"Ten-hut!" "Be seated." "Now, I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country." "He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." "Men all this stuff you've heard about America not wanting to fight wanting to stay out of the war is a lot of horse dung." "Americans traditionally love to fight." "All real Americans love the sting of battle." "When you were kids you all admired the champion marble shooter the fastest runner, big-league ball players, the toughest boxers." "Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser." "Americans play to win all the time." "I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed." "That's why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans." "Now an army is a team." "It lives, eats, sleeps, fights as a team." "This individuality stuff is a bunch of crap." "The bilious bastards who wrote that stuff about individuality for the Saturday Evening Post don't know anything more about real battle than they do about fornicating." "Now we have the finest food and equipment the best spirit and the best men in the world." "You know by God, I actually pity those poor bastards we're going up against." "By God, I do." "We're not just going to shoot the bastards we're going to cut out their living guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks." "We're going to murder those lousy Hun bastards by the bushel." "Now some of you boys I know are wondering whether or not you'll chicken out under fire." "Don't worry about it." "I can assure you that you will all do your duty." "The Nazis are the enemy." "Wade into them!" "Spill their blood!" "Shoot them in the belly!" "When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend's face you'll know what to do." "There's another thing I want you to remember." "I don't want to get any messages saying we are "holding our position."" "We're not "holding" anything." "Let the Hun do that." "We're advancing constantly." "We're not interested in holding onto anything except the enemy." "We're going to hold on to him by the nose and kick him in the ass." "We're going to kick the hell out of him all the time and we're going to go through him like crap through a goose!" "Now there's one thing that you men will be able to say when you get back home." "And you may thank God for it." "Thirty years from now when you're sitting around your fireside with your grandson on your knee and he asks you:" ""What did you do in the great World War II?"" "You won't have to say:" ""Well I shoveled shit in Louisiana."" "All right, now, you sons of bitches you know how I feel." "I will be proud to lead you wonderful guys into battle anytime anywhere." "That's all." "The Arabs need food and clothing." "They strip our dead before we can even bury them." "Looks like the reports were pretty accurate." "Sixty-one armored vehicles, 45 tons of ammunition twenty-five 40mm guns, three self-propelled 105s." "Not counting mortars, machine guns, rifles pistols, telescopes, belt buckles, GI socks." "One thousand, eight hundred men." "Our people salute you, general for your brilliant amphibious landing on the continent of Africa and for your enlightened administration of our country." "I've enjoyed being here, Excellency." "Naturally, I'd prefer to be in Tunisia fighting the Germans." ""The lions in their dens tremble at his approach."" "I appreciate that, Excellency." "Magnificent!" "I wish our troops looked that good." "Tell me, general, what do you think of Morocco?" "I love it, Excellency." "It's a combination of the Bible and Hollywood." " These men fight at Kasserine?" " Yes, sir." "For the American Army to take a licking like that the first time at bat against the Germans..." "Up against Rommel, what we need is the best tank man we've got." "Somebody tough enough to pull this outfit together." " Patton?" " Possibly." "God help us." "Lieutenant where is the duty officer?" " He said he's caught at shaving." " Why isn't he here on duty?" "Guess he needed a shave." "We got a new commanding general due today." "Who the hell is kicking me in the butt?" "Oh, sorry, sir." " What were you doing down there?" " Trying to get some sleep, sir." "Get back down there, son." "You're the only son of a bitch here who knows what he's trying to do." "Yes, sir." " Brad, how the hell are you?" " Fine, George." "Good to see you." "We were all under the impression you wouldn't be here until 0900." "Yes, I gathered that." "You know my boy, Dick Jenson." "Brad, tell me." " What are you doing here?" " Ike wanted a report on Kasserine." "Meanwhile, I have to stay here as an observer but I report directly to Ike." "You're spying." "Get me General Eisenhower's headquarters." "Tell me, Brad what happened at Kasserine?" "I heard it was a shambles." "Apparently, everything went wrong." "We'd send over a 75mm shell, the krauts would return an 88." "Their tanks are diesels." "Even when we managed to hit one they kept on running." "Our tanks..." "The men call them "Purple Heart boxes."" "One hot piece of shrapnel and the gasoline explodes." "I warned them about the tank." "I talked to one of the soldiers about the half-tracks." "I asked them if the machine-gun bullets pierced the armor." "And he said, "No, sir." "They just come through one side and rattle around a bit."" "I understand they had a little trouble coordinating the air cover." "The trouble was no air cover." " General Smith on the line, sir." " Excuse me, Brad." "Bedell?" "Listen, I'm calling about Bradley and his job here." "I need a good number-two man, I want to make Brad my deputy commander." "You clear it with Ike?" "All right, thanks, Bedell." "Now you're not spying for Eisenhower anymore, you're working for me." " Okay?" " Fine, okay." "Dick." "You got those stars?" " Yes, sir." " Let's get them on." "What's the matter, Brad?" "I've been nominated by the president." "I know, but it doesn't become official until it's approved by the Senate." "Well they have their schedule and I have mine." "George if you were named admiral of the Turkish Navy I believe your aides could dip into their haversacks and come up with the appropriate badge of rank." "Anyway, congratulations." "Premature congratulations." "You know..." "I think those stars look better on a green shirt." "Did I ever tell you about the time I designed a uniform for tank crewmen?" "It was green leather, it had red stripes and sort of a row of brass buttons down across here." "And topped off by a gold football helmet." "The Army rejected it, of course." "Goddamn, it was beautiful." "Lloyd Fredendall is just leaving." "George, there's one other thing I put in my Kasserine report." "Some of our boys were just plain scared." "That's understandable." "Even the best foxhound is gun-shy the first time out." "I can remember when nothing frightened me as much as the idea of a bullet coming straight for my nose." "I don't know why, but the image of a bullet coming right for my nose was more horrible than any other possibility." "Well, I can understand that, with such a handsome nose." "You want to know why this outfit got the hell kicked out of it?" "Blind man could see it in a minute." "They don't look like soldiers." "They don't act like soldiers." "Why should they fight like soldiers?" "You're absolutely right." "The discipline's pretty poor." "In about 15 minutes we're going to start turning these boys into fanatics, razors." "They'll lose their fear of the Germans." "I hope to God they never lose their fear of me." "Up bright and early, general?" "Breakfast?" "Have all my officers finished breakfast?" "We're open from 6 till 8." "Most of the officers are just coming in, sir." "Please inform these officers the mess hall is closed." "But, sir!" "It's only a quarter to 8." "From now on, you will open at 6 and no one will be admitted after 6:15." "Where are your leggings?" "Leggings?" "Well, hell, general, sir, I'm a cook." "You're a soldier." "$20 fine." "Gentlemen from this moment any man without leggings, without a helmet, without a tie..." "Any man with unshined shoes or soiled uniform is going to be skinned." "This is a barracks." "It's not a bordello." " Good morning." " Good morning, sir." "Doctor." "Sir." "I understand you have two cases of self-inflicted wounds." "Yes, sir, we do." "Get them out of here." "One has developed a serious infection." "I don't care if he dies, just get him out of here." "Doesn't belong in the same room with men wounded in battle." " I'll see that they're moved." " One more thing." "There'll be no "battle fatigue." That's an order." "Battle fatigue is a free ride to the hospital." "I'm not going to subsidize cowardice." "Yes, sir." "Doctor..." "Where's your helmet?" "I don't wear a helmet in the hospital." "Start." "I can't use my stethoscope when I'm wearing my helmet." "Well then cut two holes in your helmet so that you can." "And get those yellow-bellies out of here, today." "Hold it." "Turn right, here." "The battlefield is ahead." "Don't argue." "I can smell a battlefield." "He was out here yesterday." "It's over there." "Turn right, damn it." "It was here." "The battlefield was here." "The Carthaginians defending the city were attacked by three Roman legions." "They were brave, but they couldn't hold." "They were massacred." "Arab women stripped them of their tunics and their swords and lances." "The soldiers lay naked in the sun 2000 years ago." "I was here." "You don't believe me." "You know what the poet said:" ""Through the travail of ages" "Midst the pomp and toils of war" "Have I fought and strove and perished" "Countless times upon the star" "As if through a glass and darkly" "The age-old strife I see" "Where I fought in many guises Many names" "But always me."" "You know who the poet was?" "Me." "Sir, the interrogation reports on the American prisoners captured in our victory at Kasserine." "They are not very good soldiers, these Americans." "I'm not so sure after only one battle." "Their tanks were no match for our guns." "And neither was their leadership, sir." "At Kasserine they were not under American command." "They were under the British General Anderson." "British commanders and American troops..." "the worst of everything!" "I remind you that Montgomery is a British Commander." "And he has driven us half way across Africa." "Anyway, we have met the Americans for the first time and defeated them." "I'm optimistic." "You can afford to be an optimist, I can't." "There's an opportunity for us to mount an offensive." "We've concentrated on the flank draw strength from the British." "It appears now that we could split the African corridor." "Drive through Rommel to the sea." "I'm sorry, but that territory has been reserved for General Bernard Law Montgomery." "We're supposed to let him win this one no matter what." "They're entitled to have their hero." "Montgomery did push Rommel clear across North Africa." "What about the Americans?" "Don't they need a hero too?" "You have anybody in mind?" "Air Vice-Marshal Coningham is here with General Buford." "Excuse me, gentlemen while I ask our British friends what's happened to our air cover." "Harry." "How are you?" "George." "Good to see you." " You know Arthur Coningham." " Sir Arthur." "Delighted to see you." "I've heard so much about you." "Gentlemen, it appears there's been a slight misunderstanding here and Ike thought we should fix it." "No, no." "No misunderstanding." "We're supposed to have allied air cover and we don't." "German planes are strafing my troops." "If I may say so, general, I'm afraid your operation reports are inaccurate." "Report?" "Three days ago, the crowds took off after my command car ran my ass into a ditch." "My staff has assured me, we have complete air supremacy everywhere in the Mediterranean." "When I complained about air cover you said our troops were not battleworthy." "You spoke of the discredited practice of using air force as an alibi for lack of success on the ground." "I have to wet-nurse Montgomery, I don't have to stand for that." "I