mistress who had stolen her husband's interests. Jean told a friend that with the war now over, perhaps Patton's death had been a blessing in disguise.

Robert Patton writes that she had an understanding of him that was insightful and not frivolous, ample reason for his wife to deem her a serious rival. Beatrice out of love could forgive Georgie's indiscretion, but Jean, she was determined to punish.

And then Gene Gordon died of suicide. January 8, 1946, just days after her confrontation with Beatrice and a little more than two weeks after Patton's death. She asphyxed, oh my gosh, she asphyxated herself with gas from the kitchen stove or her friend's apartment in the upper east side of Manhattan, and her body was found surrounded by Patton's photos. It sure seems like they had a lot more than a father-daughter relationship. You know, don't fuck your niece. If you take one thing away from this episode, let it be.

Don't fuck your niece or nephew. Got to have it the same both ways. Okay, now let's refocus on the timeline of Patton's actions during the war. Patton's Third Army became operational, August 1, 1944, under Omar Bradley's 12th U.S. Army Group. By the end of the month, they had captured the French cities, Mayen, Leval, Le Mans, Reims, and Chalonne. The speed of the advance forced units to rely on air reconnaissance and tactical air support. As the German resistance in Normandy began to collapse, the advancing British and American forces threatened to trap two German armies at Filets. Patton wanted to complete the encirclement, but his commander, General Omar Bradley,

feared the attack would leave Patton's flanks weak and exposed to counterattack. The gap between Falais and Argentel was closed on August 20th, 1944, and an estimated 20 to 40,000 Germans escaped. Patton's third army was now sent to Lorraine as part of the Lorraine campaign, which had few objectives outside the cities of Nancy and Metz. Patton's offensive was halted August 31st, just outside Mets, when they ran out of fuel that was not restored, until September, which allowed Germans to strengthen their fortress.

Patton's army reached the fortress, September 5th, forced a German surrender, November 21st. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. Carlo Desti wrote that the Lorraine campaign was one of Patton's least successful and faulted him for not deploying his divisions more aggressively and decisively. From November to mid-December, Patton's army advanced no more than 40 miles. In December of 1944, the Germans launched a surprise counterattack in the Arden Forest, and circled the U.S. 101 Airborne Division at Boston, Belgium. This became known as the infamous Battle of the Bulge, the last major German offensive on the Western Front,

lasting from December 16th to January 16th. Winston Churchill called the Battle of the Bulge the Greatest American Battle of the War. General Dwight Eisenhower had ordered Patton's third army to relieve Bastogne. Patton repositioned his force with speed, made possible in large part by his intelligence officer Colonel Oscar Koch, who predicted the German offensive on the basis of an analysis of enemy troop strength and disposition. The bulge referred to a giant mound of dinosaur bones.

Dinosaurs bones. Yeah. We want to see them. Dinosaur bones. Yeah. Where can we see them? I never get tired of that. Not ever. No, the bulge referred to the wedge of the Germans drove into allied lines when 30 German divisions attacked American soldiers across 85 miles of the Arden Forest. the Germans broke through the front on day one killing both soldiers and civilians this would be the costiest battle for the U.S. Army with over 80,000 casualties,

which is fucking insane. Over 80,000, approximately 19,000 American deaths. Roughly 610,000 American troops fought in this battle. Some sources say up to 640,000. Over 1.2 million total troops were involved in the Battle of the Bulge, including around 560,000 Germans. It's just so many dudes.

70,000 to 20,000 Germans died, approximately 200 British troops were also killed. They were there just in small numbers. By the autumn of 1944, the Allies lost momentum in their invasion of France and Belgium. The Germans were strengthening their defenses with reserves and forces from their home guard and troops who were able to withdraw from France. All six Allied armies launched a general offensive on the Western Front in November, and they suffered heavy casualties, such a bloody battle.

By mid-December, 1944, Eisenhower had at his disposal 48 divisions distributed along a 600-mile front between the North Sea and Switzerland. For the counter-offensive, the Germans chose the hilly and wooded Ardennes because it was regarded as difficult terrain, and a large-scale offensive there would be unexpected. The woods also provided concealment, and the high ground offered a drier surface for tanks to roll along on. The Germans wanted to break through to Antwerp, Belgium, cut off the British from the American forces and its supplies, and then crushed the British. The 5th Panzer Army was supposed to go to the U.S. front on the Arden go west, then north to Antwerp.

The 6th Panzer Army was to go north on an oblique. leak line to create a strategic barrier at the rear of the British and the more northerly American armies. These armies were given the majority of the tanks. To minimize the danger of an intervention of allied air power, the Germans launched the offensive during misty and rainy weather. The Germans attempted to infiltrate allied soldiers by dropping paratroopers behind allied lines. People dressed like Americans, who spoke English. To find the spies, U.S. soldiers asked suspected Germans to answer American trivia questions. General Omar Bradley was asked numerous times. He told the Washington Post,

later, three times I was ordered to prove my identity. The first time by identifying Springfield as the capital of Illinois. The second by locating the guard between the center and the tackle on a line of scrimmage, that's a football term, the third time by naming the then-current spouse of a blonde named Betty Grable. The Germans demanded the surrender of the 101st on December 22nd, received one-word response from Commander Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe. Nuts. By December 24th, the Germans had advanced to within four miles of the Mews River. They lost progress due to gasoline shortages. Allied forces could not strike until Christmas Day when the weather finally cleared up. Back on December 19th, Eisenhower

called a meeting of all senior Allied commanders on the Western Front at a headquarters near Verdun to plan a response to the German offensive. At the time, Patton's army was fighting near Zarbukin Germany. Patton guessed the intent to the meeting and ordered his staff to make three operational contingency orders to disengage parts of the Third Army from its position and began offensive operations towards several spots in the area of the bulge occupied by German forces. Patton attended the Supreme Command Conference, and when Eisenhower asked him how long it would take to disengage six divisions of the Third Army and commence a counterattack to relieve the 101st at Bastogne or Boston, Patton said, as soon as you're through with me.

