Patton is a Christmas Movie! Convince Me Otherwise.
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
My uncle Joe Taylor, my godfather, served under Patton and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Advent in a tank sounds more like hell than a prelude to Christmas but Joe made it out alive.
Thanks be to God.
Patton’s army. A Gift to those who cherish freedom.
Agreed, Phil. The father of one of my HS classmates and best friends served in that same Third Army throughout 1944 and 1945. If I’ve already told this story here, my apologies for repeating it: Even though we lived in extreme northwestern illinois, where winters were uniformly harsh in my HS days, he never wore more than a wool blazer or suit coat unless it was below zero outside. He explained that it was so cold in the Sherman tank he commanded that he rarely felt cold any more.
Phil, my uncle served as a medic with Patton and also was in the Bulge. Shortly before he died, he received a belated accommodation marked in reference to his service in the Ardennes. He asked my dad what the Ardennes was, and Dad explained it was the Battle of the Bulge. My uncle replied he didn’t know what they called it, he just remembered it was bitter cold and they kept shooting at them.
My dad was a civilian pilot with the Air Transport Command. He said you could always tell when you had soldiers from the 3rd Army on board. Cockiest guys in the world – did nothing but talk about how great Patton was.
Dave G.
Uncle Joe had PTSD when he returned stateside. He became a long haul truck driver. I was told by my mother that her brother couldn’t be near groups of people, even small groups. He did not talk about the war or the battle to his family as far as I know. Memories you don’t want to bring up.
I was so blessed in 2010 to escort a group of WWII vets to DC from Northern Michigan. What an honor.
One man, John C., was my wheelchair only veteran. He ordered me to stop at a bronze in granite art piece depicting a marine storming the beachhead. He rubbed his hand
along the rifle, M-1, and sobbed for 5 minutes. No words were spoken.
I’ll never forget that moment.
My uncle died in 2001.
I believe it was his spirit that helped me to keep my mouth shut and let John release his pain.
God bless our veterans.
Patton, a true warrior and unashamed of total victory over his despised enemies. He would eat the current crop of American generals for breakfast.
That’s a movie I really need to see because my dad was in his army also… nearly lost his legs to frostbite during the Bulge. Dad always said Patton was a real SOB but he got the job done and that was the important thing.
I have heard many veterans of the Third Army say precisely the same thing Elaine.
It’s an Armistice Day movie.
I think I remember a Bill Mauldin cartoon of Willie and Joe(?) getting a fine from Patton for not wearing a tie in the middle of a fire fight.
Mauldin had a meeting with Patton where Patton said that he thought the cartoons were bad for morale and Mauldin said the cartoons were a safe way for soldiers to blow off steam. Mauldin said it wasn’t what he had expected. He had expected to be bawled out and instead it was an intelligent exchange of views and Patton shook his hand at the end. Patton was brilliant and complicate and always loved to do the unexpected.
A World War Christmas movie.
“Kill them with kindness” George Patton
I doubt there’s a single brasshat in the entire armed forces who’d be willing to say that aloud today.
Pray for the defeat of our wicked enemy whose banner is injustice and whose good is oppression.
Amen.
The battle of good over evil is continual. Both spiritual and temporal, as those who disregard the former perpetuate causes that are tangible, harmful and ungodly. May we pray with the 3rd Army for our country. Many of them pray from the highlands. Some, possibly from the suffering beaches of purgatory. Together we can reclaim lost ground in this, our battle for Liberty and Freedom. Our battle for family.
Pray hard!
The Gestapo moves in and makes arrests;
https://www.lifenews.com/2022/12/16/fbi-arrests-two-pro-life-advocates-for-protesting-abortion-ignore-160-attacks-on-pro-lifers/