sincerely apologize for that remark, whoever made it." "And I promise you one thing, general:" "You will see no more German planes." "We were discussing air supremacy, Sir Arthur." "Damn door won't open!" "By God, that's enough!" "Get that thing out of here!" "Come on, you bastards, take a shot at me on the nose!" "Get back in here, George!" "We need a corps commander, not a casualty." "How'd you manage to stage that?" "I don't know but if I could find the Nazis flying those things I'd give them each a medal." "Can't get over how cold it gets in the desert." "Awfully cold, sir." "Rommel's out there somewhere, waiting for me." "You know if I had my way, I'd send that genius son of a bitch an engraved invitation in iambic pentameter:" "A challenge in two stanzas to meet me alone in the desert." "I'll deliver it." "Rommel in his tank and me in mine." "We'd stop about 20 paces." "We'd get out, we'd shake hands then we'd button up and do battle, just the two of us." "That battle would decide the outcome of the war." "It's too bad jousting's gone out of style." "It's like your poetry, general." "It isn't part of the 20th century." "You're right, Dick." "The world grew up." "Hell of a shame." "Dick, I want a 24-hour guard put around this area." "If we don't, the Arabs will dig them up for their clothes." "Our graves aren't gonna disappear like everybody else's who fought here." "The Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians." "God, how I hate the 20th century." "Captain Steiger reporting, General." "Come with me, Steiger." "Field Marshal Rommel..." "I hope you are feeling better..." "Captain Steiger has been assigned to research General Patton." "Very well." "What do you have for me?" "General Patton comes from a military family." "His grandfather was a hero of the American Civil War." "He was educated at the Virginia Military Institute and West Point." "You're not telling me anything about the man." "He writes poetry and believes in reincarnation." "He's one of the richest officers in the American Army." "He prays on his knees, but curses like a stable boy." "He has one standing order." ""Always take the offensive, never dig in"." "In 15 minutes we meet with the Führer." "He will want to know how you plan to deal with Patton's forces." "I will attack and annihilate him!" "Before he does the same to me." "General." "General?" "We intercepted a German radio message." "Rommel's 10th Panzer is going to hit us near Al Guettar." "Rommel, huh?" "All my life I've wanted to lead a lot of men in a desperate battle." "Now I'm going to do it." "Look." "Battalion strength at least." "They haven't spotted our positions yet." "They'll get an education in about 10 seconds." "Wait till they get a dose of that artillery fire." "Commence firing." "Fire at will." "Commence firing." "Fire at will." "Commence firing." "Fire at will." "What a hell of a waste of fine infantry." " Get General Bradley on the radio." " Yes, sir." "Sir, I can't raise him." "Go tell him to hit them hard." "Here's where we hold them by the nose and kick them in the ass." "Go on." "Put him in my car." "Rommel you magnificent bastard." "I read your book!" "Captain Richard N. Jenson was a fine boy." "Loyal, unselfish and efficient." "I am terribly sorry." "There are no coffins here since there is no wood." "We will have a trumpeter and an honor guard  but we will not fire the volleys as people would think an air raid was on." "I enclosed a lock of Dick's hair in a letter to his mother." "He was a fine man  and a fine officer." "And he had no vices." "I shall miss him a lot." "I can't see the reason such fine young men get killed." "There are so many battles yet to fight." "Battle-weary, but victorious, American Gls and Tommies  of the British 8th Army meet in an Allied victory celebration  at Wadi Akarit in North Africa." "For the first time in this war, Broadway and Piccadilly join hands." "Meanwhile, General Montgomery, hero of El Alamein  continues to lead his victorious British 8th Army  in a relentless drive against Rommel's vaunted Africa corps." "It is obvious that North Africa will soon be lost." "We must now anticipate the enemy's next move." "I shall expect a staff report within 24 hours." "That will be all." "Steiger, you have said nothing." "I wasn't asked anything." "I'm asking you now." "You think Patton will attack Sardinia?" "And why not?" "Patton, sir... is a military historian." "He knows that Sicily, not Sardinia, has always been the key to Italy." "If Patton has his way he will attack Sicily at Syracuse, as the Athenians did." "Steiger, this is the twentieth century!" "But you must understand, sir..." "Patton is a sixteenth-century man." "May I read an example?" ""On a dark street in New York 1922, wearing white tie and tails..." ""..." "Patton saw three men pushing a young girl into the back of a truck." ""He leaped out of his car, produced a revolver..." ""...and forced the men at gunpoint to release the girl"." "It turned out that the girl was the fiancée of one of the men." "They were merely helping her into the truck." "What could be more revealing?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "Don Quixote encounters six merchants of Toledo and saves Dulcinea's virtue!" "Who the devil is Dulcinea?" "Don't you see, sir?" "Patton is a romantic warrior lost in contemporary times." "The secret of Patton is the past." "He'll urge an attack on Sicily because that's what the Athenians did!" "General Bradley's done a tremendous job with 2nd Corps." "He's moved into Bizerte and taken over 41,000 prisoners." "Good." "Very good." "You're not surprised, are you?" "After all, you trained that outfit." "Excuse me, general." "This is interesting." "We've discovered Rommel wasn't present at El Guettar." " Who says so?" " G2, sir." "When we took 10th Panzer, Rommel was in Berlin with an earache?" "Severe nasal diphtheria, sir." "Also, Hitler probably retained Rommel in Berlin because things were going badly for the Africa Corps." "He didn't want his favorite general to lose face." "I'm my favorite general, and I don't like to be told that some second-stringer is up against me." "Then I lose face." "Who the hell are you, anyway?" "General, this is Lieutenant Colonel Codman." "Your new aide." "Codman." "I pulled your name off the list because I know your family." "I'm glad you did, sir." "Rommel is the best the krauts have, and I kicked the hell out of him." "Now my own G2 section is telling me he wasn't even there." "But, general, he undoubtedly planned the German battle." "If you defeat Rommel's plan, you've defeated Rommel." "Isn't that true?" "Codman..." " Have a drink with me tonight." " Yes, sir." "I have a plan for the invasion of Sicily." "I want to make sure I get it approved." "You can help me." "I want to give a dinner for General Alexander." "Get to him before Montgomery does." "This will be strictly a formal affair, Codman, but purely social." "By that I mean purely political." " Yes, sir." "I want the finest food, the best wine available." "Everything, comme il faut." "Thank you." "George, this is really splendid wine." "Thank you, Arthur." "Thank you." "Sir Harold, I think it was Alcibiades in the Peloponnesian War 415 B.C." "He said, "If Syracuse falls, all Sicily falls, and then Italy."" "He knew that Syracuse was the jugular of the island." "Old Alcibiades always went for the throat." "I propose to take Sicily in the same way." " How's it going?" " The old man has them in his pocket." "Now, according to my plan General Montgomery will land here." "I'll hit the beaches here, take Palermo." "Monty will drive north on the coast, I'll come due east take Messina and cut off the German escape route." "It looks like an interesting plan." "Well, gentlemen, to the conquest of Sicily." "To the conquest of Sicily." "To Sicily!" "George, you'd have made a great marshal for Napoleon if you'd lived in the 18th century." "But I did, sir." "I did." "Morning." "Is General Smith in?" " I believe he's in the lavatory, sir." " Thank you." " Ah, there you are, Bedell." " Monty." "Bedell, I've been giving a good bit of thought to the Sicily operation." "Yes?" "I assume we're alone." "Georgie Patton has already discussed his plan with Alexander." "I realize that but I have an idea that his plan may lead to an absolute disaster." "Bedell, look." "This is Sicily." "Now then, according to Patton's plan I will attack Syracuse here." "And he would attack Palermo up here." "Now, obviously our forces would be divided." "And obviously, they could be chopped up piecemeal." "Now then, what I propose, and what I shall insist on, by the way is this." "I will land at Syracuse as planned." "But the Americans..." "The Americans will land here, at Gela." "I will advance north to Messina, the Americans protecting my flank." "After all, Messina is the key." "It's the reason for invading Sicily." "I'll discuss your plan with Ike." "I'm sure he'll give it serious consideration." " Amusing, isn't it?" " What?" "That the plans for the invasion of Sicily should have been put forward in an Algerian lavatory." "George, I have bad news for you about your Sicily plan." "Ike has turned it down." "Since the Italians will be defending their native soil for the first time and the German resistance is stiffening, we shouldn't be divided." " Well, where do my people land then?" " In the Gulf of Gela." "There's nothing there but a beach." "Yes, but it puts you in a good position to support Montgomery." "Where does Montgomery land?" "He'll land in Syracuse and drive north to Catania." "Possibly even Messina." "And you'll be alongside, protecting his left." "I see." "In other words, we get the burden again while good old Monty gets the glory." "Ike had to consider all points of view." "He made his decision not as an American, but as an Ally." "Had it been the other way around, I assure you, Monty would protest." "No I've been in the Army 30 years." "When I get an order, I say, "Yes, sir." And I do my best to carry it out." "This is what happens when your commander stops being an American and starts being an Ally." "Here's the gangster Patton, landing at Gela with his Seventh Army." "This film was captured after the landing." "I didn't realize he was so tall." "Over six feet." "He's constantly giving personal commands." "Obviously they now have two prima donnas in Sicily..." "Montgomery and Patton!" "There's another three-star general." "He looks like a common soldier." "He is most capable, yet unpretentious." "Unusual for a general." "Sorry..." "I don't think I've made myself clear, sir." "It's true, Montgomery met the toughest resistance there at Catania." "However, if we're..." "Perfectly clear." "Old Monty is as stuck as a bug on flypaper." "But this order from General Alexander directing you to turn over the Vizzini-Caltagirone road to Montgomery." "Well, then, old Bradley will have to slug... slug, mind you his way up center of the island over those tough mountain roads, won't he?" "Yes, sir." "Messina, Bell." "Messina is the heart of it." "If they'd followed my plan, I'd be there by now." "I'd cut off the retreat of every German on this island!" "Now, you know what I'm gonna do?" "I'm gonna go to Palermo." "I'm gonna beat that limey at Messina if it's the last thing I ever do!" "Hey, what's all this talk about taking the Vizzini road away from 2nd Corps?" "General Alexander's orders." "Road goes to Montgomery." "Now, that road was assigned to me." "How can I get north without it?" "You know the terrain there." "I'm sorry, Brad." "But Monty's run into tough opposition." "Very tough." "You wouldn't be taking advantage of this situation, would you?