Patton explained he'd already created an operational order for counterattack with three divisions on December 21st, which is just two days away. Eisenhower didn't believe him and said, don't be fatuous, George, if you try to go that early, you won't have all three divisions ready, and you'll go piecemeal. Patent said his staff already had a contingency operations order, but Eisenhower still didn't believe him, and ordered Patton to attack on December 22nd using at least three divisions. Patent said at one point during the meeting, this bastard has put his cock in a meat grinder, and I've got the handle. And that is a legendary quote, my God. This bastard has put his cock and a meat grinder, and I've got the handle.

please somebody used that in real life How'd your meeting go today? Well, that bastard put his fucking cock in a meat grinder And I've got the handle So pretty goddamn good When Patton left the conference room He called his command with the order play ball This initiated the prearranged operational order

Among his staff mobilized the fourth armored division The 80th Infantry Division And the 26th Infantry Division moving north to Boston Within a few days, over 133,000 3rd Army vehicles were rerouted following by support echelons carrying 62,000 tons of supplies. On December 21st, Patton met with Omar Bradley to review the advance. He started off by saying,

Brad, this time the crowd stuck his head in the meat grinder, and I've got a hold of the handle. Eh, I like the other way. He said it better. Patton argued that they should attack towards Koblinz, Germany, and cut the bulge off at the base, trapped the German offensive. Bradley vetoed it, since he was more concerned about getting belief for Bastogne before it was overrun, not getting relief, excuse me.

Patten wanted good weather for his advance so they could have close ground support from the Air Force. So Patton ordered Third Army chaplain, Colonel James Hugh O'Neill, to compose a suitable prayer. O'Neill came up with the following. Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech thee of thy great goodness to restrain these immoderate reins, which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for battle, graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon thee that, arm with thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemy. and establish thy justice among men and nations. Amen.

And he had this, like, printed out on cards and handed to all the men so they could all pray this. And when the weather cleared shortly after that prayer, Patton rewarded Oneeo with the bronze star on the spot. The Third Army reached Bastogne, December 26, with additional reinforcements arriving over subsequent days. Patton wrote that the relief of Bastogne was the most brilliant operation we have thus far performed, and it is, in my opinion, the outstanding achievement of the war. This is my biggest battle. January 3rd, the 1st Army began a counteroffensive. Patton's forces helped push the Germans back, and by the end of January, 1945,

Patton's forces had reached the German border. The Germans were in full retreat by February. Patton's army would capture 10,000 miles of territory, that's insane, and help liberate the country from the Nazis. Between January 29th and March 22nd, the 3rd Army took multiple cities and killed or wounded, somewhere between 99,000 to 140,000 German soldiers. Holy shit. February 23rd, 1945.

the 94th Infantry Division crossed the Xer River, or excuse me, Tsar River, and established a bridgehead at Zerich, Germany. Patton wanted to cross the Tsar River immediately against his officer's advice, but other commands were given priority on gasoline and supplies. So in order to get supplies, the Third Army Ordinance Units passed themselves off as first army personnel. They stole it from another army. In one incident, they secured thousands of gallons of gas meant for the first army. On March 1st, 1945, Patton's forces took to Trier, a city, in southwest Germany, Patton received a message ordering him to bypass Trier because it would take four divisions to capture it. And Patton replied, have taken Trier with two divisions.

Do you want me to give it back? The third army then began crossing the Ryan River, March 22. Patton later bragged that he pissed in the river, had his men watching pissing it as they crossed it. Okay. When Patton's army arrived at the banks of the river, they found only one bridge in the town of Ramegan had not been destroyed. American soldiers had already made a crossing on March seventh, a big moment, as an enemy army had not crossed the Rhine since Napoleon in 1805. Over the next 10 days, the Third Army cleared the entire region north of the Moselle River, trapping thousands of Germans. The Third Army then joined the Seventh Army and taking the Tsar River and the Palatinate,

taking 100,000 prisoners. The Palatinate were the lands of the Count Palatine. The title held by a leading secular prince of the Holy Roman Empire, the lower Palatinate included lands on both sides. of the Middle Rhine River. Its capital until the 18th century was Heidelberg, the upper palanate, excuse me, platinate.

It's a fucking weird word. Palatinate, was located in northern Bavaria on both sides of the Knop River and east to the Bohemian Forest. On March 26, Patton sent a task force bomb behind German lines to liberate a POW camp near Hamelborg. One of the PODO's, PODU's there,

was his son-in-law, Lieutenant Colonel John K. Water. However, the raid was a failure and only 35 out of 314 men made it back. The rest were captured or killed and all 57 vehicles were lost. Patton would say this was the only mistake he made during the war. Eisenhower was furious when he found out about Patton's secret mission.

The camp would be liberated about a week to 10 days later and his son-in-law would survive the war and also live a long life. Patton took Frankfurt March 29th, 1945. Frankfurt was a significant industrial city, prime target for Allied bombs. The bombing started as early as July

of 1941 during a series of British air raids against the Nazis. In March 1944, 27,000 tons of bombs dropped on Germany and Frankfurt, a major target, suffered significant damage. By April, the 3rd Army was focused on managing around 400,000 German POWs. And the scale of all this is just so mind-boggling.

