THE FIGHTING MAN

[Applause] the greatest drama the memorable story of the great Among Us written by you the [Music] people this chapter the Fighting Man the story of General George S Pon at West Point cradle of America's military leaders the dedication of a monument to a great Fighting Man General George S Paton to the world he had become a legend of Valor and victory and battle Old Blood and Guts with his ivory handled Six Guns and gold helmet a symbol of the American warrior West Point had been George Patton's goal from childhood he entered in 194 determined to win military Glory only an average student in the classrooms Patton excelled on the drill field this was true preparation for war the young Cadet was impatient to be Tried by fire his first taste of War war came in 1915 when he pursued Pano via's Raiders across the Mexican border by the time of the first world war Patton was a captain he formed America's first tank Corp and led his tanks and Doughboys to Victory after Victory against the [Music] Germans after the war back to horses although the day of the tank had arrived paton's fleas for the tank Army were disregarded but with a few old machines he went ahead and worked out the doctrines of modern tank warfare it was the Germans who first put Patton's ideas into practice Adolf Hitler created huge Panzer armies by comparison America's tank force was puny the start of World War [Music] II newly formed the United States tank Corp went on maneuvers under the command of George Patton then onto its first great adventure the invasion of North Africa with Paton in command of a task force G hour at Casablanca under the gun of the Defenders the first boatloads of GIS reached the beach Pam tried to go with him but his ship was hit by shell fire next day the naval battle ended and pattern reached the shore there he supervised the unloading of tanks and desperately needed heavy equipment oblivious to personal danger he led his troops to the conquest of North Africa then he took on a far bigger job the battle for Tunisia into the desert rolled the tanks to meet the Germans although paton's troops were green and his opponent was field Marshall Irwin raml he had no doubt that he could beat the Nazi Desert Fox at his own game of tank warfare in a series of tank battles raml was smashed and patn won his nickname all blood and guts his next assignment the invasion of Sicily the Convoy reached Sicily in July 1943 Veterans of tunisha started for sure under the eyes of their hardboiled Commander their Battle Order from patan ripped the enemy up the belly and shoot him in the guts while the fight for the beaches was still in progress he went ashore to make certain they followed instructions Fanning out from the beach heads the gis Advanced against fanatic German resistance with them went all blood and gut scorning danger shouting encouragement the troops responded with a patent style Blitz Creak crushing the enemy and capturing thousands the American 7th Army swept across Sicily but at the peak of success an event that nearly wreck Patton's career it happened at an American field Hospital during the last days of the Sicilian campaign the famous slapping incident General Eisenhower's reaction was immediate and severe Ike and patteron were old friends but Eisenhower didn't let that stand in the way of an investig a patteron he learned had struck a psychon neurotic Soldier mistaking mental illness for cowardice Ike was enraged he gave Patton a choice apologize to your troops or resign your command the troops were assembled division by division and all blood and guts apologized then ready for his Greatest Adventure off to London in England Pon trained Gis for the biggest Allied effort of the war the invasion of France they learned to fight paton's way hand to hand with cold steel and without Mercy Paton told his men the shortest way home was through France they would travel that road together [Music] when the first Allied Invaders reached France on D-Day General George Patton was not among them his brand new third Army had been held back for the Breakthrough punch and when it struck it was invincible like a steel flood Patton's tanks rolled across Normandy cheered by the liberated French the shattered Germans were left behind [Music] towns and cities welcomed the liberators as they sped through France the drive turned into a jubilant parade A hurried kiss then on toward the German border with Old Blood and Guts close behind he and his men reached the Fortress city of Mets and there the offensive stopped while artillery shelled the City supplies of gasoline and ammunition were brought up from the rear paton's tanks had far out distanced his Supply trucks Mets was taken 12 Days Later the culmination of a drive that for Speed and daring was almost without equal Pon and his men were Heroes but at Mets the Germans had taken advant of the paws to reorganize their defenses they struck back savagely in the ardan forest in December 1944 the Nazi goal was the destruction of two American armies and the isolation of the British if they succeeded the war might go on indefinitely at Bastone the American 101st Airborne Division was trapped although completely surrounded it refused to surrender to the rescue went Patton and his tanks undertaking a task that was thought to be impossible the roads were choked with snow the enemy was [Music] everywhere fighting their way through some of the worst Terrain in Europe the tankers broke through the Nazis and reached Bastone own with them sharing the privations and dangers came their fighting Commander once again The Impossible had been done by Old Blood and Guts Patton then a new offensive in the spring of 1945 this time Patton LED his tanks and troops into the heart of Germany one after another Germany's cities fell the stage was set for Germany's unconditional surrendered be day victory in Europe dancing in the streets and peace a few weeks later Paton came home to his wife and family with them he could drop his swashbuckling public personality and return to the role he liked best devoted husband and father but very soon the general had to leave leave his family reporting to President Truman He was congratulated on his remarkable record of victories in Europe then a series of great parades but even more than the cheers of crowds pan loved the Clash of battle he had asked for a fighting assignment against Japan meanwhile he made Morel building public [Applause] appearances this war is only half over and it could damn well be lost and it is up to your people both by your sweat and by your pocketbooks to see that that incomparable team the Army the Navy and the Air Force is supported until the Japanese is as completely destroyed as is the Germans thank you but instead of Japan patan went back to Germany in the army of occupation for him and his men the real war was over one day the general started off on a hunting trip 12 months had passed since his history making Dash to the relief of Bastone it was an ill-fated Journey [Music] after so many encounters with death it had come to patn in an automobile accident they buried him in Germany among his Fallen comrades in ground he and his men had conquered but his Fame lives on an inspiration to soldiers a legend of blood and guts [Music] [Applause] be with us again next week at this time when the greatest drama true film biographies of the great Among Us Again comes your way [Music]