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "Without that road, your army, except for my 2nd Corps would be out of a job." "Free for you to go into Palermo." "Who said anything about Palermo?" "I can read a map." "Does Alexander know you've pushed out this far?" "That's a reconnaissance in force." "George are you saying I've got to slug it out in those mountains with heavy resistance?" "Just so you can make a bigger splash than Monty?" "General I just follow my orders." "Like the simple old soldier I am." "General Bradley." "Sir, General Alexander has heard we're moving west." "He says here, "Stop immediately." "Go no farther than Agrigento." "Repeat." "Stop, immediately."" "That's what you think it says." "I think it was garbled in transmission." "Ask them to re-transmit the message." "That'll take half a day at least." "Yes, sir." "Now, Brad." "Where were we?" "We were talking about a simple old soldier." "Look at that, gentlemen." "Compared to war all other forms of human endeavor shrink to insignificance." "Let's go, sergeant." "Move out!" "Give me that helmet." "Come on, let's get out of here!" "What silly son of a bitch is in charge of this operation?" "I don't know, but they ought to hang him." "These men are here from the States, looking over our program for the spiritual welfare of the men." "We'll take you right into Palermo." "Col. David toured us around your quarters and I saw a Bible by your bed." "Do you actually find time to read it?" "I sure do." "Every goddamn day." "Sir, the Americans have taken Palermo!" "Damn!" "Sir, Patton's taken Palermo!" "Damn!" "Palermo's the most conquered city in history." "First the Phoenicians the Romans, Carthaginians, Byzantines." "Then came the Arabs Spaniards, Neapolitans." "Now comes the American Army." "This is from General Alexander, sir reminding you that you are not to take Palermo." "Send him a message, Cod." "Ask him if he wants me to give it back." "Let me ask you a question for a change." "You've just come from Washington." "How do they feel about our boys taking Palermo?" "The general impression is, your army barreled through token resistance while Montgomery faced the brunt of the fighting." "Don't they know we took on the Hermann Göring division?" "Toughest outfit in the German Army." "The people at home are interested in you." "They're curious about your pearl-handle revolvers." "They're ivory." "Only a pimp from a New Orleans whorehouse would carry a pearl handle." "What about your language?" "When I want it to stick, I give it to them loud and dirty." "What do your troops feel about that?" "I don't want these men to love me." "I want them to fight for me." "Ernie Pyle says you have a secret weapon here:" "General Bradley." "Ernie calls him "The GI General."" "Omar Bradley is no secret." "He's a damn fine commander." "What's your feeling about Montgomery?" "He's the best general the English have." "He seems more concerned with not losing than he does about winning." "He's not aggressive enough, is that correct?" "Look, I've been getting into a lot of trouble lately." "Yesterday, the office told me that my Italian prisoners didn't have enough latrine." "They didn't know what a latrine was till I showed them." "If I've said anything too critical of my British colleague let's forget about it." "I will tell you one thing, though." "Off the record." "I'm gonna beat that gentleman to Messina." "Ah, Freddie." "Do you realize what this madman Patton is saying?" "He's going to save our skins by taking Messina." "This report might interest you." "Here I am in these bloody marshes, fighting malaria and Germans while he's taking Palermo and getting all the glory." "Well!" "Now he's up against three good German divisions and he's stuck." "He's not going to get Messina." "That's reserved for the British 8th Army and me." "It's time for a move, Lucian." "Terry Allen's 1st Division is bogged down." "You're bogged down too." "What we need is another end run just to break things loose." " Lucian." "How's my fighter?" " Fine, George." "Come in, come in." "We need another one of your amphibious specialties." "Lucian, I want you to send a reinforced battalion by sea to make a landing up here at Brolo behind the kraut lines." "You want me to do a land-based attack." "Right." "I want a coordinated attack the morning of the 11 th." "I don't think we can make it by the 11 th." " Hell, it's only 15, 20 miles." " My boys have been dying for yards." "Maybe you better kick a few butts if you have to." "I recommended you for your DSM in your last promotion." "I know what you can do when you put your mind to it." "Excuse me, sir." "I'm sorry, but I can't do the impossible." "You're too old an athlete to think you can postpone a scheduled match." "You're an old athlete yourself." "You know matches are postponed." "If we can't back Lucian up by land, our end run could be a disaster." "Those men might get caught on the beach and cut to pieces." " What's the matter?" " All we're saying is not to rush in until we're ready." "Give him an extra day." "Just one more day." "The landing is on." "We're going to Messina." "We're going to get there before Montgomery does." " What's so important about that?" " General Truscott if your conscience won't permit you to conduct this operation I'll find somebody who can." "General, it's your privilege to relieve me anytime you want to." "This match will not be postponed." "Any questions?" "No, sir." "You're a very good man, Lucian." "You want to guard against being too conservative." "Remember what Frederick the Great said:" ""L 'audace, I'audace!" "Toujours I'audace!"" "Go on, have a drink." "Excuse me, sir, I won't be drinking for the next couple of days." "If anything happens to those men, I'd like to be there with them." "You're not going, so forget about it." "You believe Truscott's right?" "No." "But you're gambling with those boys' lives just to beat Montgomery into Messina." "If you pull it off, you're a hero, but if you don't..." "What happens to them?" "The ordinary combat soldier." "He doesn't share in your dreams of glory, he's stuck here." "He's living out every day, day-to-day, with death tugging at his elbow." "There's one big difference between you and me, George." "I do this job because I've been trained to do it." "You do it because you love it." "The men on the beach are catching hell, general." "The men are doing their best." "We have no replacements." "I can't break through to the coast." "I'm going down there myself." "Colonel!" "How did he get over there?" "What the hell are you waiting for?" "Looking for a place to ford, general." "I sent a patrol to reconnoiter." "I've done that." "Down there this sewer's no more than 3 feet deep." "Get that outfit cranked up or you'll be out of a job!" " And put that helmet on." " Yes, sir." "Move it!" "Let's go!" " What's holding up this column?" " I don't know, sir." "Planes!" "Come on, move it!" "Pull up over there." " Come on." " What's going on here?" "Jackasses!" "You let a column get stalled and strafed on account of two jackasses?" "!" "No." "No." "Now, dump them over the side and clear this bridge!" "We're pinned down because we can't get air support!" "Nobody's getting any air support!" "Put fire into this battalion, or I'll get somebody who can." "Major!" "You the executive officer here?" " Your name?" " Walker." "You're now commanding officer." "You've got 4 hours to break through that beachhead." "If you don't make it, I'll fire you." "50,000 men on this island would like to shoot that son of a bitch." "Please take me home." "Take me home." "Please take me home." "Take me home." " There he goes, "Old Blood and Guts."" " Yeah, our blood." "His guts." "Hi, how are you, son?" "Where are you from, Gomez?" "California, sir." "Me too." " Where were you hit?" " In the chest, sir." "Well this might be interesting to you." "The last German I saw had no chest." "Didn't have any head either." "You get well quickly, son." "What's the matter with you?" "I guess I just can't take it, sir." "What did you say?" "It's my nerves, sir." "I just can't stand the shelling anymore." "Your nerves?" "Hell, you're just a goddamn coward." "Shut up!" "I won't have a yellow bastard crying in front of these brave, wounded men." "Shut up!" "Don't admit this yellow bastard." "Nothing wrong with him." "I won't have sons of bitches afraid to fight stink up this place of honor." "You're going back to the front, my friend." "You may get shot, you may get killed, but you're going up to the fighting." "Either that or I'll stand you up in front of a firing squad." "I should shoot you myself, you bastard!" "Get him out of here!" "Send him up to the front!" "You hear me?" "You goddamn coward!" "I won't have cowards in my army." "I had to kick a few butts but Truscott finally broke through to those people on the beach." "Have you seen the casualty lists?" "Yes, I've seen them." "What's the word from the coast road?" "The 3rd Division's east of Brolo, heading toward Messina." "Let's get over there." "I want to go in with the troops." "You go ahead, George." "I'm not very good at that." "General Bradley it's time to consider how many casualties we'd have if we were still crawling on that goddamn road." "Forward, march!" "Don't smirk, Patton." "I shan't kiss you." "Pity." "I shaved close this morning to prepare for getting smacked by you." "Forward, march!" "You wanted to see me, George?" "Got a letter here from Ike." "I was rereading Caesar's Commentaries last night." "In battle, Caesar wore a red robe to distinguish him from his men." "I was struck by that fact because..." ""Despicable." First time anybody's ever applied that word to me." "Well, at least it's a personal reprimand, it's not official." "The man was yellow." "He should've been tried for cowardice and shot." "People have taken a lot worse than a little kick in the pants." "I ruffled his pride a bit." "What's that compared to war?" "Two weeks ago at Palermo they said I was the greatest general since Stonewall Jackson." " Now they draw cartoons about you." "Dirty bastard!" "They got me holding a little GI and kicking him with an iron boot." "You see that, what's on my boot?" "A swastika." "On my boot." "An iron boot with a swastika!" ""You will apologize to the soldier you slapped to all doctors and nurses present in the tent at the time to every patient in the tent who can be reached and last but not least to the 7th Army as a whole through individual units, one at a time."" "God, I feel low." "Oh, God  Thou art my God." "Early will I seek Thee." "My soul thirsteth for Thee." "My flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land." "So as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary." "My soul followeth hard after Thee." "But those that seek my soul to destroy it  shall go into the lower parts of the earth." "They shall fall by the sword." "They shall be apportioned for foxes." "But the king shall rejoice in God." "Everyone that sweareth by him shall glory." "But the mouth of them that speak lies  shall be stopped." "Ten-hut!" "At ease." "I thought I'd stand up here and let you people see if I am as big a son of a bitch as some of you think I am." "I assure you I had no intention of being either harsh or cruel in my treatment of the soldier in question." "My sole purpose was to try to restore in him some appreciation of his obligations as a man and as a soldier." "If one can shame a coward I felt one might help him to regain his self-respect." "This was on my mind." "Now, I freely admit that my method was wrong but I hope you understand my motive and will accept this explanation and this apology." " Dismissed." " Ten-hut!" "Good evening, general." "I want to report on a private poll I'm taking." "What poll?" "The fan mail." "Eleven percent con, 89 percent pro." "And that 11% of protest, in most cases, is both obscene and anonymous." "But the pro letters are mostly from relatives and servicemen." ""I want you to know we're proud our son is serving in your army." "From the newspaper, we're not clear exactly what you did and why but we want you to know we're for you." "Keep going, and God bless you."" "Keep going, huh?" "Where?" "I thought you might like a sip of wine, general." "It's New Year's." "You didn't celebrate at all last night." "I'm sick of sitting around this royal doghouse." "We've taken