Patton

[jcw122]

Who here likes Patton the movie? I've always really enjoyed it...Patton was an amazing guy, I've actually done some reading on him before too.


EDIT: Oops wrong section...if this could be moved to the Motion Picture section, that would be good.

 

[Mojave Jack]

Oh, that movie's a classic, of course! I love t, and can watch it over and over.

Even though I'm a big Patton fan, I don't think he was the best general ever. Honestly, I think we had better generals in WWII, and probably our best general to date was probably "Ole Iron Tits," Matthew Ridgway. Walter Krueger is another underappreciated general from that era, and is second only to Ridgway in my book. Krueger's greatest skill lay in voluntarily taking a back seat to MacArthur's enormous ego, and getting everything done behind the scenes to make his boss look good at all times.

Patton was a tactical genius, but lacked a lot of skill in other areas, like logistics. Nonetheless, I still worship at the Patton shrine! lol

 

[kpreed]

I have the tape (got my first "Patton"tape in the late 70's) and it is a great movie,I think.

 

[Mustang]

It's in my top 3

There is a very short list of movies that, no matter how many times I've watched them, I can watch 'em over again. Patton is one of them. Believe it or not, my 8 year old son loves it too. He even likes the soundtrack!

 

[Boris K]

.

A classic. Patton had his flaws, but he did get things done - and usually quickly...

 

[hatguy1]

A classic. Patton had his flaws, but he did get things done - and usually quickly...

Agreed. A man built for one purpose - winning battles - and the last of the true fighting generals. And George C. Scott did an outstanding job in that great movie.

 

[SHOWSOMECLASS]

My great uncle was in the 3rd Army/ 71st Infantry Div. in Europe. he reinlisted and stayed until 1946. Most disliked the his "Frank Savage" approach to everything even when it wasn't needed.

 

[Stearmen]

If only he had George C. Scott's voice! [video=youtube;QXzT_j8NZsg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXzT_j8NZsg[/video]

 

[rjb1]

Concerning the original question about "Patton" the movie - I do like it and do watch it, but the fact that they have US tanks fighting other US tanks with different paint jobs takes it out of the "great" category for me.

 

[hatguy1]

Concerning the original question about "Patton" the movie - I do like it and do watch it, but the fact that they have US tanks fighting other US tanks with different paint jobs takes it out of the "great" category for me.

I know what you mean. I can't tell you how many movies from that time have the poor T-6 Texan as a German or Japanese or even someone else's air force aircraft attacking US troops, ships or something.

 

[hatguy1]

My great uncle was in the 3rd Army/ 71st Infantry Div. in Europe. he reinlisted and stayed until 1946. Most disliked the his "Frank Savage" approach to everything even when it wasn't needed.

A relative of mine was a buck sgt in Patton's 3rd army. I asked him once if he'd ever seen Patton in person. He said, yes; that he'd actually talked with him once. Knowing it was pretty rare for a lower-ranked enlisted man to be conversing with a 3 or 4 star general, I was all ears. Apparently the story goes that Patton stormed into the company area and demanded to know if that was the whatever company company area. My relative snapped to attention and promptly replied, "No, general." Patton stomped away and my relative said (with appropriate twinkle in his eye), "and that was the end of my conversation with General Patton."

 

[Stanley Doble]

Who said "_______ _________ could chew up a ham like Patton without picking his teeth".? I remember the remark but not who said it or who the other general was. It was from a book by a WW2 correspondent, probably Ernie Pyle.

 

[hatguy1]

Who said "_______ _________ could chew up a ham like Patton without picking his teeth".? I remember the remark but not who said it or who the other general was. It was from a book by a WW2 correspondent, probably Ernie Pyle.

According to Wikipedia, "Bill Mauldin described Truscott as a man 'so tough he could chew up a ham like Patton without bothering to pick his teeth."


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[Renault]

Finished an interesting book the other night on the 1916 Punitive Expedition. Patton was close to leaving the service if he didn't get an interesting assignment. Like being assigned to Pershing's staff. I suppose the General dating Patton's older sister might have helped a little!

 

[earl]

Finished an interesting book the other night on the 1916 Punitive Expedition. Patton was close to leaving the service if he didn't get an interesting assignment. Like being assigned to Pershing's staff. I suppose the General dating Patton's older sister might have helped a little!

My great uncle was an officer in that expedition, though would have no idea to what degree if any he interacted with Patton. He was classmates with Eisenhower and Bradley, though. Earl

 

[Monsoon]

Patton had the rep of being a fire breather that was a terror to those he commanded. Come to find out he probably sacked about two senior officers, and one was after he gave him two chances.

Bradley, the "Soldier's General", fired a butt load of officers if they didn't do the job.

 

[hatguy1]

When it came to fighting and gaining ground, Patton was hard to beat. But when the fighting was over, he didn't "stay between the lines" very well when he got idle.


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[filfoster]

Oh, that movie's a classic, of course! I love t, and can watch it over and over.

Even though I'm a big Patton fan, I don't think he was the best general ever. Honestly, I think we had better generals in WWII, and probably our best general to date was probably "Ole Iron Tits," Matthew Ridgway. Walter Krueger is another underappreciated general from that era, and is second only to Ridgway in my book. Krueger's greatest skill lay in voluntarily taking a back seat to MacArthur's enormous ego, and getting everything done behind the scenes to make his boss look good at all times.

Patton was a tactical genius, but lacked a lot of skill in other areas, like logistics. Nonetheless, I still worship at the Patton shrine! lol

I have read similar opinions about Krueger. I have often tried to imagine what a Patton would be like to work around in a business setting and conclude I'd rather not. Still, if results measure the man, he got them. Whatever his faults of technical knowledge, he seemed to have the ability to get his subordinates to do what he wanted them to do.
My father served under him as an infantry lieutenant in Africa and Sicily. He died when I was only one, so all I have are Mom's recollections and his letters home. He didn't opine on generals very much, although his unit was assigned to guard the Casablanca conference. All he wrote was that he 'saw all the big shots many times.' Hardly Ernie Pyle.

 

[Renault]

My Patton;



Peeking over Generals Pershing's left shoulder.

 

[ChiTownScion]

I enjoyed the movie, and first saw it with my late father who was in Liege, Belgium when the German Ardennes Offensive broke out in December of 1944. My first boss was a young lieutenant under him- to be honest, his opinion of Patton was not all that flattering.

The film was great entertainment, and George C. Scott gave a fine performance, but George S. Patton Jr. is the second most overrated general in American history (the first being one Thomas Jonathan Jackson).