Speech about Patton

( Remember, our rifle is the best fucking killing weapon in the world. The Krauts are scared to death of it. So use it well... you can get 100 rounds in every fight Bullets will ensure you live longer...A rifle or machine gun that never shoots is worse than a fire stick)

Taishi

The Hollywood film "General Patton" can be said to be. A classic that has conquered military fans around the world, especially Patton’s passionate speech under the giant stars and stripes in the opening scene of the film, it is a classic among classics. George Scott is worthy of being a star among stars. Under his performance, Patton's martial arts and humanity were so vividly portrayed that for a long time everyone had the illusion that this was Patton and this was Patton's speech. .

A movie is a movie after all, and the historical facts behind a legend are more or less different. Although Patton is regarded as a speaker second only to Churchill, due to various reasons, few actual records of his speeches have been circulated. The speech exaggerated in the film is indeed true, but its true content has been rarely known. On the 60th anniversary of the victory of World War II, the latest special issue of "American Heritage" contains an article. John Bowlen, a veteran of World War II, recalled the record of Patton's speech that he had personally experienced:

This (referring to The speech in the film "General Patton" - Editor's Note) is not the speech we heard. At that time, I was a leading soldier in the 65th Infantry Division of the U.S. 3rd Army. Our troops were about to go into battle in the winter of early 1945. I remember that on March 5, the troops gathered in the square of a small town called Ennery in France. The 65th Division has been ordered to launch an attack on the German "Siegfeld" line of defense within a few days. In fact, General Patton's battlefield lecture has never been publicly reported. The subtlety of this is quite telling.

General Bradley once said clearly in his memoirs "General Returns from Hundreds of Battles": "It is true that few generals can surpass Patton in battlefield commanding ability, but Patton also has his own opponents that are difficult to conquer: he manages Can't stop his big mouth." Patton's unbridled exaggeration is a favorite of the media, and whenever he opens his mouth, he always gets into big trouble. So when Patton was assigned to Bradley's staff, Bradley strictly controlled coverage of Patton's comments. Bradley, the well-known "Soldier General" once said: "The media may curse me and tell them to go to hell. I will not let them get a chance. Tell the press censor that no quotation is allowed without my order." Any commander." Bradley was the commander of the U.S. Army Group and Patton's immediate boss.

The media's absence from this pre-war lecture was therefore natural. You know, in the upper class society, this general is an impeccable "gentleman", but when he is with the soldiers, he swears a lot. Judging from the social atmosphere of the 1940s, Patton's language was almost harsh and rude, but his soldiers listened very well. This is where Barton is shrewd. Because he knew that only in this way would the soldiers remember his words.

Coincidentally, John Bowlen had worked as a journalist before the war and was trained in shorthand. He always carried a shorthand notebook in his pocket. In the early morning after the lecture, the soldier wrote excitedly in bed: "On this dark winter day, a fierce battle is waiting for us on the distant horizon. Hearing such exciting lectures makes it really difficult for me to fall asleep. The general's words were rewritten almost word for word."

At this time, the European war had entered its final stage. The 65th Infantry Division was the last U.S. military unit to enter the battle. This speech inadvertently became the general's last pre-war mobilization speech. Therefore, it can be said that this is the pinnacle of Patton's wartime speeches.

At 11 o'clock that day, Patton arrived in the square, and all the officers and soldiers stood at attention. The general walked quickly onto the podium. He was wearing a combat jacket and military green chinos, with three general stars flashing on the helmet above his head. The division commander made a brief introduction, and then the general spoke:

All officers and soldiers of the 65th Division, take a break.

The team you are in now is the team of winners. However, you have not tasted the true taste of war. So listen carefully...you may think you have been trained to fight, but you are not. Only when you hear the first bullet flying towards you will everything be revealed. Many people now don't understand why our army emphasizes strict military discipline and well-trained troops. They may say that the military means discipline and training. The two are the same thing, nothing more. But I want to tell you that the real reason why the army is well-trained and disciplined is because you must develop a fighting habit. This strong fighting instinct deeply rooted in your hearts must be enough to overcome your fear of death.