Sicily." "I'm ready for a new assignment." "Maybe you've got it." "Here's a radio message, just came in." "Cod." "I've been relieved." "They've relieved me from command of the 7th Army." "I don't believe it." "Happy New Year." "Just a minute, sir." "Since they're sure to give you another command isn't it logical they'd relieve you here first?" "You mean command of all American troops going into Europe?" "It's possible." "I know it's been discussed from time to time." "The logic of it is so obvious, it couldn't mean anything else." "Sir, I'm going to open this bottle of wine." "No, Sir Cod but if you find a bottle of cognac, I'll help you drink it." " How you feeling tonight, general?" " Not bad, not bad at all." " Get me some writing paper, will you?" " Yes, sir." "Your wife ever give you the devil for not writing?" "All the time, sir." "Only I don't write as often as you do." "Don't seem to get around to it." "Lucky for us we got them." "Who wants to marry a couple of broken-down old horse captains?" "That's what my wife says to me every time I come home, sir." "Why are you up so late, George?" "Thought you'd like a nice hot bath or something." "I got this sleeping pill from the doc, just in case you need it." "Sleeping pill!" " What's going on here?" " I heard the news, sir." " They announced it on the radio." " What news?" "About General Bradley, sir." "How they gave him the top American command." "Oh." "Oh, yeah." "I just thought you might be feeling kind of low, sir." "Your writing things, sir." "Here on the desk, sir." "Yeah." "Thank you, George." "One little dog face." "One measly little slap." "That's what done it." "Ah, George." "I wish I'd kissed the son of a bitch." "He's paying tribute to the Free French Forces under DeGaulle and Leclerc." "And to the people of the Resistance who risk their lives to help destroy the Germans." ""France will be free again." "I give you my word."" ""Just as Free French troops liberated Corsica, Napoleon's place of birth I will someday land in France to liberate the birthplace of Lafayette."" "General, the reporters would like a word with you." " Good afternoon." " General." "Can you tell us the purpose of this visit to Corsica?" "General Eisenhower ordered me here." "You wrote the mother of the boy you slapped, "The rat should've been shot."" " Is that true, general?" " No comment." "Sir, I understand Gen. Alexander suggested you take over Gen. Clark's Italian campaign but it was killed due to the incident." " No comment." " Can you say where you're going, sir?" "Off the record, Eisenhower's ordered me to Malta." "Interview concluded." "You plan on slapping any soldiers there, general?" "Malta?" "Yes, sir." "Malta as a base then southern Greece." "That is possible." "Get me Field Marshal Keitel." "In 1528, these forts were defended by 400 Knights of Malta and 800 mercenaries against a force of 40,000 Turks." "Codman." " Still no word from Gen. Eisenhower?" " No, sir." "Not even a response about the two turkeys I sent for Christmas?" "No, sir." "Go ahead, gentlemen." "Take a closer look for yourselves." "Looks like you boys have hitched your wagon to a falling star." "Pass the word." "If anyone wants out, I'll understand." "Sir, I can speak for the entire staff." "We want to stay with you, no matter what duty you're assigned to." "Up in London, they're planning the invasion of Europe." "I've trained my mind, body and spirit for that." "What, in God's name, am I doing here?" "All right." "Let's get on to Cairo." "See if the pyramids are still standing." "There is only one reason for him to be in Cairo." "To confer with the Greek and Yugoslav governments in exile." "Let the Italians garrison Italy, it's their country." "We'll need our German troops to reinforce Crete and the Greek coast if Patton strikes from Egypt!" "I have some new information, sir." "Patton is under severe criticism." "He may even be court-martialed." "He slapped an enlisted man." "You believe their newspapers?" "Would they sacrifice their best commander because he slapped a soldier?" " This place is for me?" " Yes, sir." "This way, sir." "Whoever found it has a genius for cloak and dagger." "Who picked this cathouse?" "I think it was Gen. Smith, sir." "To spite me, that son of a bitch." " Welcome to London, Georgie." " Bedell." "How are you?" " Is Ike here?" " He asked me to brief you." "Would you excuse us, please?" "Let me put you straight about Ike." "We hear a lot about you criticizing his decisions." "Not really." "You know me." "I'm just an old fool." "At times, I do wonder whether he isn't a limey at heart." "George, this is the toughest coalition ever attempted in history." "Ike's trying to hold it together and lick the Germans at the same time." " It's a hell of a job." " I understand." "You have an important assignment connected to the Normandy invasion." "Good." "I've studied the Overlord Plan and there's a number of flaws in it." "You can't depend on Monty taking Caen by D-day." "He'll never make it." "I've drawn up an alternate plan to land at Calais following an air bombardment..." " Will you just listen for a change?" "Ike stood by you when everyone, I mean everyone wanted Patton with a rope around his neck." "We're gonna let it leak out that you are here undercover." "That you're preparing to invade at the Pas de Calais." "We hope to pin down the German 15th Army there so that they can't be used against us at Normandy." "Is that all I'm good for?" "We're going to build an army of 12 divisions around you." "All fictitious, of course." "Dummy troop concentrations, dummy landing craft simulated radio traffic." "The Germans are convinced that you will lead the main invasion effort." "Their agents will spot you soon then we can move you to Knutsford." " What do I do there?" " Nothing." "Absolutely nothing." "Frankly, George, you're on probation." "Take my advice and behave yourself." "Remember your worst enemy is your own big mouth." "Look at this nasty-faced son of a bitch." "Ready for combat." "I'll call him William as in "the Conqueror."" " Sir, should we leave him in the car?" " No." "Good afternoon, ladies." "Good afternoon." "Watch this, Cod." " Sir, he'll kill that dog." " I'll hold him." "I'm terribly sorry, general." "Did Abigail frighten your dog?" "That's quite all right, madam." "This way, sir." "Your name isn't William." "It's Willy." "My dear friends." "General George S. Patton, Jr., has accepted our invitation to say a few words to you on the occasion of this inaugural ceremony." "General Patton is not here in an official capacity and I have assured him most earnestly that nothing he says will be quoted." "May I present General Patton." " Remember, sir, watch your language." " Yeah." "My dear ladies." "Until today my only experience at welcoming has been to welcome Germans and Italians to the infernal region." "At this I have been quite successful since the troops, which I have had the honor to command have, to date, killed or captured some 170,000 of our enemies." "I feel that such clubs as these are of very real value because I believe with Mr. Bernard Shaw that the British and the Americans are two peoples separated by a common language." "Since it is the destiny of the British and Americans to rule the world the better we know each other the better we will do it." "The Russians, don't forget the Russians." "I think that a club like this is an ideal place for promoting mutual understanding." "Because as soon as our soldiers meet and get to know the English ladies and write home and tell our women just how lovely you truly are then the sooner the American ladies will get jealous and force this war to a quick termination." "And then I'll get the chance to go to the Pacific and kill Japanese." "All over the nation  mass meetings are held to protest General Patton's statement  that Britain and America will rule the postwar world." "That Russia will have no say." "Congressional leaders like Senator Clayburn Foss are quick to react." "This man has insulted our Russian allies  implying Anglo-American world rule." "In my opinion, he should be severely disciplined." "This time I didn't do a damn thing." "They promised there wouldn't be any reporters." "I made a few remarks off the record." "Ike told you to keep your mouth shut." "You know how suspicious the Russians are of the British and us." "I was only trying to be polite to the old ladies." "If I'd seen the Russians there, I'd have mentioned the sons of bitches." "Bedell, I don't know anything about politics." "I have no political ambitions." "All I want to do is to command an army in combat." "Well, it's out of our hands now." "Ike sent a message last night to the chief of staff." "Now it's up to General Marshall whether you stay here as a decoy or he sends you home." "He's a good man." "At least he's a fair man." "I'll let it sit with him." "George our war is over." "Over, sir?" "It's just a question of waiting for the orders now." "I feel I'm..." "I'm destined to achieve some great thing." "What, I don't know." "But this last incident is so trivial in its nature and so terrible in its effect..." "It can't be an accident." "It has to be the work of God." "Yes, sir." "The last great opportunity of a lifetime an entire world at war and I'm left out of it?" "No, sir." "God will not permit this to happen!" "I am going to be allowed to fulfill my destiny!" "His will be done." "In the greatest amphibious operation ever attempted  a predawn naval bombardment prepares the way  for allied soldiers to assault the Normandy beaches  and claw out a desperate foothold on the continent of Europe." "I knew Montgomery couldn't take Caen on D-day or D-plus-10." "And I said so." "And here they are all hung up in the hedgerow country." "They should pivot the way von Schlieffen planned it in World War I." "Then we might get a chance to do some real broken field running." "But they don't listen to me." "What a way to enter the continent of Europe." "Along with all the rest of the spare parts." "Sir, everything on this plane is high priority." "Gen. Bradley wouldn't send for you unless he had something in mind." "I'll tell you, Cod." "I've learned my lesson." "If I ever do get another chance, I'm gonna keep my mouth shut." "I'm gonna play the game." "If I forget, you remind me." " I'll give a gentle nudge in the ribs." " Give me a swift kick in the ass." "Yes, sir." "Welcome to France, sir." "Hope the war's still on." "Where's the boss?" "Right this way, sir." "Patton, haven't seen you since Messina." "How are you?" "You're doing a splendid job decoying the Jerries." "You'll forgive me, I'm off to the front." "Best of everything, old boy." "By the way intelligence confirms that I'm against Rommel again." "Rommel." "Hi, how are you, George?" " Pretty fair, Brad." "How are you?" " Fine." "Well." "My, my." "Isn't this plush?" "Looks like you're bucking for archbishop." "Chet Hansen had this rig built for me." "George, sit down." "Ike wanted me to talk to you since we can level with each other." "That's right." "We're making 3rd Army operational when I take over 12th Army group." "Do I get it?" "I'll be honest with you." "I've had reservations." "You've been my senior ever since I left the academy." "You were the boss in North Africa and Sicily and I just thought well, it might be a problem for us." "It wouldn't bother me." "There's one other thing." "We're different kinds of people." "Goddamn it, Brad, you're always right." "With your brains and my screwy ideas, we make a great team, like in Sicily." "Truthfully, if I had been your senior in Sicily, I would have relieved you." "Brad I'm not crawling on my belly to get a command." "For God's sake, get me in this fight." "The only way out of the doghouse is to do something great." "I gotta get back in the war!" "Hitler's own people tried to kill him a few days ago." "First thing you know, it'll be over and..." "I'II keep my mouth shut." "I'll behave myself." "I give you my word." "George I've been working on a plan called