The Real General George Patton
World War II was the most destructive war in history. It began in 1939 as a
European conflict between Germany and a British and French alliance, but eventually
included most of the nations of the world. Most of the war was fought with the same
types of weapons used in World War I. The greatest advances were in aircraft and tanks.
Patton was the first soldier in the tank corps. He created the training procedures, the
regulations and the methods of instruction. At that time the American public saw Patton
as an arrogant man who enraged Americans because he slapped a soldier who was
hospitalized for post traumatic stress disorder, which at that time was called combat
fatigue. The movie portrays General George Patton as an intense, fanatical patriot who
arrogantly struts with a swagger stick, which was actually a riding crop with a hidden
sword inside of it, and ivory handled pistols in front of a huge American flag.
Difference Between the Real Patton and the Movie Patton
The real Patton was a dyslexic, who came from a wealthy background, and was
his own worst enemy. The real Patton had a high pitched voice, unlike George C. Scott's
deep and rough voice. At the beginning of the movie, Patton's delivering his famous
speech to the Third Army delivered on June 4, 1944. In the movie, during the opening
speech, Patton also makes the statement, "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his
country, you win it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country!". He
actually made this statement in 1941 at Fort Benning, Georgia to a small group of troops
in training. Obviously the statement was memorable enough for the writers of the movie
to include it into the openin...
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... the river. The U.S. First Army was occupying a bridge
between Bonn and Koblenz. On March 22 the U.S. Third Army, under Patton had seized
a bridge south of Mainz.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Berardinelli, James, Patton- A film review.,The Patton Society, The Patton Web Pages,
1996-1997
Chandler, David G., Battle On Land, New York, Mallard Press, 1990
D'Este, Carlo, Patton: a Genius for War, New York, Harper Collins Publisher, 1995
Nye, Roger H., The Patton Mind, Avery Publishing Company, Garden City Park, NY,
1993
Patton, George S. Jr, Calvary Journal, The Patton Society, The Patton Web Pages,
1996-1997
Patton, George S. Jr, Address to the US 3rd Army, The Patton Society, The Patton Web
Pages, 1996-1997
Ziemke, Earl F., World War II, Encarta., Microsoft Corporation. Funk & Wagnall's
Corporation,1994.
The speech that I have chosen is of Lieutenant Colonel Harold in the 2002 movie We Were Soldiers. The speech occurs in the beginning of the movie prior to the soldiers heading into war in Vietnam. I chose to deliver this speech because its message is very powerfully and meaningful. Due to it encouraging soldiers to look beyond their identity and unit to accomplish a
Sanderson, Jefferey. "GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON, JR.” Last modified may 22, 1997. Accessed January 4, 2014. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a331356.pdf&ei=tYbHUtv3HcGs2gX2u4HAAQ&usg=AFQjCNFU5EzdWjKlt81w8gh_Bj2UEttaZw&sig2=aAz3jIZg7U6peDzL_i8w9w.
Lincoln’s Address also contains this, writing, “The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” By mentioning the actions of the soldiers at Gettysburg, Lincoln gives a speech of heroic deed. Similarly, Gorgias says, “O for the power to speak what I desire to say.” By feigning speechlessness, Gorgias frames the gravity of the soldiers’ heroism. Like Gorgias, Lincoln expresses how arbitrary his words are, since the world will soon forget them. According to Lincoln and Gorgias, their words are incapable of befitting the heroism of the soldiers, thus establishing
"If there is a worse place than hell, I am in it.”—President Abraham Lincoln upon hearing of Burnside’s defeat at Fredericksburg
...ca. 1943. 1943. Franklin D. Roosevelt Lib. Public Domain Photographs, 4079 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park, NY. Archival Research Catalog. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. .
