General George Patton, perhaps the most important protagonist of WWII, was a deeply religious individual.
A recent best-seller gave an intimate look into this aspect of the warrior's life and character.
Below are some of the 'conversations' that General Patton had with God.
"December 23, 1944
9:00 a.m.
George S. Pattern takes off his helmet as he enters the century-old Catholic chapel. Though Episcopalian, he is in need of a place to worship. The sound of his footsteps echoes off the stone floor as he walks reverently to the foot of the altar. .... Patton kneels, unfolding the prayer he has written for this occasion, and bows his head.
"Sir, this is Patton talking," he says, speaking candidly to the Almighty. "The past fourteen days have been straight hell. Rain, snow, more rain, more snow — and I am beginning to wonder what's going on in Your headquarters. Whose side are You on anyway?"
"For three years my chaplains have been telling me that this is a religious war. This, they tell me, is the Crusades all over again, except that we're riding tanks instead of chargers. They insist that we are here to annihilate the Germans and the godless Hitler so that religious freedom may return to Europe. Up until now I have gone along with them, for You have given us Your unreserved cooperation.
Clear skies and a calm sea in Africa made the landings highly successful and helped us to eliminate Rommel. Sicily was comparatively easy and You supplied excellent weather for the armored dash across France, the greatest military victory that You have thus far allowed me.
You have often given me excellent guidance in difficult command situations and You have led Germanunits into traps that made their elimination fairly simple.
"But now You've changed horses midstream. You seem to have given von Rundstedt every break in the book, and frankly, he's beating the hell out of us. My army is neither trained nor equipped for winter warfare..... this weather is more suitable for Eskimos than for southern cavalrymen.
"But now, Sir, I can't help but feel that I have offended You in some way. That suddenly You have lost all sympathy for our cause. That You are throwing in with von Rundstedt and his paper-hanging god [Hitler]. You know without me telling You that our situation is desperate. Sure, I can tell my staff that everything is going according to plan, but there's no use telling You that my 101st Airborne is holding out against tremendous odds in Bastogne, and that this continual storm is making it impossible to supply them even from the air.
I've sent Hugh Gaffey, one of my ablest generals, with his 4th Armored Division, north toward that all-important road center to relieve the encircled garrison and he's finding Your weather more difficult than he is the Krauts."
"I don't like to complain unreasonably," Patton continues his prayer, "but my soldiers from Meuse to Echternach are suffering tortures of the damned. Today I visited several hospitals, all full of frostbite cases, and the wounded are dying in the fields because they cannot be brought back for medical care."
EDIT: Source revealed in post #50 added for clarity.
A recent best-seller gave an intimate look into this aspect of the warrior's life and character.
Below are some of the 'conversations' that General Patton had with God.
"December 23, 1944
9:00 a.m.
George S. Pattern takes off his helmet as he enters the century-old Catholic chapel. Though Episcopalian, he is in need of a place to worship. The sound of his footsteps echoes off the stone floor as he walks reverently to the foot of the altar. .... Patton kneels, unfolding the prayer he has written for this occasion, and bows his head.
"Sir, this is Patton talking," he says, speaking candidly to the Almighty. "The past fourteen days have been straight hell. Rain, snow, more rain, more snow — and I am beginning to wonder what's going on in Your headquarters. Whose side are You on anyway?"
"For three years my chaplains have been telling me that this is a religious war. This, they tell me, is the Crusades all over again, except that we're riding tanks instead of chargers. They insist that we are here to annihilate the Germans and the godless Hitler so that religious freedom may return to Europe. Up until now I have gone along with them, for You have given us Your unreserved cooperation.
Clear skies and a calm sea in Africa made the landings highly successful and helped us to eliminate Rommel. Sicily was comparatively easy and You supplied excellent weather for the armored dash across France, the greatest military victory that You have thus far allowed me.
You have often given me excellent guidance in difficult command situations and You have led Germanunits into traps that made their elimination fairly simple.
"But now You've changed horses midstream. You seem to have given von Rundstedt every break in the book, and frankly, he's beating the hell out of us. My army is neither trained nor equipped for winter warfare..... this weather is more suitable for Eskimos than for southern cavalrymen.
"But now, Sir, I can't help but feel that I have offended You in some way. That suddenly You have lost all sympathy for our cause. That You are throwing in with von Rundstedt and his paper-hanging god [Hitler]. You know without me telling You that our situation is desperate. Sure, I can tell my staff that everything is going according to plan, but there's no use telling You that my 101st Airborne is holding out against tremendous odds in Bastogne, and that this continual storm is making it impossible to supply them even from the air.
I've sent Hugh Gaffey, one of my ablest generals, with his 4th Armored Division, north toward that all-important road center to relieve the encircled garrison and he's finding Your weather more difficult than he is the Krauts."
"I don't like to complain unreasonably," Patton continues his prayer, "but my soldiers from Meuse to Echternach are suffering tortures of the damned. Today I visited several hospitals, all full of frostbite cases, and the wounded are dying in the fields because they cannot be brought back for medical care."
EDIT: Source revealed in post #50 added for clarity.
Patton's conversation with God is from
"Killing Patton :THE STRANGE DEATH OF WORLD WAR II S
MOST AUDACIOUS GENERAL," by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
"Killing Patton :THE STRANGE DEATH OF WORLD WAR II S
MOST AUDACIOUS GENERAL," by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
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All that's left now is to define 'God'.....