Cobra." "I'd like your opinion." "We've been slugging through hedgerow country half an acre a day and we've got to find a way out." "I want to use this road." "The Saint Lô-Periers road." "Monty will pin down the enemy forces at Caen." "We'll pulverize an area 31/2 miles wide with bombing." "Then seven divisions will follow." "The 3rd Army will swing around here, a sweeping end run right across France." "What do you think?" "I think you'll need a screwball old cavalryman to command the 3rd Army." "George Ike came to that conclusion in London three months ago." "He what?" "Why, that dirty...!" "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "I promise to keep my mouth shut." "What's this activity near Coutances?" "Enemy armored forces driving through our defenses at Lessay." ""American tanks moving rapidly, slicing through to the rear areas"." "This sounds like Patton, Field Marshal." "Patton is in England." "Do we know this?" "The landing in Normandy is merely a diversionary maneuver." "The real invasion will come at Calais and Patton will lead it." "The Führer says that the Fifteenth Army is not to be moved to Normandy." "Those men are sitting on the beach at Calais throwing pebbles at each other while our men are being slaughtered in Normandy." "The Fifteenth Army is waiting for Patton at Calais and he will land there." "You seem perfectly willing to accept this nonsense, Jodl." "Why?" "Because I am not prepared to dispute the Führer." "George could have the courtesy to tell us where he's going." "Good God, look at that." "Where you going, general?" "Berlin." "I'm going to personally shoot that paper-hanging son of a bitch." "Hold it." "Hold it!" "This place isn't on the map." "You know why?" "We've run clear off the map." "Give George a headline, and he's good for another 30 miles." "Atten-hut!" "Hold it!" "Pay attention." "We're gonna clean this mess up right now." "Let's move this vehicle out this way." "This one out this way." "Back that thing up there, and we'll take this one here." "All right, get up off your ass." "Let's go now!" "That's it." "That's the way to move." "Good boy." "All right, come on." "Come on, now." "Here we go." "Come on." "That's it!" "That's it!" "Gun it!" "Gun that thing!" "Okay, come on." "Watch it!" "Go, go, go!" "Come on." "Hold it up." "Come on, baby." "Yeah, yeah." "Come on." "That's it." "Come on, now." "Come on, keep coming." "Keep coming." "Hold it up there." "Now come on!" "Hold it!" "Hey, dummy, hold the fricking tank!" "That's it." "Come on." "Good boy." " Hold it up there." " General!" "General Bradley wants to have a word with you." "Okay." "Come on!" "Okay." "Hold it up." "Take over." "George, you'd make a good traffic cop." "George this drive has been magnificent but I'm sorry to say I have to slow you down." " What the hell for?" " We'll have to cut off your supplies." "Gasoline, ammunition, everything." "We're up against new priorities." " I think I smell Montgomery." " Take it easy, George." "There are serious issues involved." "Political issues." "By God, it is Montgomery." "The launching sites for the B-2 bombs are all in his area." "Churchill wants those bases destroyed." "Hitler kills more civilians in London than soldiers." "Expect Montgomery to do anything?" "You give me gasoline and I'll gain ground with it, kill Germans too." "Give me 400,000 gallons." "I'll go to Berlin." "George, I can't do it." "The Siegfried line is an empty shell." "They stripped the equipment and sent it east." "It's crawling with cows." "I can punch through in two days." "There's no use in arguing with me." "It wasn't my idea." "Why did you pick me to command?" "I didn't pick you." "Ike picked you." "George, you have performed brilliantly." "You are loyal, dedicated." "You're one of the best I've got, but you don't know when to shut up." "George, you're a pain in the neck." "I have a lot of faults, Brad." "But ingratitude isn't one of them." "I owe you a lot." "Hell, I know I'm a prima donna." "I admit it." "What I can't stand about Monty is, he won't admit it." "Captain, the Bailey's run out of gas." "The point tank has run out too." "And there's a kraut column up ahead." "Yeah, I know." "Were you in command here, captain?" "I was in command." "My tank platoon was supporting an infantry company." "Tanks ran out of gas, so we had to fight it out." "We started 11:00 last night." "Finished a couple hours ago." "This morning the fighting was hand-to-hand." "I had a dream last night." "In my dream it came to me that right now the whole Nazi Reich is mine for the taking." "Think about that, Cod." "I was nearly sent home in disgrace." "Now I have precisely the right instrument at precisely the right moment of history and exactly the right place." "The Saar?" "This will change too, very quickly." "Like a planet spinning off into the universe." "A moment like this won't come again for 1000 years." "All I need is a few miserable gallons of gasoline." "Right now, the weak spot is here." "In 10 days, we could be in Berlin." "What about the fortifications that were done in Metz?" "Fixed fortifications, huh?" "Monuments to the stupidity of man." "When mountain ranges and oceans could be overcome anything built by man can be overcome." "You know how I'm sure they're finished out there?" "The carts." "They're using carts to move their wounded and the supplies." "The carts came to me in my dream." "I couldn't figure it out." "Then I remembered that nightmare in the snow." "The agonizing retreat from Moscow." "How cold it was." "They threw the wounded and what was left of the supplies in the carts." "Napoleon was finished." "Not any color left." "Not even the red of blood." "Only the snow." "Look at this, Cod." "I love it." "God help me, I do love it so." "I love it more than my life." "Paris is liberated, and French troops lead the way." "The Allies march into the city after four years of Nazi occupation." "The hard-fighting French 2nd Armored Division  under Major General Jacques Leclerc  gets an unforgettable welcome  as they enter their beloved Paris." "In a powerful drive to the north  General Montgomery cuts off and bypasses the French coastal towns  of Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk." "Pushing on to capture the vital Belgian port of Antwerp." "Meanwhile, the main body of Patton's army  resupplied now and rolling like a juggernaut, slashes toward the Saar." "Nazi resistance appears to crumble." "It seems that nothing can stop our troops from driving on into Germany." " Sir, General Bradley on your line." " Good, good." "Brad, listen, I've got a bridgehead across the Saar." "I'm on my way to Germany." "Wait a minute, George." "There's a lot of trouble up north." "I want you to transfer tank armor to Middleton's 8th Corps right away." "Brad, you can't do that." "George, listen." "I don't have time to argue." "There's a lot of enemy activity up around Ardennes." "No, I don't know how serious it is but Ike wants us to meet with Bedell Smith tomorrow at Verdun." "Be there at 1100." "Yes, sir." "There's absolutely no reason for us to assume that the Germans are mounting a major offense." "The weather is awful and their supplies are low." "The Germans haven't mounted a winter attack since Frederick the Great." "Therefore I believe that's exactly what they're going to do." "I want you to start making contingency plans for pulling out of our eastward attack." "Changing directions 90 degrees, moving up to Luxembourg." "Don't look so stunned, gentlemen." "I want you to plan for three possible axes of attack." "From Diekirch, due north." "From Orléans to Bastogne." "From Neufchâteau against the German left flank." "We've identified four German armies:" "The 7th, the 5th Panzer, 6th SS Panzer and the 15th." "They've hit us with 26 divisions." "They've overran two regimens of the 106th Division." "And 7500 of our men were forced to surrender." "Our concern is that von Rundstedt has the 101st Airborne trapped here at Bastogne." "Bastogne, by the way, is the key to this entire area." "If we can hold it, we can break up the entire German offensive." "If they take it, we're in serious trouble." "Ike wants to know if anybody can go and relieve the 101st before they're torn to pieces." "There's nothing Montgomery can do." "At any rate, not for some weeks." "What about you, George?" "I can attack with three divisions in 48 hours." "I'd give myself some leeway." "Ike wants a realistic estimate, George." "You're in the middle of a fight now." "It's over a hundred miles to Bastogne." "My staff's already working out the details." "Frankly, I don't see how it's possible." "Not in this kind of weather." "I should have thought you'd want to fall back and regroup." "Not me." "I don't like to pay for the same real estate twice." "But what about your men?" "You can't cart them off 100 miles, expecting them to attack without rest." "I trained these men." "They'll do what I tell them to do." "We hadn't realized you were so popular with your troops, general." "I'm not." "They'll do it because they're good soldiers." "And because they realize, as I do, that we can still lose this war." "Then I think I can speak for Field Marshal Montgomery." "He'd say you're asking the impossible of your men." "Of course he would." "Cause he's never realized that's what we're in business for." "General McAuliffe refused a German surrender demand." "You know what he said?" "What?" "He said, "Nuts."" "Keep them moving, colonel." "A man that eloquent has to be saved." "This is where it pays off." "The training and discipline." "No other outfit in the world." "Pulled out of a winter battle, move a hundred miles." "Going to a major attack with no rest, no sleep, no hot food." "God!" "God, I'm proud of these men!" "Sir, von Rundstedt's thrown another panzer division against Bastogne." "101st Airborne's barely holding on." "We need damned air cover." "If we had decent weather, we might make it." "General Mason, sir." "Hello, Mase?" "Listen, we're short on foot soldiers." "Cannibalize your antiaircraft units and turn them into riflemen." "Yes, every last one you can find." "Good evening, general." "I just got the weather report for tomorrow." "More snow." "There goes our air cover." "We may have to wait for better weather." "Brave men dying up there." "I won't wait, not an hour, not a minute." "Going to keep moving." "Is that clear?" "We're going to attack all night and attack tomorrow morning!" "If we're not victorious let no one come back alive." "You know something, general?" "Sometimes, they can't tell when you're acting and when you're not." "It isn't important for them to know." "It's only important for me to know." " You want to see me, general?" " Oh, yeah, chaplain." "I'm tired of 3rd Army having to fight Germans with supreme command, no gasoline and now this ungodly weather." "I want a prayer, a weather prayer." "A weather prayer, sir?" "Yes, let's see if you can't get God working with us." "Gonna take a thick rug for that kind of praying." "I don't care if it takes a flying carpet." "I don't know how this will be received, general." "Praying for good weather so we can kill our fellow man." "I assure you, because of my relations with the Almighty if you write a good prayer, we'll have good weather." "And I expect that prayer within an hour." "Yes, sir." ""Almighty and most merciful Father we humbly beseech Thee of Thy great goodness to restrain this immoderate weather with which we've had to contend." "Grant us fair weather for battle." "Graciously hearken to us  as soldiers who call upon Thee  that armed with Thy power  we may advance from victory to victory  and crush the oppression  and wickedness of our enemies  and establish Thy justice  among men and nations." "Amen. "" "Weather's perfect." "Cod, get me that chaplain." "He's in good with the Lord and I want to decorate him." "Hiya, general!" "Supported by medium bombers and fighter bombers  flying sorties against German positions  elements of the 3rd Army  spearheaded by the 4th