April 14, 1945, Patton is promoted to general. The Third Army soon sent to Bavaria and Czechoslovakia, anticipating the last stand by the Germans, but Patton was prevented from reaching Prague before V.E. Day, May 8th, 1945. Pattenham wanted to push to Berlin, but Eisenhower told him no, saying the cost was too high for a city already allotted to the Soviets by the Yalta Agreement. The Yalta conference lasted from February 4th to February 11th, 1945. It was a major conference

of the chief allied leaders, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin. They met at Yalta in the Crimea to plan the defeat and post-war occupation of Germany. And it had already been decided that Germany would be divided into occupied Zem. loans administered by the U.S., British, French, and Soviets. The attendance accepted the principle that the Allies had no duty to the Germans except to provide minimum subsistence. They declared that the German military industry could be abolished or confiscated, and criminals would be tried before the Nuremberg Court. One of the main issues was how to deal with liberated countries in Eastern Europe. The agreements called for, quote, interim governmental authorities, broadly representative

of all democratic elements in the population, and the earliest possible establishment through free elections of governments responsive to the will of the people. Stalin failed to keep his promise, of course. Free elections in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria. Instead, communist governments were established in these countries. Supporters of Patton said the Cold War might have played out very differently if he'd been allowed to take Berlin from the Russians. By the end of the war, Patton's Third Army suffered 137,000 casualties,

but had inflicted more than 10 times that amount on the enemy. After helping the Allies achieve victory in Europe, Patton knew he would not be reassigned at the Pacific Theater. He told his three-core commander, Major General James Van Fleet, there is already a star, McArthur is who he's talking about, in that theater, and you can only have one star on a show. With the war over in Europe, Patton quickly became depressed by the reduction of the army in Europe. No one loved to be in war, more than George Patton. Everyone else is celebrating, he's like, shit! Well, not the fuck am I supposed to do with my life.

What, relax? Enjoy spending time with my wife? My kids? Grandkids? What's the point? I can't stab or shoot them. What are we supposed to do? Talk? On May 7th, 1945, he told visiting Undersecretary of War, Robert Pattinson. Let's keep our boots polished, ban that's sharpened, and present a picture of force and strength to these people. He's talking about the Russians. This is the only language they understand and respect. If you fail to do this, then I would like to say to you that we have had a victory over the Germans and have disarmed them but have lost the war. he's a smart dude Patterson asked Patton what he would do

about the Russians and Patton allegedly replied he would keep the army in Europe delineate the border with the Soviets and if they did not withdraw quote

push them back across it he wanted to go right from fighting the Nazis to fighting the Soviets he added we did not come over here to acquire jurisdiction

over either the people or their countries we came to give them back the right to govern themselves we must either finish the job

now while we are here and ready or later and less favorable circumstances. I mean, he was right. After VE Day, Eisenhower called the conference of army commanders and told them they were not to criticize any of the war campaigns. They needed solidarity if they were called before a congressional committee.

Patton wrote in his diary that Eisenhower, quote, made a speech, which had to me the symptoms of political aspirations on cooperation with the British, Russians, and the Chinese, but particularly with the British. It is my opinion that this talking cooperation is for the purpose of covering up probable criticism of strategic blunders which he unquestionably committed during the campaign. Whether or not these were his own

or due to too much cooperation with the British, I don't know. I'm inclined to think he overcooperated. Yeah, Patton was no fan of Eisenhower. And Eisenhower, no fan of his. Eisenhower would not be invited, not really. Eisenhower would not be invited to his funeral because of that. June of 1945, Patton is ordered to return to the U.S.

for a 30-day bond sales tour, right? Try and make up some money for the war effort, spend on the war effort he touched down in Boston June 7th upon his landing he saluted the governor and was able to hug his wife for the first time in almost three years and he probably would have traded that hug to go back and fight the Russians he and B drove a 25 mile route through the suburbs past an estimated total crowd of a million people before a crowd of 50,000 in one spot Patton made a speech where he said my name is merely a hook to hang the honors on this great ovation by Boston is not for Patton the general but Patton is a symbol of the third army

In his typical manner, he also brought controversy home with him when he said that a man who dies in battle is frequently a fool and that the wounded are the heroes. Patton then flew to Denver, Los Angeles, Pasadena, spoke to large crowds. He helped sell millions in war bonds. Wasn't a fan of all the media attention, though. During a visit at a hospital in Washington, he said to reporters, I bet you goddamn buzzards are just following me to see if I'll slap another soldier, aren't you?

You're all hoping I will. Wasn't all bristle, though, also had a sensitive side. Patton's daughter worked in the amputee ward. as an occupational therapist, and recalled how her father burst into tears when he saw soldiers and said, God damn it, if I had been a better general, most of you wouldn't be here. Patton apparently predicted his death to his daughter's Ruth Ellen and B. during a visit to B.'s home in Washington, D.C. While his wife was out of the room, he told him he believed his luck had run out. Patent was glad to return to Europe, but he was not optimistic about the future.

He believed Europe would fall to communism. Patten was made military governor of Bavaria, larger state of Germany, taking up the entire southeast to the country, but not well-suited for the job. He didn't like to manage. He was supposed to lead the Third Army's efforts to denotify the region, but Patton being Patton, he of course wanted battle, not rebuilding a country, also didn't want to deal with displaced persons, and he held strong anti-Semitic views. In his comments and writings, it seemed like Patton felt more sympathy for the Germans. He wrote in one diary entry, If we let Germany and the German people be completely disintegrated and starved, they will certainly fall for communism and the fall of Germany for communism will write the epitaph of democracy

in the United States. The more I see of people, the more I regret I survive the war. The end of the war with Japan depressed him even further. On August 10th, he wrote in his diary, another war has ended and with it my usefulness to the world. It is for me personally another very sad thought. Now all that is left is to sit around and await the arrival of the undertaker and posthumous immortality. So fucking crazy to me. He just had zero interest in living during peace time. Patton became increasingly erratic in the following months, most likely due to depression, unhappiness with his job, the belief he'd never fight again. Author, you know, biographer, Carlo Desti also theorized it seems virtually inevitable that Patton experienced some type of brain

damage from too many head injuries. There was more controversy when U.S. government officials realize that several former Nazi party members were holding political posts in Bavaria and private Patton expressed respect for the Germans as adversaries and resistance to removing Nazi members from power. Patton was reluctant to get rid of all Nazis in government and administrative positions because in his words, my soldiers are fighting men. And if I dismiss the sewer cleaners and the clerks, my soldiers will have to take over those jobs. They'd have to run the telephone exchanges, the power facilities, the streetcars. That's not what soldiers are for. He wrote to his wife, I had never heard that we fought to denotify Germany, live and learn. What we were doing

is to utterly destroy the only semi-modern state in Europe so that Russia can swallow the hole. Actually, the Germans are the only decent people in Europe. My God. As mentioned, Patton oversaw the displaced persons camp in Bavaria that contained a majority of the Jewish people who would survive concentration camps. Patton was extremely anti-Semitic, actually.

