Summary and Key Points: “A blind man can see it in a minute,” US Army General George S. Patton said of the II Corps troops he inherited after Kasserine Pass in 1943. “They don’t look like soldiers, they don’t act like soldiers, why should they be expected to fight like soldiers?” Steve Balestrieri uses the line to unpack Patton’s rule that discipline is total or it is nothing, and pairs it with another: “The more senior the officer, the more time he has to go to the front.”
Personal History: His father remembers Fort Driant outside Metz in 1944, when Patton spotted a German wheelbarrow sinking too deep in the mud and ordered a round into it.
Sunday Quote of the Day by U.S. Army General George S. Patton
General George Patton was an outstanding combat leader, going from a lieutenant in Mexico during the Punitive Expedition chasing Pancho Villa, to commanding a battalion of the new armored forces in World War I, to commanding the Third Army in Europe during World War II.
Patton was arguably the finest combat commander that the United States ever produced.
He was adamantly against defensive warfare, believing that wars are won by relentless aggression, speed, and audacity, frequently quoting Frederick the Great, with the phrase “L’audace, l’audace, toujours l’audace” (Audacity, audacity, always audacity).
Patton grew up in a southern military family, where he was regaled with stories of his ancestors who fought and died in the American Revolution and for the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Those stories shaped his early life and profoundly affected his adult military career.
He believed in reincarnation and wrote poetry.
In public, he often delivered intense, profane, and charismatic extemporaneous speeches designed to instill aggression, confidence, and a “killer instinct.”
George S. Patton Quote of the Day. Creative Commons Image.
General George Patton of the U.S. Army. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
U.S. Army General George Patton
The Patton Philosophy
Patton’s philosophy was rooted in his belief that an Army must have absolute discipline from top to bottom.
It emphasizes that discipline cannot be selective or partial; it must be total and absolute.
He believed that, especially in a military context, you cannot be disciplined in great things while being undisciplined in small things, as a lack of discipline in minor details inevitably leads to failure in crucial moments.
His point was driven home early in the war, when II Corps was routed by the Germans at the Battle of Kaserine Pass.
Discipline was poor under the then-commander, MG Lloyd Fredenhall. Patton saw this and immediately recognized why they suffered after he replaced Fredenhall in Tunisia.
“A blind man can see it in a minute,” he said. “They don’t look like soldiers, they don’t act like soldiers, why should they be expected to fight like soldiers?”
Patton believed senior officers’ discipline included leading from the front and ensuring soldiers saw it. “The more senior the officer, the more time he has to go to the front.”
Patton Always Led From the Front: My Father’s Patton Story
Patton frequently visited soldiers at the front lines during the war to inspire aggressive action, maintain high morale, and personally assess combat situations.
He often appeared in forward positions, and the positions were often far from secure.
The troops respected this as he would get a first-hand look at the battles and expected all of his officers to do the same.
In an earlier post, I mentioned my father talked about the visits Patton would make to the front, where the fighting was heaviest.
One particular event was during the siege of Metz, during the Lorraine Campaign.
King Tiger Tank Battle of the Bulge.
His tank destroyer battalion was pouring fire into one of Metz’s forts while German artillery fired on them.
But Patton stood there exhorting the troops and talking to the officers, getting a better picture of the tactical situation. A continuation of that story follows.
While the Americans would pour fire into and around the fort (Fort Driant), with minimal effect due to the very thick walls, during lulls in the action, the Americans would see a German soldier, at meal times, shuttling a wheelbarrow with a tarp over it, going to and from different positions.
Patton asked what he was doing.
My father’s platoon commander said that they believed he was bringing food to the German troops. Curious, Patton zoomed in with his binoculars and saw the German wheelbarrow’s wooden front wheel digging deep in the rain-soaked soil.
“That SOB is carrying ammunition,” Patton said.
He then directed his next comment at my father. “Put a round in that wheelbarrow.”
The high-explosive round blew up the wheelbarrow and set off secondary explosions. That was the last time they tried that tactic.
Those visits to the front boosted morale and, as this one shows, sometimes also benefited the overall tactical situation.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