Armored Division  drive into Bastogne  to relieve its 18,000 defenders  on the day after Christmas." "During this operation, 3rd Army moved farther and faster  and engaged more divisions in less time  than any other army in the history of the United States." "This is the end the end." "Hurry, Steiger." "I want everything destroyed." "Papers, maps, everything!" "Everything will be destroyed, General, that I can promise you." "I'll never let the Russians take me!" "I'll kill myself, like the Führer!" "He, too, will be destroyed." "The absence of war will kill him." "The pure warrior a magnificent anachronism..." "Excuse me, sir." "General Katkov would like to know if you'll join him to drink to the surrender of Germany." "My compliments to the general." "Please inform him that I do not care to drink with him or any other Russian son of a bitch." "Sir I cannot tell the general that." "You tell him that." "Tell him word for word." "The general says he thinks that you are a son of a bitch too." "Okay." "I'll drink to that." "One son of a bitch to another." "Is it true that Roosevelt, before he died promised you a command in the Pacific?" "Yes." "But now that he's gone, I don't think there's much chance of that." "Doug MacArthur doesn't want me up there." "We're told of "wonder weapons" the Germans were working on:" "Long-range rockets, push-button bombing weapons that don't need soldiers." ""Wonder weapon"?" "My God, I don't see the wonder in them." "Killing without heroics." "Nothing is glorified, nothing is reaffirmed." "No heroes, no cowards, no troops." "No generals." "Only those that are left alive and those that are left dead." "I'm glad I won't live to see it." "It's said you're still using former Nazis in key positions." "Despite the denazification policy." "Well, if I'm supplied with trained personnel I'll get rid of the Nazis." "Until then, I'll use them to keep the railroads and telephones working." "After all, didn't most ordinary Nazis join the Party in about the same way Americans become Republicans or Democrats?" "Yes, that's about it." "You agree that national policy be made by civilians, not by the military?" "Of course." "But the politicians never let us finish." "They always stop short and leave us with another war." "You thinking about our Russian allies?" "Did you say if you found your army between the Germans and the Russians you'd attack in both directions?" "No, I never said that." "I never said any such thing." "But I wish I had." "Sir, there's a call on your line from supreme headquarters, General Smith." "Ike is furious." "How could you compare Republicans and Democrats to the Nazi Party?" "And the statement that you refuse to denazify has the Russians, the British, everybody, screaming." "Well, the hell with the Mongoloid Russians." "We've given them Berlin, Prague, God knows what else." "They gonna dictate policy too?" "George, don't be a fool." "The war in Europe is over." "Washington dictates policy." "The war shouldn't be over." "We should stop pussyfooting about the Russians!" "We'll have to fight them anyway." "Why not do it now, when the army's here?" "Instead of disarming Germans let's get them to help fight the Bolsheviks." "You better shut up." "This line may be tapped." "I don't care." "I'll tell you we've been fighting the wrong people." "You and Ike don't have to get involved, you're so soft about it." "Leave it to me." "In 10 days I'll have us at war with them and make it look like their fault!" "George, you're mad." "You're absolutely out of your mind!" "Well, I'm no diplomat." "I'm a combat soldier." "That's all they understand." "Get Ike to give me the word, and I'll kick them back to Russia!" "Shall I call the artist back, sir?" "Oh, the hell with it." "Nobody wants to see a picture of me." "I'm mad!" "Don't you know that?" "Field Marshal Montgomery, his majesty is prepared to receive the next chief of the imperial general staff." "Thank you." "Thank you." "Take care of yourself." "George." "Well, gentlemen all good things must come to an end." "And the best thing that's happened to me in my life has been the honor and privilege of commanding the 3rd Army." "Goodbye and God bless you." "Brad they've taken the 3rd Army away from me." "I know." "I thought we could have dinner together tonight." "Thank you, Brad." "That's damn thoughtful." "I appreciate it." "Right now, I think I'll take Willy for a walk." "George, look out!" "After all I've been through imagine getting killed by an oxcart." "No, Brad, there's only one proper way for a professional soldier to die." "That's from the last bullet of the last battle of the last war." "At least the 3rd Army earned its pay." "In our drive across Europe, we liberated 12,000 cities and towns and inflicted a million and a half enemy casualties." "I sense from now on, just being a good soldier won't mean a thing." "I'm afraid we're gonna have to be diplomats, administrators, you name it." "God help us." "George, I want to say one thing." "You've done a magnificent job here in Europe." "That's right, George." "That soldier you slapped did more to win the war than any other private." "I'll see you for dinner." "Six-thirty?" "For over a thousand years  Roman conquerors returning from the wars  enjoyed the honor of a triumph, a tumultuous parade." "In the procession came trumpeters and musicians and strange animals  from the conquered territories  together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments." "The conqueror rode in a triumphal chariot  the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him." "Sometimes, his children, robed in white  stood with him in the chariot, or rode the trace horses." "A slave stood behind the conqueror  holding a golden crown  and whispering in his ear a warning  that all glory  is fleeting." "Sir, the interrogation reports on the American prisoners captured in our victory at Kasserine." "They are not very good soldiers, these Americans." "I'm not so sure after only one battle." "Their tanks were no match for our guns." "And neither was their leadership, sir." "At Kasserine they were not under American command." "They were under the British General Anderson." "British commanders and American troops..." "the worst of everything!" "I remind you that Montgomery is a British Commander." "And he has driven us half way across Africa." "Anyway, we have met the Americans for the first time and defeated them." "I'm optimistic." "You can afford to be an optimist, I can't." "Captain Steiger reporting, General." "Come with me, Steiger." "Field Marshal Rommel..." "I hope you are feeling better..." "Captain Steiger has been assigned to research General Patton." "Very well." "What do you have for me?" "General Patton comes from a military family." "His grandfather was a hero of the American Civil War." "He was educated at the Virginia Military Institute and West Point." "You're not telling me anything about the man." "He writes poetry and believes in reincarnation." "He's one of the richest officers in the American Army." "He prays on his knees, but curses like a stable boy." "He has one standing order." ""Always take the offensive, never dig in"." "In 15 minutes we meet with the FÃ¼hrer." "He will want to know how you plan to deal with Patton's forces." "I will attack and annihilate him!" "Before he does the same to me." "It is obvious that North Africa will soon be lost." "We must now anticipate the enemy's next move." "I shall expect a staff report within 24 hours." "That will be all." "Steiger, you have said nothing." "I wasn't asked anything." "I'm asking you now." "You think Patton will attack Sardinia?" "And why not?" "Patton, sir... is a military historian." "He knows that Sicily, not Sardinia, has always been the key to Italy." "If Patton has his way he will attack Sicily at Syracuse, as the Athenians did." "Steiger, this is the twentieth century!" "But you must understand, sir..." "Patton is a sixteenth-century man." "May I read an example?" ""On a dark street in New York 1922, wearing white tie and tails..." ""..." "Patton saw three men pushing a young girl into the back of a truck." ""He leaped out of his car, produced a revolver..." ""...and forced the men at gunpoint to release the girl"." "It turned out that the girl was the fiancÃ©e of one of the men." "They were merely helping her into the truck." "What could be more revealing?" "I don't know what youâ€™re talking about." "Don Quixote encounters six merchants of Toledo and saves Dulcinea's virtue!" "Who the devil is Dulcinea?" "Don't you see, sir?" "Patton is a romantic warrior lost in contemporary times." "The secret of Patton is the past." "He'll urge an attack on Sicily because that's what the Athenians did!" "Here's the gangster Patton, landing at Gela with his Seventh Army." "This film was captured after the landing." "I didn't realize he was so tall." "Over six feet." "He's constantly giving personal commands." "Obviously they now have two prima donnas in Sicily..." "Montgomery and Patton!" "There's another three-star general." "He looks like a common soldier." "He is most capable, yet unpretentious." "Unusual for a general." "Sorry..." "Sir, the Americans have taken Palermo!" "Damn!" "Malta?" "Yes, sir." "Malta as a base then southern Greece." "That is possible." "Get me Field Marshal Keitel." "There is only one reason for him to be in Cairo." "To confer with the Greek and Yugoslav governments in exile." "Let the Italians garrison Italy, it's their country." "We'll need our German troops to reinforce Crete and the Greek coast if Patton strikes from Egypt!" "I have some new information, sir." "Patton is under severe criticism." "He may even be court-martialed." "He slapped an enlisted man." "You believe their newspapers?" "Would they sacrifice their best commander because he slapped a soldier?" "What's this activity near Coutances?" "Enemy armored forces driving through our defenses at Lessay." ""American tanks moving rapidly, slicing through to the rear areas"." "This sounds like Patton, Field Marshal." "Patton is in England." "Do we know this?" "The landing in Normandy is merely a diversionary maneuver." "The real invasion will come at Calais and Patton will lead it." "The FÃ¼hrer says that the Fifteenth Army is not to be moved to Normandy." "Those men are sitting on the beach at Calais throwing pebbles at each other while our men are being slaughtered in Normandy." "The Fifteenth Army is waiting for Patton at Calais and he will land there." "You seem perfectly willing to accept this nonsense, Jodl." "Why?" "Because I am not prepared to dispute the FÃ¼hrer." "This is the end the end." "Hurry, Steiger." "I want everything destroyed." "Papers, maps, everything!" "Everything will be destroyed, General, that I can promise you." "I'll never let the Russians take me!" "I'll kill myself, like the FÃ¼hrer!" "He, too, will be destroyed." "The absence of war will kill him." "The pure warrior a magnificent anachronism..." "Ten-hut!" "Be seated." "Now, I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country." "He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." "Men all this stuff you've heard about America not wanting to fight wanting to stay out of the war is a lot of horse dung." "Americans traditionally love to fight." "All real Americans love the sting of battle." "When you were kids you all admired the champion marble shooter the fastest runner, big-league ball players, the toughest boxers." "Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser." "Americans play to win all the time." "I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed." "That's why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans." "Now an army is a team." "It lives, eats, sleeps, fights as a team." "This individuality stuff is a bunch of crap." "The bilious bastards who wrote that stuff about individuality for the Saturday Evening Post don't know anything more about real battle than they do about fornicating." "Now we have the finest food and equipment the