He refused to have Jewish chaplains at his headquarters. Also decided to keep the Jewish people detained because he thought releasing them could lead to violence and re-arrests, per his diary. Also resisted Eisenhower's orders to evicture. from their homes to house displaced persons. When Patton accompanied Eisenhower to a Yom Kippur service in one of the camps, he complained about their hygiene.

In Patton's words, quote, this happened to be the feast of Yom Kippur, so they were all collected in a large wooden building, which they called a synagogue. It behooved General Eisenhower to make a speech to them. We entered the synagogue, which was packed with the greatest stinking bunch of humanity I have ever seen. When we got about halfway up, the head rabbi,

who was dressed in a fur hat similar to that worn by Henry the 8th of England, and in a surplus heavily embroidered and very filthy came down and met the general. The smell was so terrible that I almost fainted, and actually about three hours later lost my lunch as a result of remembering it. Of course, I have seen them since the beginning and marveled that beings alleged to be made in the form of God can look the way they do or act the way they act. My God!

Patton also claimed there is a very Semitic influence in the press. Patten also remarked that Jewish people were, quote, locusts, lower than animals, and lost to all decency. In one diary entry, he wrote that the Jews were, quote, a subhuman species without any of the cultural or social refinements of our times. God damn. Yeah, Pat was racist.

In public, he claimed that performance mattered more than anything, saying, I don't give a damn who the man is. He can be an N-word with a hard R or a Jew. But if he has a stuff, does his duty, he can have anything I've got. By God, I love him. Okay, maybe kind of a nice thought, but also racist. But when addressing the 761st Tank Battalion,

a segregated battalion, Patton told him, Man, you were the first Negro tankers ever to fight in the American army. I would never have asked for you if you weren't good. I have nothing but the best in the army. I don't care what color you are so long as you go up there and kill those crowd sons of bitches. Everyone has their eyes on you

and is expecting great things from you. Most of all your race is looking forward to you. Don't let them down and damn you, don't let me down. But then privately, Patton wrote about black soldiers, quote, individually they were good soldiers, but I expressed my belief at the time and have never found the necessity of changing it that a colored soldier cannot think fast enough to fight in armor.

For fuck's sake. Historian Hugh Cole did note that Patton was the first in the U.S. to integrate black and white soldiers into the same rifle companies. Patton also spent most of his time with his aide in personal valet, Sergeant Major William George Meeks, a black man in Patton's personal confidant. Patton's prejudice extended to Russians and Asians as well, everybody almost.

He said about Russian people, quote, The difficulty in understanding the Russian is that we do not take cognizance. of the fact that he is not European, but an Asiatic, and therefore thinks deviously, we can no more understand a Russian than a Chinaman or a Japanese, and from what I have seen of them, I have no particular desire to understand them, except to ascertain how much lead or iron it takes to kill them.

God! In addition to his other Asiatic characteristics, the Russian has no regard for human life and is an all-out son of a bitch barbarian and chronic drunk. God! God. Dude was old school in some very terrible ways. August 27th, Patton held a press conference in Frankfurt, where he spoke out against Russia, signed a letter proposing the release of some Nazi prisoners.

Eisenhower demanded the following orders, quote, instead of Molly Codling, the goddamn Nazis. Two days later, Patton wrote his diary. The Germans are the only decent people left in Europe. If it's a choice between them and the Russians, I prefer the Germans. On September 8, 1945, Patton visited Camp 8 near Garmish. Parton Kirshin, a prison camp, 60 miles south to Munich that housed Nazis and former members of the SS.

Patton met the German commander of the prisoners complained that some Germans were being held as political prisoners without justification. He told the American officers accompanying him. He thought it was sheer madness to intern these people. One of those officers was Jewish and immediately filed a complaint

to Eisenhower's headquarters. When Eisenhower returned from leave, he visited Patton on September 16th. They talked. He discussed a patent's successor. Eisenhower was due to go home in November to take over his army chief of staff, and Patton was displeased with his choice of successor, General Joseph McNarnie.

Patton told Eisenhower that the only jobs he wanted were commandant of the Army War College or commanding general of the Army ground forces. But both positions were already filled. Patton wrote in his diary, I guess there is nothing left from me but the Undertaker. He's a little downtrodden. Week later, Eisenhower returned to Bavaria on reports of poor conditions in some of the displaced persons camps. He was appalled at the conditions and the German guards.

some of whom were former Nazis. Patton said everything was fine until the arrival of the Jewish displaced persons whom he said were, quote, pissing and crapping all over the place. Dude, little compassion. They literally just had everything taken from them. Most of their families are dead.

I know it's getting very hard to like this guy. I will admit, I did not expect to find a lot of this out when I chose him as a topic. Oh my God, no one's perfect, but I honestly did not think he would have quite so many character flaws. After Eisenhower told Patton to shut up, Patton said he was going to turn to

nearby village. Excuse me. After Eisenhower told Patton to shut up, Patton said he was going to turn a nearby village into a concentration camp for fuck sake. Eisenhower's response to that was not recorded, but it's pretty salty. After Eisenhower's headquarters team discovered that Patton's administration had multiple former Nazis in it, the team arranged for a psychiatrist to be posted at Patton's

headquarters to study Patton's behavior. Psychiatrist posed as a supply officer. Team also had his phones tapped and his residence bugged. They're worried about him. They think he's bat-shin crazy. Pat was overheard discussing ways to start a war with Russia to drive out the Russians. He wanted to work with the German soldiers, who he again said were the only decent people left in Europe. On September 22nd, 1945, Patton agreed to answer questions from reporters about his normal briefing.

When asked why Nazis were in government positions in Bavari, he responded, quote, I despise and abhorred Nazis and Hitlerism as much as anyone. My record on that is clear and unchallengeable. It is to be found on battlefields from Morocco. to Botolz. Now more than half the Germans were Nazis, and we would be in a hell of a fix if we removed all Nazi party members from office.