Winston Churchill had an active speech in the House and the British people. Winston Churchill started his speech reminding the progress of the battles in France, where 25 divisions could not stand up the attack of the enemy at Sedan and on the Meuse at the border with Belgium. Even though he sent the men as fast as he could, France lost the war in two weeks and became a Nazi land. This reminder was to give an example of the facts that are futile and harmful. As a matter of fact, he wanted the citizen to think in the future and do not remember their stories about the old battles and their victory. This war was the fiercest and the most dangerous of the existence of the British Empire. He declared the House about this catastrophe which he believed
Being one of the most controversial generals of World War II and in American history, General George S. Patton is today regarded as a folk hero due to the eponymously named 1970 film, Patton. Well known for his aggressive battle strategies, charismatic personality, profane language, and contentious public comments, Patton often brought forth an amalgam of frustration and admiration among his colleagues and soldiers. His posthumous biographical film which details a section of his life is, for the most part, historically accurate in both its telling of World War II battles and of Patton’s personality, ambitions, and beliefs. However, where the film suffers primarily is the slight oversimplification of Patton’s disposition
Davis, William. "General Douglas MacArthur "Duty, Honor, Country"." American Rhetoric. American Rhetoric, 2011. Web. 2 Jan 2012. .
The speaker that said this is Tim Collins. He is a retired officer of northern Irish military commanding the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment. He has fought in seven wars with them being 1st Gulf War, Colombia Drugs War, Zaire Army Rebellion 1991, Bosnia, Kosovo and the Iraq War. He is most known for his speech ”Eve of Battle”.
Patton had 345 tanks by the time he took the brigade into the Meuse-Argonne Operation in September 1918. When they entered into battle, Patton had worked out a plan where he could be in the front lines maintaining communications with his rear command post by means of pigeons and a group of runners. Patton exposed himself to gunfire and was shot in the leg while directing the tanks. He earned the Distinguished Service Cross for Heroism for his actions during that battle
However, Patton was more than just competitive, some would even say he was crazy. While he was still a cadet at West Point, they would often have target practice. And one of these times Patton walked out onto the firing rang to retrieve the card he had just shot, all the while the other cadets were still shooting. Upon realizing this Patton turned around and stared down those shooting, later in his journal he wrote “Well at least I know I have some nerve” (23). And this wouldn’t be the last episode like this, there were several others. For example, in World War I he stood on the bare top of a tank and rode on the top directly into German machine gun fire. Later when asked why he did such a thing he simply said, “At least I proved to my own
World War II was one of the deadliest wars we know of in history, with as many as sixty million casualties, most of whom were civilians. It impacted a lot of countries, almost all over the world, which is why the name is given. This war impacted many countries in the world, and damaged almost all of the countries involved greatly. It also led to the downfall of Western European countries as world powers, leaving it to the Soviet Union, and the United States. The war started in 1939 and ended in 1945, with the invasion of Poland and the Axis surrender, respectively.
“Foundly do we hope-fervently do we pray- that this might scourge of war may speedily pass away… With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan - to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations”
Winston Churchill was perhaps one of the greatest public speakers in history. Some of the best speeches have come from being in life or death situations, Winston was known best for this. His small sound clips like, “this was their finest hour”, and “this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning”, encourage his troops and his people that they will win this war and will overcome the greatest odds. Although Churchill told many speeches, his speech on June 18, 1940 showed the most emotion and courage of any other speech he told. In this speech he explained that the war in France is over and the war in Britain would begin. He said that if we fail then the world sink into an abyss. This emotion that he shows would give Britain hope, courage and most of all determination.
To begin, both speeches were written by well-known people. They support one topic that is to persuade the audience to accept the idea of honoring those who have perished in rectitude of serving their countries. As well as explain why they are in the battlefield, to help them to not forget the persons who have protected them so they can live in peace, while they endure a never ending fight for freedom. “We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that this nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.” (“The Address Delivered at the Dedication of the Cemetery at Gettysburg”, paragraph 2, lines 2-4) It says that they are met on a great battle field, and that they have come to dedicate that portion as a resting place for those who are deceased. Even though they won’t remember what was said to them, they will remember what it was that they did on that field.