best spirit and the best men in the world." "You know by God, I actually pity those poor bastards we're going up against." "By God, I do." "We're not just going to shoot the bastards we're going to cut out their living guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks." "We're going to murder those lousy Hun bastards by the bushel." "Now some of you boys I know are wondering whether or not you'll chicken out under fire." "Don't worry about it." "I can assure you that you will all do your duty." "The Nazis are the enemy." "Wade into them!" "Spill their blood!" "Shoot them in the belly!" "When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend's face you'll know what to do." "There's another thing I want you to remember." "I don't want to get any messages saying we are "holding our position."" "We're not "holding" anything." "Let the Hun do that." "We're advancing constantly." "We're not interested in holding onto anything except the enemy." "We're going to hold on to him by the nose and kick him in the ass." "We're going to kick the hell out of him all the time and we're going to go through him like crap through a goose!" "Now there's one thing that you men will be able to say when you get back home." "And you may thank God for it." "Thirty years from now when you're sitting around your fireside with your grandson on your knee and he asks you:" ""What did you do in the great World War II?"" "You won't have to say:" ""Well I shoveled shit in Louisiana."" "All right, now, you sons of bitches you know how I feel." "I will be proud to lead you wonderful guys into battle anytime anywhere." "That's all." "The Arabs need food and clothing." "They strip our dead before we can even bury them." "Looks like the reports were pretty accurate." "Sixty-one armored vehicles, 45 tons of ammunition twenty-five 40mm guns, three self-propelled 105s." "Not counting mortars, machine guns, rifles pistols, telescopes, belt buckles, GI socks." "One thousand, eight hundred men." "Our people salute you, general for your brilliant amphibious landing on the continent of Africa and for your enlightened administration of our country." "I've enjoyed being here, Excellency." "Naturally, I'd prefer to be in Tunisia fighting the Germans." ""The lions in their dens tremble at his approach."" "I appreciate that, Excellency." "Magnificent!" "I wish our troops looked that good." "Tell me, general, what do you think of Morocco?" "I love it, Excellency." "It's a combination of the Bible and Hollywood." " These men fight at Kasserine?" " Yes, sir." "For the American Army to take a licking like that the first time at bat against the Germans..." "Up against Rommel, what we need is the best tank man we've got." "Somebody tough enough to pull this outfit together." " Patton?" " Possibly." "God help us." "Lieutenant where is the duty officer?" " He said he's caught at shaving." " Why isn't he here on duty?" "Guess he needed a shave." "We got a new commanding general due today." "Who the hell is kicking me in the butt?" "Oh, sorry, sir." " What were you doing down there?" " Trying to get some sleep, sir." "Get back down there, son." "You're the only son of a bitch here who knows what he's trying to do." "Yes, sir." " Brad, how the hell are you?" " Fine, George." "Good to see you." "We were all under the impression you wouldn't be here until 0900." "Yes, I gathered that." "You know my boy, Dick Jenson." "Brad, tell me." " What are you doing here?" " Ike wanted a report on Kasserine." "Meanwhile, I have to stay here as an observer but I report directly to Ike." "You're spying." "Get me General Eisenhower's headquarters." "Tell me, Brad what happened at Kasserine?" "I heard it was a shambles." "Apparently, everything went wrong." "We'd send over a 75mm shell, the krauts would return an 88." "Their tanks are diesels." "Even when we managed to hit one they kept on running." "Our tanks..." "The men call them "Purple Heart boxes."" "One hot piece of shrapnel and the gasoline explodes." "I warned them about the tank." "I talked to one of the soldiers about the half-tracks." "I asked them if the machine-gun bullets pierced the armor." "And he said, "No, sir." "They just come through one side and rattle around a bit."" "I understand they had a little trouble coordinating the air cover." "The trouble was no air cover." " General Smith on the line, sir." " Excuse me, Brad." "Bedell?" "Listen, I'm calling about Bradley and his job here." "I need a good number-two man, I want to make Brad my deputy commander." "You clear it with Ike?" "All right, thanks, Bedell." "Now you're not spying for Eisenhower anymore, you're working for me." " Okay?" " Fine, okay." "Dick." "You got those stars?" " Yes, sir." " Let's get them on." "What's the matter, Brad?" "I've been nominated by the president." "I know, but it doesn't become official until it's approved by the Senate." "Well they have their schedule and I have mine." "George if you were named admiral of the Turkish Navy I believe your aides could dip into their haversacks and come up with the appropriate badge of rank." "Anyway, congratulations." "Premature congratulations." "You know..." "I think those stars look better on a green shirt." "Did I ever tell you about the time I designed a uniform for tank crewmen?" "It was green leather, it had red stripes and sort of a row of brass buttons down across here." "And topped off by a gold football helmet." "The Army rejected it, of course." "Goddamn, it was beautiful." "Lloyd Fredendall is just leaving." "George, there's one other thing I put in my Kasserine report." "Some of our boys were just plain scared." "That's understandable." "Even the best foxhound is gun-shy the first time out." "I can remember when nothing frightened me as much as the idea of a bullet coming straight for my nose." "I don't know why, but the image of a bullet coming right for my nose was more horrible than any other possibility." "Well, I can understand that, with such a handsome nose." "You want to know why this outfit got the hell kicked out of it?" "Blind man could see it in a minute." "They don't look like soldiers." "They don't act like soldiers." "Why should they fight like soldiers?" "You're absolutely right." "The discipline's pretty poor." "In about 15 minutes we're going to start turning these boys into fanatics, razors." "They'll lose their fear of the Germans." "I hope to God they never lose their fear of me." "Up bright and early, general?" "Breakfast?" "Have all my officers finished breakfast?" "We're open from 6 till 8." "Most of the officers are just coming in, sir." "Please inform these officers the mess hall is closed." "But, sir!" "It's only a quarter to 8." "From now on, you will open at 6 and no one will be admitted after 6:15." "Where are your leggings?" "Leggings?" "Well, hell, general, sir, I'm a cook." "You're a soldier." "$20 fine." "Gentlemen from this moment any man without leggings, without a helmet, without a tie..." "Any man with unshined shoes or soiled uniform is going to be skinned." "This is a barracks." "It's not a bordello." " Good morning." " Good morning, sir." "Doctor." "Sir." "I understand you have two cases of self-inflicted wounds." "Yes, sir, we do." "Get them out of here." "One has developed a serious infection." "I don't care if he dies, just get him out of here." "Doesn't belong in the same room with men wounded in battle." " I'll see that they're moved." " One more thing." "There'll be no "battle fatigue." That's an order." "Battle fatigue is a free ride to the hospital." "I'm not going to subsidize cowardice." "Yes, sir." "Doctor..." "Where's your helmet?" "I don't wear a helmet in the hospital." "Start." "I can't use my stethoscope when I'm wearing my helmet." "Well then cut two holes in your helmet so that you can." "And get those yellow-bellies out of here, today." "Hold it." "Turn right, here." "The battlefield is ahead." "Don't argue." "I can smell a battlefield." "He was out here yesterday." "It's over there." "Turn right, damn it." "It was here." "The battlefield was here." "The Carthaginians defending the city were attacked by three Roman legions." "They were brave, but they couldn't hold." "They were massacred." "Arab women stripped them of their tunics and their swords and lances." "The soldiers lay naked in the sun 2000 years ago." "I was here." "You don't believe me." "You know what the poet said:" ""Through the travail of ages" "Midst the pomp and toils of war" "Have I fought and strove and perished" "Countless times upon the star" "As if through a glass and darkly" "The age-old strife I see" "Where I fought in many guises Many names" "But always me."" "You know who the poet was?" "Me." "There's an opportunity for us to mount an offensive." "We've concentrated on the flank draw strength from the British." "It appears now that we could split the African corridor." "Drive through Rommel to the sea." "I'm sorry, but that territory has been reserved for General Bernard Law Montgomery." "We're supposed to let him win this one no matter what." "They're entitled to have their hero." "Montgomery did push Rommel clear across North Africa." "What about the Americans?" "Don't they need a hero too?" "You have anybody in mind?" "Air Vice-Marshal Coningham is here with General Buford." "Excuse me, gentlemen while I ask our British friends what's happened to our air cover." "Harry." "How are you?" "George." "Good to see you." " You know Arthur Coningham." " Sir Arthur." "Delighted to see you." "I've heard so much about you." "Gentlemen, it appears there's been a slight misunderstanding here and Ike thought we should fix it." "No, no." "No misunderstanding." "We're supposed to have allied air cover and we don't." "German planes are strafing my troops." "If I may say so, general, I'm afraid your operation reports are inaccurate." "Report?" "Three days ago, the crowds took off after my command car ran my ass into a ditch." "My staff has assured me, we have complete air supremacy everywhere in the Mediterranean." "When I complained about air cover you said our troops were not battleworthy." "You spoke of the discredited practice of using air force as an alibi for lack of success on the ground." "I have to wet-nurse Montgomery, I don't have to stand for that." "I sincerely apologize for that remark, whoever made it." "And I promise you one thing, general:" "You will see no more German planes." "We were discussing air supremacy, Sir Arthur." "Damn door won't open!" "By God, that's enough!" "Get that thing out of here!" "Come on, you bastards, take a shot at me on the nose!" "Get back in here, George!" "We need a corps commander, not a casualty." "How'd you manage to stage that?" "I don't know but if I could find the Nazis flying those things I'd give them each a medal." "Can't get over how cold it gets in the desert." "Awfully cold, sir." "Rommel's out there somewhere, waiting for me." "You know if I had my way, I'd send that genius son of a bitch an engraved invitation in iambic pentameter:" "A challenge in two stanzas to meet me alone in the desert." "I'll deliver it." "Rommel in his tank and me in mine." "We'd stop about 20 paces." "We'd get out, we'd shake hands then we'd button up and do battle, just the two of us." "That battle would decide the outcome of the war." "It's too bad jousting's gone out of style." "It's like your poetry, general." "It isn't part of the 20th century." "You're right, Dick." "The world grew up." "Hell of a shame." "Dick, I want a 24-hour guard put around this area." "If we don't, the Arabs will dig them up for their clothes." "Our graves aren't gonna disappear like everybody else's who fought here." "The Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians." "God, how I hate the 20th century." "General." "General?" "We intercepted a German radio message." "Rommel's 10th Panzer is going to hit us near Al Guettar." "Rommel, huh?" "All my life I've wanted to lead a lot of men in a desperate battle." "Now I'm going to do it." "Look." "Battalion