The way I see it, this Nazi question is very much like a Democrat and Republican election fight. To get things done in Bavaria, after the complete disorganization and disruption of four years of war, we had to compromise with the devil a little. We had no alternative but to turn to the people who knew what to do and how to do it.

So for the time being, we are compromising with the devil. I don't like the Nazis any more than you do. I despise him. In the past three years, I did my utmost to kill as many of them as possible. Now we're using them for lack of anyone better until we can get better people. Eisenhower was furious by his comparison of Nazis to Republicans and Democrats and ordered Patton to report to him in Frankfurt. Patton arrived on the 28th.

The meeting lasted two hours, and Eisenhower was, quote, more excited than I've ever seen him, per Patton's diary. Patton suggests that he should be simply relieved, but Eisenhower said no. Patten then said he should be allowed to continue. commanding the Third Army in Bavaria? Eisenhower said no. Instead, he offered him command of the 15th Army, which was in charge of preparing a history of the war in Europe.

So basically just like, no, fuck, we got to get this guy out of here. Get him like, I don't know, write in a book or something. Shut him up. That was not what Patton wanted. Patton wrote to his wife after that meeting, The noise against me is the only means by which Jews and communists are attempting and with good success to implement a further dismemberment of Germany. He ended by writing that he did not want to be the executioner to the best race in Europe.

Jesus Christ. Patton transferred command of the 3rd Army on October 7th and got on the train to, Badnai, oh man, some of these are very obscure for me. Bodnauheim to report for duty with the 15th Army. Patton was welcomed at his new headquarters by Major General Levin Allen. First thing Patton said was, well, you know damn well I didn't ask for this job, don't you? During the first lunch, he was greeted by 100 officers. And Patton told him, there are occasions when I can truthfully say that I am not as much of a son of a bitch as I may think.

I think I am. This is one of them. Major General Allen wrote, the relieved staff roared with surprise delight. From then on, it was as wholeheartedly for him as the Third Army staff had been. Patten announced that he expected to return to the U.S. by March of 1946, the latest. He didn't spend much time working on the history of the war. Instead, went on a tour of France, collecting certificates of honorary citizenship from different cities and meet in French military officials, spent a lot of time working on his memoir, war as I knew it as well. He was moody, dissatisfied with life after the war. He was withdrawn, went on a lot of drives alone, had little to say at meal time. And October, Patton decided he was going to, quote, quit outright, not retire. For the years that are

left to me, I am determined to be free to live as I want and say what I want. Paton's chief of staff, Hobart Gay, advised him to consult his family before doing that, and he ended up not quitting, but he was still very irritable. His war wean had not only gone limp, it had retreated inside of his body. On November 11th, 1945, his Patton's 60th birthday, his staff throws him a surprise party, might have smiled once. Two weeks later, he was invited to go to Sweden to address the Swedish American Society, where he reunited with members of his old 1912 Olympic pentathlon team and reenacted their pistol competition. Patton's last diary entry made on December 3rd, 1945.

He described the luncheon hosted by Eisenhower's successor, writing General Clay, his Ike's deputy, and General McNarney have never commanded anything, including their own self-respect. The whole luncheon party reminding me of a... a meeting of the Rotary Club in Hawaii, where everyone slaps everyone else's back while looking for an appropriate place to thrust the knife. I admit I'm guilty of this practice, although at the moment I have no appropriate weapon. Two days later, he wrote to Beatrice to tell her he would be home for Christmas. I have a month's leave, but don't intend to go back to Europe. If I get a really good job, I'll stay. Otherwise, I'll retire. On December 8th, his chief of staff, Hobart Gay,

suggested to go pheasant hunting in an area about 100 miles southwest of the headquarters. Patton thought that sounded great. The men departed for their first. pheasant hunting trip at 9 a.m., December 9th. Their catalog limousine driven by Private First Class, Horace Woodring, at 1145, when they were in Mannheim, Germany. Patton noticed the abandoned cars on the road, or on the side of the road, said how awful war is. Think of the waste. Then moments later, the catalog collided with an American Army truck driven by Robert L. Thompson. Private First Class Woodring had driven too fast over a railroad crossing and hit the passenger side of a left-turning truck. While the

others in the vehicle were only slightly injured, Patton hit his head on the glass. petition that's separate at the front of the back, he began to bleed, immediately noticed he was paralyzed and having trouble breathing. Patton asked Hobart Gay, who was next to him to rub his fingers. Pat didn't realize he was already doing it and said, go ahead, Hap, work my fingers. Pat was taken to the hospital in Heidelberg, was found to have a compression fracture, dislocation of the cervical third and fourth vertebrae resulting in a broken neck and cervical spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down. He spent the next 12 days in the hospital at times. He spent the next 12 days in the hospital at times with fish hooks in his cheeks on either side of his jaw attached to weights

to stabilize his neck oh my god his wife came from the u.s to be with him beatrice spent his final days reading books and letters to her husband patten was told he had zero chance to ever live a normal life again and he said son of a bitch this is exactly like that one time when ganges khan and his men tortured me when i wouldn't surrender in persia and they impaled me on a sharp stick outside of Murph. Uh, no, he said this is a hell of a way to die. Patten's doctors put him in a bodycast to prepare him for a flight home to the U.S., but he wouldn't make it. He had lost the will to live. Patent died around 5.55 p.m., December 21st, 1945, at the hospital in Heidelberg at the age of 60. Cause of deaths was pulmonary edema, congestive heart failure, but really was just not wanting to

live. His wife Beatrice refused to allow an autopsy, which would have confirmed historians' theories possibly about multiple head injuries and possible brain damage. The French government offered to bury Patton in Napoleon's tomb, where several great military leaders were buried. Beatrice ultimately decided he would be buried at the American Cemetery in Ham, Luxembourg, where his third army soldiers who died in the Battle of the Bulls were buried. She did this on the recommendation of Major General, Jeffrey Keys. Keyes had served as Patton's deputy commander across Europe. Patton's body was prepared for visitation December 22nd.

