Part II: The Warrior General – Exclusive to The American Salient
Discover Part I of the Series: A Stand in the Snow: The Battle of the Bulge and the Resolve That Saved Europe
In my grandfather’s study, there was a photograph—grainy, black-and-white, framed simply. It was a close-up of General George S. Patton, his steely gaze fixed not on the viewer, but somewhere beyond. Fierce. Determined. Rugged. The very image of the warrior general. My grandfather, a veteran of Patton’s Third Army, had enshrined the picture in a place of honor. To him, Patton was not just a leader; he was a force of nature.
But Patton was far more than that photo. He was more complex than the complicated figure immortalized in the 1970 biopic. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Patton came from a patrician lineage steeped in military tradition. His family’s legacy extended through generations, weaving the warrior ethos into his very identity. He was an Olympic pentathlete, a writer of verse, and a visionary who foresaw the importance of tank warfare between the wars. He founded the Desert Training Center, championed the funding of armored divisions, predicted Pearl Harbor years before it happened, and grasped the evolving nature of modern combat well ahead of his peers.
Yet for all his refinement, he was also unmanageable, irreverent, and prone to fits of profanity. He cursed with the zeal of a sailor but prayed with the conviction of a saint. He was vainglorious and deeply spiritual, disciplined yet impulsive. Patton’s mind, restless and relentless, was a paradox, blending the attributes of a warrior-poet with those of a battle-hardened general.
Patton’s reputation preceded him, not least because of the respect he commanded from his enemies. The Germans feared him above all other Allied generals, and for good reason. His audacity and speed on the battlefield often left them reeling. This reputation was not lost on Allied High Command, who used him as a decoy to mislead German forces prior to D-Day. Yet when the chips were down—when the Battle of the Bulge threatened to break the Allied line—Patton was the one general who could be counted on to turn the tide.
A Prayer for Victory
Patton’s faith was as fierce as his battlefield tactics. When relentless winter weather in the Ardennes threatened to stall the Allied advance, he famously composed a prayer—with the skilled guidance of clergy—not as a plea but as a resolute demand to the Almighty. He called for clear skies, declaring, “Grant us fair weather for battle so that we may utterly defeat the enemy.” The next morning, the oppressive gray skies gave way to sunshine. To Patton, this was no mere coincidence—it was providence.
The prayer reflected more than his belief in divine intervention; it was an expression of his unwavering confidence in the righteousness of his mission. Patton even had thousands of pocket-sized copies printed and distributed to his troops, blending strategy with faith in a way only he could.
A March Through Hell
When orders came to pivot the Third Army north to relieve Bastogne, Patton’s brilliance was matched only by the resilience of his soldiers. In just 48 hours, tens of thousands of troops traversed more than one hundred miles through treacherous conditions—some by jeep, some by tank, and some on foot. They marched through rain, sleet, and snow, enduring frigid temperatures, and relentless fatigue. Sleep was a luxury wished for but unattainable.
Patton’s plan was as audacious as it was daunting, but his faith in his men never wavered. He demanded the impossible—and they delivered. The speed and precision of the pivot not only saved the encircled 101st Airborne Division in Bastogne but also cemented Patton’s reputation as one of the greatest generals of the war.
The Generals’ Contrast
Patton’s boldness was tempered by the steady leadership of his contemporaries, each of whom brought something unique to the Allied command. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme Allied commander, approached the war like a CEO—balancing egos, coordinating vast resources, and keeping the coalition unified. Ike respected Patton’s brilliance but often grew frustrated by his lack of restraint.
General Omar Bradley, known as the “G.I.’s General,” provided a sharp contrast to Patton’s brashness. Bradley’s quiet, methodical approach focused on minimizing casualties while achieving strategic objectives. He understood Patton’s flaws but also his immense value on the battlefield. Together, these three men—Patton, Eisenhower, and Bradley—formed a triumvirate that combined audacity, prudence, and vision to lead the Allies to victory.
Eisenhower once joked, “Funny thing, George. Every time I get another star, I get attacked.”
Patton, never one to let an opportunity pass, quipped, “And every time you get attacked, Ike, I have to bail you out.”
The Human Side of the Warrior
Patton’s humanity was most evident in his moments of reflection, often captured in his writings. In his journals, he penned irreverent verses—playful takes on Christmas carols that chronicled the war in Europe.
These verses, with their mischievous tone, offer a glimpse into the man behind the legend—a warrior who found humor even in the grim theater of war. Though private musings never intended for public eyes, they add depth to the image of a man whose complexities defined his greatness.
A Legacy of Resolve
As the snow fell on the Ardennes, Patton’s Third Army pressed forward, their relentless march a testament to the indomitable spirit of American resolve. They did not just march to Bastogne; they marched into the annals of history, ensuring that the story of their courage would be told for generations to come.
Patton, the man of contradictions, was at the center of it all—a warrior-general whose faith, audacity, and brilliance turned the tide in one of the darkest hours of the war. As we remember the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, we honor not only the men who fought but also the leaders who inspired them to achieve the impossible.
To be continued….
For Further Reading
- Carlo D’Este, Patton: A Genius for War (HarperCollins, 1995).
- Stephen E. Ambrose, Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany (Simon & Schuster, 1997).
- Rick Atkinson, The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945 (Henry Holt, 2013).
- Peter Caddick-Adams, Snow and Steel: The Battle of the Bulge, 1944-45 (Oxford University Press, 2015).
- Hugh M. Cole, The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge (Office of the Chief of Military History, U.S. Army, 1965).
Charlton Allen is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina School of Law, a writer, and the founder of The American Salient. A lifelong student of history, he is dedicated to exploring the pivotal moments and figures that have shaped America’s exceptional story.
Charlton Allen is the founder and editor-in-chief of The American Salient and the founder of the Madison Center for Law & Liberty, Inc. Learn more about him at charltonallen.org.
