Patton And His Third Army

by Brenton G. Wallace

“Men, this stuff some sources sling around about America wanting to stay out of the war and not wanting to fight is a lot of baloney. Americans love to fight, traditionally. All real Americans love the thrill and clash of battle. You are here today for three reasons. First, you are here to defend your homes and loved ones; second, you are here for your own self-respect, because you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else; and third, because you are real men and all real men like to fight. Americans play to win. That’s why America has never lost and never will lose a war, for the very thought of losing is hateful to an American. “You are not all going to die. Only two per cent of you right here today would be killed in a major battle. Death must not be feared. Death in time comes to all of us, and every man is scared in his first action. If he says he’s not, he’s a damn liar. Some men are cowards, yes, but they fight just the same or get the hell slammed out of them. The real hero is the man who fights even though he is scared. Some get over their fright in a

enemy. Another of General Patton’s sayings was: “If you want an army to fight and risk death, you’ve got to get up there and lead it. An army is like spaghetti. You can’t push a piece of spaghetti, you’ve got to pull it!”