On the 23rd, people lined the streets of Heidelberg to watch its funeral procession. after the service at the Episcopalian Christ Church his body was put on a train to Luxembourg Patton was buried December 24th in a grave dug by German POWs a group of rabbis wearing concentration camp uniforms prayed over Patton's grave

a reporter asked why they would do that when Patton was a known anti-Semite they explained that Patton's leadership ended the war months earlier than it would have ended without him and he helped liberate thousands of Jewish people from concentration camps The sheer volume of cemetery visitors

In the coming days and weeks Unintentionally destroyed cemetery grounds While walking to Patton's grave In the back corner So workers moved his grave to the front of the cemetery Surrounded it with patio stones And a chain-link fence Patton's cemetery cross

Faces the other soldiers buried in the cemetery Facing the men he had led in battle That's powerful And now let's get out of here Good job, soldier You've made it back barely Before sharing final thoughts

Here's an important PSA that needs to be given Hello friend I'd like to talk to you for a moment about family It is good to love your family You should love your family You should love your spouse Your children, your cousins

Your aunts and uncles And grandparents and grandkids Your nephews and your nieces But you should never let your love become too physical, with some family. Can you think your niece is cute? Of course. Can you let your niece sit in your lap? Maybe when they're little.

Should you ever put your penis inside your niece's mouth, butt, or vagina? No, you should not. Your niece should never even see your penis. She shouldn't be certain you have a penis. Nises should be appreciated, not fornicated. we don't fuck our nieces in the pussy or the tushy say it with me we don't fuck our nieces in the pussy or the tushy

one more time a little louder now we don't fuck our nieces in the pussy or the tushy now back to your regularly scheduled programming thanks for let me sneak that in there you just felt like a really important message to get out there today so George Patton obviously certain aspects of his temperament and views

some choices are deplorable. Leave a lot to be desired. But also, dude legitimately did a lot to defeat the Nazis. No one knew tank warfare, like he did on the allied side of things. And tank warfare was crucial to taking back Europe from Hitler. He also fought valiantly in World War I and in the so-called Mexican expedition, and he didn't need to do any of that.

He could have used family connections to stay out of the service. He could have become a lawyer, like many others in his family, lived a wealthy, frivolous life in sunny California back when it was full of so many more orange-gris. and much less smog, some of the best weather of the nation down in the L.A. area, beautiful beaches, mountains and people, but he wanted to fight, to distinguish himself in battle. And we needed men like that. And if anyone tries to take the world over again like Hitler, we will again. Someone who isn't necessarily a role model in polite society, someone who isn't

going to be a good shoulder to cry on maybe, but someone who's a fucking beast, a rock, an indefatigable, courageous hellcat of a warrior, someone solely focused on crushing enemies by any means necessary a merchant of death someone not only willing to lay down their life for their country but almost eager to do so sometimes in an ugly world you need an ugly man on your side a fucking demon on the battlefield

a god of destruction who will motherfuck those you hope to destroy you and yours or motherfuck those who hope to destroy you and yours you're not hoping you get destroyed I'm not sure there will ever be another guy like Patton another guy like that right until he comes back of course and we see him reincarnated

time now for the the takeaways. Time suck. Top five takeaways. Number one, George Patton grew up in a very wealthy family and had a privileged childhood. He did not attend school until he was 12, struggled with reading and writing

at first. Once he learned to read, once he learned to write, never stopped. He read widely, often on military history, especially, and kept a diary his entire life. Number two, Patton started his military career in the cavalry, but then learned about tank warfare during the First World War. It became

an expert on strategic tank combat. In Europe, he helped establish the American tank school, and at the start of World War II, Patton led fake combat scenarios for American soldiers preparing for deployment. Number three, Patton's greatest triumph was his leadership in the relief of the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge. Anticipating that his third army would be mobilized, Patton made plans to dispatch soldiers quickly and effectively, was already prepared when Eisenhower called on him to do just that. The third army arrived days later to provide relief and then rapidly covered ground in Germany, only stopping when Patton was forced to by his superiors.

Number four, George Patton did not die in combat as he expected and hoped he would. Instead, his death resulted from a freak car accident right after World War II. Patton was the only one seriously injured, and those injuries were devastating. He suffered complete paralysis from the neck down, was told he would never be able to live a normal life, died 12 days later at a German hospital, which I imagine is what he wanted. And number five, new info, Patton's poetry. In addition to keep in a journal, Patton wrote military-inspired poems all his life. For example, in 1944, he wrote a rhyme about pressuring the enemy.

For in war, just as in loving, you must always keep on shoving. Or you will never get your reward. For if you're dilatory in the search for lust and glory, you're up shit creek, and that's the truth, oh Lord. It feels like a poem that you could find written on the door of a toilet stall. According to the site all poetry, Patton's poetic style reflects his direct and forceful personality.

He favored traditional forms and clear language, eschewing ambiguity or sentimentality. His poems often explore themes of courage, duty, and the harsh realities of combat. While not widely published during his lifetime,

his collected works provide a fascinating counterpart to his military achievements. One of Patton's most well-known poems through a glass darkly explored his beliefs on Christianity and reincarnation. It was written in September of 1928,

when he was 36, it is not of the bathroom stall variety. Let's hear it. Through the travail of the ages, midst the pomp and toil of war, have I fought and strove and perished countless times upon this star. In the form of many people in all panopolis of time, have I seen the luring vision of the victory made sublime. I have battled for fresh mammoth. I have warred for pastures new. I have listed to the whispers when the race trek instinct grew. I have known the call to battle, and he's changeless, changing shape, from the high-souled voice of conscience to the beastly lust for rape. I have sinned and I have suffered, played the hero in the knave,

fought for belly, shame, or country, and for each have found a grave. I cannot name my battles, for the visions are not clear. Yet I see the twisted faces, and I feel the rending spear. Perhaps I stabbed our Savior, in his sacred, helpless side. Yes, I've called his name in blessing when after times I died. In the dimness of the shadows, where we hairy heathens ward, I can taste in thought the lifeblood. We use teeth before the sword. While in later clearer vision, I can sense the coppery sweat, feel the pikes grow wet and slippery, when our phalanx, Cyrus met.