In combat, you will feel fear. But you have to attack - you have to attack decisively and quickly. Forget foxholes, forget prone. You have to shoot at the Germans, keep shooting. Even if you don’t know where the enemy is, you still have to shoot at suspicious places... If you hold a gun and wander around carelessly, sometimes lying down, sometimes getting up, I have to give your mother and wife Or a girlfriend writes a letter telling them that so-and-so got his ass kicked because he didn't follow the rules.

Then there are some guys who will run out, shoot randomly, and then lie down and finish the job. This is what the Germans want most.

Their mortars had already marked their target, and then the shells came. This guy will be blown to pieces in no time...if you keep shooting, the Kraut won't dare to show his head, which increases your chance of survival by 90%.

Remember, our rifles are the best fucking killing weapons in the world. The Germans were scared to death of it. So use it well... You can put 100 rounds of bullets in each battle to ensure that you can live longer... A rifle or machine gun that never shoots is worse than a fire stick.

During combat, you will definitely feel fear. Which kid dares to say that he is not afraid? There are only two possibilities: he is either an idiot or he is lying. But there is a difference between fear and cowardice. When facing an enemy in close combat, you must have the courage and confidence to win. Only in this way can you survive this damn hell... shoot decisively, don't hesitate, it will be too late when you see the Kraut's eyes. I can tell you right now, these bastards have yellow eyes, so you don’t have to be curious anymore.

(John Bowlen made a special note of this, and the whole audience burst into laughter, and Barton’s originally stern face slowly squeezed out a proud smile. - Original note)

< p>My friend, General Scott, the tall little man (the general said while gesturing to his ribs - original note) once boasted to me: "As long as Joe Lewis (in the 1940s) The most famous and heavyweight boxer in the United States, known as the "Black Bomber" - Editor's Note) This guy promised to defend, and I dared to box with him. "Scott actually meant that defending is tantamount to suicide. So you have to attack, keep attacking, keep attacking, and attack again.

If a German wants to surrender, be careful and let him come by himself. Some of us used to be very careless. When they see the Germans raising their hands, they say, OK, OK, there is one here, let's go and deal with him. Then they ran out, and then they were mowed down by machine guns. Not long ago, right where I was standing, a carload of German prisoners of war had just arrived, and they had all been searched. Guess what, a guy pulled out another pistol from nowhere. He must have had the gun in his crotch. In the blink of an eye he knocked down a captain. We had to kill them all.

At this point, I would like to remind you that I do not want to encourage you to push the Germans to the wall and shoot them. We in the United States are an excellent nation. It is dishonorable to do such a thing. So don't wait for the Krauts to get to the wall and shoot them.

One more thing, take care of yourself. The only reason you get trench foot (a foot disease, editor's note) is because you are too careless. Remember, a soldier needs his feet for the rest of his life.

Finally, I would like to say a few more words about the so-called "mental patients" in the battlefield. These guys are bastards, parasites, these guys are worse than pigs and dogs. One more guy who is unwilling to fight means another burden on you brave warriors. If one of you has a "mental patient", don't be polite, tease him, kick his ass, and let him sober up.

There is another kind of guy who is also a coward, called SIW, which is a "self-injurer". Their injury is always on the middle finger or the middle finger of the left foot. If you see someone injured in these places, you may have encountered such a person.

Soldiers, you are American soldiers, the greatest soldiers in the world. You are part of the greatest military in the world. You are fighting for the greatest country. Now that the war is in sight, you're pretty much fucking heroes already.

You are very lucky, very lucky. One day, you will return to a peaceful life. Many years later, your descendants will ask you: "Grandpa, what were you doing during World War II?" "Alabama picks up the shit."

This is also a well-arranged coincidence. At this point in Patton's speech, the church bells rang out at noon. Patton raised his voice and concluded:

Your division is the best division in the United States since World War I. I have no doubt about this because I am also a member of this division. You have the best equipment, the best soldiers, and the most advanced tactics, but you must remember what I just said to you. Shoot, keep shooting. Attack, attack resolutely and decisively. Take good care of yourself. Never trust the Germans.