Hear the rattle of the harness where the Persian darts bounce clear. See their chariots wheel and panic from the hoplites leveled spear. See the gold grow monthly longer, reaching for the walls of tire. Here the crash of tons of granite Smell the quenchless eastern fire Still more clearly as a Roman Can I see the Legion close As our third rank moved and forward

And the short sword found our foes Once again I feel the anguish Of that blistering treeless plain When the Parthian showered deathboats And our discipline was in vain I remember all the suffering Of those arrows in my neck Yet I stabbed a grinning savage

As I died upon my back Once again I smell the heat sparks When my Flemish plate gave way And the lance ripped through my entrails As on Creece's field I lay In the windless blinding stillness Of the glittering tropic sea I can see the bubbles rising

While we set the captives free Mitz the spume of half a tempest I have heard the bulwarks go When the crashing point-blank round shot Sent destruction to our foe I have fought with gun and cutlass On the red and slippery deck With all hell of flame within me

and a rope around my neck. And so later as a general have I galloped with Mara when we laughed at death in numbers, trusting in the Emperor's Star. Till at last our star faded, and we shouted to our doom, where the sunken road of O'Hane closed us in its quivering gloom.

So but now with tanks of clatter, have I waddled on the foe, belching death at twenty paces by the star-shells ghastly glow. So as though a glass and darkly, the age-long strife I see where I fought in many guises, many names, but always me. And I see not in my blindness what the objects were I wrought,

but as God rules or our bickereens, it was through his will I fought. So forever in the future shall I battle as of your, dying to be born a fighter, but to die again, once more. Time suck, top five takeaways. Ooh-wee. Old blood and guts. The life and war of General Patton has been suck.

Thank you to the bad magic productions team helping time suck Happy birthday again to Queen of Bad Magic Lindsay Cummins Thanks to Logan Keith Helping to publish this episode Designing merch for the store at bad magic productions.com

Thank you to Olivia Lee for her initial research Thanks to the all seen eyes moderating the cult of the curious private Facebook page And the Mod Squad Making sure Discord keeps running smooth And everybody over on the Time Suck

and Bad Magic subredits And now let's head on over to this week's Time Sucker Updates Updates Get your time sucker updates. Our first updates sent into Bojangles at timesuckpodcast.com this week comes from theatrical sack Joe last name redacted, who wrote in with the subject line of celebrity stalker story. Hey Dan, I messaged you before about how Amway was very culty, the theater I work at, and I have another story for you that was brought to mine thanks to the episode about Selena. Also, due to the nature of this email is probably a safe idea to redact the actual names mentioned below.

Yes, I did that. Thank you. We had a resident artist at our theater for a few years, and she had a few stalkers. We would look out for whenever she was at our theater. But there was only one that really took the cake. There was a fan of hers that made a lot of weird statements about her on social media, and then made a comment at a meet and greet that made her and her security uncomfortable, but they didn't want to ban him because he wasn't violent, just weird. Want to know how fucking weird this guy is? This guy literally thinks he is the reincarnation of both Zeus and Jesus Christ at the same time. and would post on Instagram at least 20 times a day, and these posts were always one of three different things. One, posts about how he is secretly married to the aforementioned artist. Oh, my God. Two, threats to sue anyone, use the name Zeus, in any way, shape, or form. Three, his bat-shid interpretations of Scripture and how it proves that he is the reincarnation of Jesus and or Zeus.

The only reason I know all this was because I had to scrub his social media for pictures of him, so my co-workers and security knew who we were looking for. The day he actually showed up, made for an interesting night with me, for me, I spotted him as he tried into the venue. I checked his backpack. He had at least 12 different pill bottles for antipsychotics, and pictures of the artist printed onto a regular printer paper. I really wanted to deny his entry to the venue, but I was overridden by the artist security and was told he can enter the venue, but if he tried anything, we can kick him out. Guess how long it took him to try to rush the stage? About two minutes. About two minutes into the

first song, he got it from his seat, went into the aisle like he was about to go to the bar or bathroom, but instead went straight for the stage, or had three guys already waiting for him. We literally carried him out by his hands and feet and threw him out the side door, and the artist had no idea it even happened because we cared about her safety more than her own security did, I guess. We also had one other guy for a different artist that was on Interpol's watch list and had a history of biting security staff, but that's a different story for another day. Keep doing what you're doing. This podcast keeps me entertained and learning more random info to confuse my coworkers with, and I appreciate you and the rest of the bad magic crew.

more than you guys know, Joseph. Yeah, Joseph, okay, the second I was like, wait a minute, yeah, I readacted you the last time. Wow, man, thanks for the update and thanks for protecting artists. So sad, I mean, you know, obviously this guy is clearly mentally ill. But you can't grade him on a curve for that when it comes to safety purposes. I did a lot of gigs a lot of years ago where I was my own security and that is not fun. As an artist, when you're on stage and somebody comes for you, like, you never know what their intention is. you just know that they either don't care

about how show etiquette works or can't understand that based on the fact that they are coming toward you so you know that they're not stable and maybe violent yeah you got a hard job Joe it sounds like you're doing it well and it sounds like you've compiled

a lot of entertaining stories to share thanks for the kind of words and now just one more another long one and another long episode I don't feel great so my energy's waning but this comes in from financially savvy sack Michael Cisco

who sent in an email with a subject line of treasury debt and foreign ownership. What up sucked nasty? Just getting through the Dragon versus Eagle episode and I wanted to drop you a quick line regarding a comment you read regarding U.S. Treasury debt and what would happen if China got pissed

and sold off all their treasury debt. I believe that the assertation made was that if China sold all of their treasury bonds, they could cause our interest rates to spike, which would cause serious harm to our economy. I want to unpack this a bit with you. Let me start off by saying I work as a financial advisor, my day job,

and I pretty much sit around and watch capital markets most days of the year. In my opinion, the threat of China being able to impact our interest rates by sending all of their treasury debt, excuse me, by selling it all, is vastly overblown. China, while one of the largest foreign owners of U.S. debt is not even the largest foreign owner of treasures, that would be Japan. Furthermore, Japan holds 30% more U.S. debt than China does at this point in time. Most people don't know that, and they don't know that we, the United States, we are the

largest holders of U.S. debt. There was a chart for you below my wall of text. So as you can see from Reuters, by far in a way, the largest holder of U.S. debt is us. 76% of U.S. debt is owned by the United States in some way, shape, or form. That could be in the form of U.S. pensions, U.S. companies, U.S. municipalities, such as state and local governments, or just plain old U.S. citizens. I make this point because if foreign countries decide that the U.S. government is no longer a safe place to invest capital, they will sell and eventually stop buying any new U.S. debt. This would be bad, but based on the current holders, it would take far, far more than just China to sell their debt to create the spike in interest rates that most layperson media reports. I want to reiterate that while a move like that would cause the interest rate complex to move, I believe those moves would be muted without a large scale move by every foreign holder of U.S. debt.

My last point is related to the efficiency of capital markets. Money in the global economy today is quite efficient, meaning that money tends to flow via the path of lease resistance. Right now, the U.S. has the most security and liquidity of any other developed nation. While this could change for money to leave the U.S. in droves, there has to be a better alternative. When you compare interest rates of other developed nations' sovereign debt to that of the U.S., most are unattractive relative to the rates offered here. The point being, there must be a more attractive alternative for this outcome to happen. Should China become the sole superpower and overtake the U.S., other countries still would not buy the debt of China,

due to the risk that the Chinese could just stop paying interest or cancel the debt entirely because the rule of law in China is the rule of the CCP and most investors won't want to risk losing assets due to the capricious nature of a foreign government, especially an authoritarian one. There are so many facets to economic discussions. So many of those facets change rapidly and capital markets are fundamentally driven by two emotions, fear and greed. The news and stories surrounding capital markets also tend to be driven by these two basic. emotions. The stories of what could happen with our debt in this country are certainly scary, but this particular fear is overblown to me. I wish that we could talk more about who is being harmed by our reckless spending, though. Our government is harming us, period point blank. If we don't change our path with regards to taxation and spending, this will end badly. But the bad ending is

going to be the 76% of treasury bondholders, which is us, will see a massive decline in asset values because in the world of bonds, if interest rates go up, then the value of existing bonds go down, goes down, state pensions which are funded with treasury bonds will become insolvent. Individual holders of debt would also see massive declines. Social Security, which is only allowed to hold treasury bonds, would most likely fail due to a lack of funding due to asset value declines. The best analogy that I can give you is this. Right now, the U.S. is a smoker, and we know that we have lung cancer. But right now, the chemo is working so well, we still feel pretty good. In fact, we feel so good that even though we know that smoking is killing us,

we just keep doing it. Smoke them if you got them. It's the apparent prescription from Congress to deal with this issue. Okay, I'm climbing down for my soapbox, and I hope that all made sense. The best part of being a financial advisor is helping people. The hardest part is being humble enough to know that no one can predict the future. I think most advisors do the best we can with the information in front of us, at least that is my approach. Any number of things can and will happen that will shape our future. But I hope that as a country, we can see how we are harming ourselves and make better policy decisions to ensure that future generations are not having to learn Mandarin. unless they want to because they value other cultures and are not jingoistic assholes like so many of us are today. Love what you do. Go see fish next time they play a show near you and keep on sucking your loyal financial space lizard, Mike. Man, Mike, thanks for being a space lizard

and thanks for sharing your financial acumen with us all. I love, love, love when one of you takes the time to freely share your area of expertise like that. And I bet your clients love you. Yeah, your message, well, it doesn't help me with my fear of what's happening with Social Security. It does make me feel better about China. It's like, oh, yeah.

Yeah, they're not as stable, not as trustworthy, and people are going to be more reluctant to invest in them that way. And they have, you know, a huge debt themselves. And yes, I hope politicians, I hope they figure a lot of stuff out. Because America has so much to offer so many hardworking good people. So much valuable natural resources from farmland to oil fields to rare mineral deposits, clean water, and more. I have properly managed.

We have plenty to take care of us. all. But greed and fear. Gride and fear mongry. Hey, thanks again for the messages, everybody. Hopefully the next subject or two won't have quite as much to unpack, and I can sneak in more messages. I only have so much energy to keep a solo presentation

going. So many hours. Next time, suckers, I needed that. We all did. Thanks for listening to another Bad Magic Productions podcast. Be sure and rate and review time suck. If you haven't already, uh don't fuck your niece this week and keep on sucking

and now let's end on a little more patent strangen uh for years patten's daughters had to memorize a poem each week patten called it a brain exercise uh later he would pay them ten cents a page to read items of his choosing such as Plutarch's Lives. Ruth Ellen also memorized one of her father's poems, and she recited the following to her class in grade school. I am no callow Christian, no pus-punched prelate. I hope not for salvation, nor fear the day I'll die.

And wantonness of appetite in women wine and war, and fire and blood and roping in these my pleasures are. I love the smell of horse dung, the sight of corpse-strewn mud, The sound of steel on armor The feel of clotting blood The women I have ravished The infants I have slain

The priests and thus The priests and nuns I've roasted They haunt me not again Priest talk of soul's salvation And shining lights afar But give me a harlot's laughter And the battle flash of war Priest talk of soul's damnation

The white hot pits of hell I hear more wounds that fester And gape and rotten smell Then here's to blood and blasphemy And here's to whores and drink in life you know you're living and death we only stink that's fucking crazy that she read that in school

when Ruth recited that poem in school her horrified teacher took her by the hand letter to the headmaster who sent her home with a note her mother a distressed Beatrice explained to her husband that not all parents were so open with her children Patton of course thought it was fucking hilarious