strength at least." "They haven't spotted our positions yet." "They'll get an education in about 10 seconds." "Wait till they get a dose of that artillery fire." "Commence firing." "Fire at will." "Commence firing." "Fire at will." "Commence firing." "Fire at will." "What a hell of a waste of fine infantry." " Get General Bradley on the radio." " Yes, sir." "Sir, I can't raise him." "Go tell him to hit them hard." "Here's where we hold them by the nose and kick them in the ass." "Go on." "Put him in my car." "Rommel you magnificent bastard." "I read your book!" "Captain Richard N. Jenson was a fine boy." "Loyal, unselfish and efficient." "I am terribly sorry." "There are no coffins here since there is no wood." "We will have a trumpeter and an honor guard  but we will not fire the volleys as people would think an air raid was on." "I enclosed a lock of Dick's hair in a letter to his mother." "He was a fine man  and a fine officer." "And he had no vices." "I shall miss him a lot." "I can't see the reason such fine young men get killed." "There are so many battles yet to fight." "Battle-weary, but victorious, American Gls and Tommies  of the British 8th Army meet in an Allied victory celebration  at Wadi Akarit in North Africa." "For the first time in this war, Broadway and Piccadilly join hands." "Meanwhile, General Montgomery, hero of El Alamein  continues to lead his victorious British 8th Army  in a relentless drive against Rommel's vaunted Africa corps." "General Bradley's done a tremendous job with 2nd Corps." "He's moved into Bizerte and taken over 41,000 prisoners." "Good." "Very good." "You're not surprised, are you?" "After all, you trained that outfit." "Excuse me, general." "This is interesting." "We've discovered Rommel wasn't present at El Guettar." " Who says so?" " G2, sir." "When we took 10th Panzer, Rommel was in Berlin with an earache?" "Severe nasal diphtheria, sir." "Also, Hitler probably retained Rommel in Berlin because things were going badly for the Africa Corps." "He didn't want his favorite general to lose face." "I'm my favorite general, and I don't like to be told that some second-stringer is up against me." "Then I lose face." "Who the hell are you, anyway?" "General, this is Lieutenant Colonel Codman." "Your new aide." "Codman." "I pulled your name off the list because I know your family." "I'm glad you did, sir." "Rommel is the best the krauts have, and I kicked the hell out of him." "Now my own G2 section is telling me he wasn't even there." "But, general, he undoubtedly planned the German battle." "If you defeat Rommel's plan, you've defeated Rommel." "Isn't that true?" "Codman..." " Have a drink with me tonight." " Yes, sir." "I have a plan for the invasion of Sicily." "I want to make sure I get it approved." "You can help me." "I want to give a dinner for General Alexander." "Get to him before Montgomery does." "This will be strictly a formal affair, Codman, but purely social." "By that I mean purely political." " Yes, sir." "I want the finest food, the best wine available." "Everything, comme il faut." "Thank you." "George, this is really splendid wine." "Thank you, Arthur." "Thank you." "Sir Harold, I think it was Alcibiades in the Peloponnesian War 415 B.C." "He said, "If Syracuse falls, all Sicily falls, and then Italy."" "He knew that Syracuse was the jugular of the island." "Old Alcibiades always went for the throat." "I propose to take Sicily in the same way." " How's it going?" " The old man has them in his pocket." "Now, according to my plan General Montgomery will land here." "I'll hit the beaches here, take Palermo." "Monty will drive north on the coast, I'll come due east take Messina and cut off the German escape route." "It looks like an interesting plan." "Well, gentlemen, to the conquest of Sicily." "To the conquest of Sicily." "To Sicily!" "George, you'd have made a great marshal for Napoleon if you'd lived in the 18th century." "But I did, sir." "I did." "Morning." "Is General Smith in?" " I believe he's in the lavatory, sir." " Thank you." " Ah, there you are, Bedell." " Monty." "Bedell, I've been giving a good bit of thought to the Sicily operation." "Yes?" "I assume we're alone." "Georgie Patton has already discussed his plan with Alexander." "I realize that but I have an idea that his plan may lead to an absolute disaster." "Bedell, look." "This is Sicily." "Now then, according to Patton's plan I will attack Syracuse here." "And he would attack Palermo up here." "Now, obviously our forces would be divided." "And obviously, they could be chopped up piecemeal." "Now then, what I propose, and what I shall insist on, by the way is this." "I will land at Syracuse as planned." "But the Americans..." "The Americans will land here, at Gela." "I will advance north to Messina, the Americans protecting my flank." "After all, Messina is the key." "It's the reason for invading Sicily." "I'll discuss your plan with Ike." "I'm sure he'll give it serious consideration." " Amusing, isn't it?" " What?" "That the plans for the invasion of Sicily should have been put forward in an Algerian lavatory." "George, I have bad news for you about your Sicily plan." "Ike has turned it down." "Since the Italians will be defending their native soil for the first time and the German resistance is stiffening, we shouldn't be divided." " Well, where do my people land then?" " In the Gulf of Gela." "There's nothing there but a beach." "Yes, but it puts you in a good position to support Montgomery." "Where does Montgomery land?" "He'll land in Syracuse and drive north to Catania." "Possibly even Messina." "And you'll be alongside, protecting his left." "I see." "In other words, we get the burden again while good old Monty gets the glory." "Ike had to consider all points of view." "He made his decision not as an American, but as an Ally." "Had it been the other way around, I assure you, Monty would protest." "No I've been in the Army 30 years." "When I get an order, I say, "Yes, sir." And I do my best to carry it out." "This is what happens when your commander stops being an American and starts being an Ally." "I don't think I've made myself clear, sir." "It's true, Montgomery met the toughest resistance there at Catania." "However, if we're..." "Perfectly clear." "Old Monty is as stuck as a bug on flypaper." "But this order from General Alexander directing you to turn over the Vizzini-Caltagirone road to Montgomery." "Well, then, old Bradley will have to slug... slug, mind you his way up center of the island over those tough mountain roads, won't he?" "Yes, sir." "Messina, Bell." "Messina is the heart of it." "If they'd followed my plan, I'd be there by now." "I'd cut off the retreat of every German on this island!" "Now, you know what I'm gonna do?" "I'm gonna go to Palermo." "I'm gonna beat that limey at Messina if it's the last thing I ever do!" "Hey, what's all this talk about taking the Vizzini road away from 2nd Corps?" "General Alexander's orders." "Road goes to Montgomery." "Now, that road was assigned to me." "How can I get north without it?" "You know the terrain there." "I'm sorry, Brad." "But Monty's run into tough opposition." "Very tough." "You wouldn't be taking advantage of this situation, would you?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "Without that road, your army, except for my 2nd Corps would be out of a job." "Free for you to go into Palermo." "Who said anything about Palermo?" "I can read a map." "Does Alexander know you've pushed out this far?" "That's a reconnaissance in force." "George are you saying I've got to slug it out in those mountains with heavy resistance?" "Just so you can make a bigger splash than Monty?" "General I just follow my orders." "Like the simple old soldier I am." "General Bradley." "Sir, General Alexander has heard we're moving west." "He says here, "Stop immediately." "Go no farther than Agrigento." "Repeat." "Stop, immediately."" "That's what you think it says." "I think it was garbled in transmission." "Ask them to re-transmit the message." "That'll take half a day at least." "Yes, sir." "Now, Brad." "Where were we?" "We were talking about a simple old soldier." "Look at that, gentlemen." "Compared to war all other forms of human endeavor shrink to insignificance." "Let's go, sergeant." "Move out!" "Give me that helmet." "Come on, let's get out of here!" "What silly son of a bitch is in charge of this operation?" "I don't know, but they ought to hang him." "These men are here from the States, looking over our program for the spiritual welfare of the men." "We'll take you right into Palermo." "Col. David toured us around your quarters and I saw a Bible by your bed." "Do you actually find time to read it?" "I sure do." "Every goddamn day." "Sir, Patton's taken Palermo!" "Damn!" "Palermo's the most conquered city in history." "First the Phoenicians the Romans, Carthaginians, Byzantines." "Then came the Arabs Spaniards, Neapolitans." "Now comes the American Army." "This is from General Alexander, sir reminding you that you are not to take Palermo." "Send him a message, Cod." "Ask him if he wants me to give it back." "Let me ask you a question for a change." "You've just come from Washington." "How do they feel about our boys taking Palermo?" "The general impression is, your army barreled through token resistance while Montgomery faced the brunt of the fighting." "Don't they know we took on the Hermann Göring division?" "Toughest outfit in the German Army." "The people at home are interested in you." "They're curious about your pearl-handle revolvers." "They're ivory." "Only a pimp from a New Orleans whorehouse would carry a pearl handle." "What about your language?" "When I want it to stick, I give it to them loud and dirty." "What do your troops feel about that?" "I don't want these men to love me." "I want them to fight for me." "Ernie Pyle says you have a secret weapon here:" "General Bradley." "Ernie calls him "The GI General."" "Omar Bradley is no secret." "He's a damn fine commander." "What's your feeling about Montgomery?" "He's the best general the English have." "He seems more concerned with not losing than he does about winning." "He's not aggressive enough, is that correct?" "Look, I've been getting into a lot of trouble lately." "Yesterday, the office told me that my Italian prisoners didn't have enough latrine." "They didn't know what a latrine was till I showed them." "If I've said anything too critical of my British colleague let's forget about it." "I will tell you one thing, though." "Off the record." "I'm gonna beat that gentleman to Messina." "Ah, Freddie." "Do you realize what this madman Patton is saying?" "He's going to save our skins by taking Messina." "This report might interest you." "Here I am in these bloody marshes, fighting malaria and Germans while he's taking Palermo and getting all the glory." "Well!" "Now he's up against three good German divisions and he's stuck." "He's not going to get Messina." "That's reserved for the British 8th Army and me." "It's time for a move, Lucian." "Terry Allen's 1st Division is bogged down." "You're bogged down too." "What we need is another end run just to break things loose." " Lucian." "How's my fighter?" " Fine, George." "Come in, come in." "We need another one of your amphibious specialties." "Lucian, I want you to send a reinforced battalion by sea to make a landing up here at Brolo behind the kraut lines." "You want me to do a land-based attack." "Right." "I want a coordinated attack the morning of the 11 th." "I don't think we can make it by the 11 th." " Hell, it's only 15, 20 miles." " My boys have been dying for yards." "Maybe you better kick a few butts if you have to." "I recommended you for your DSM in your last promotion." "I know what you can do when you put your mind to it." "Excuse me, sir." "I'm sorry, but I can't do the impossible." "You're too old an athlete to think you can postpone a scheduled match." "You're an old athlete yourself." "You know matches are postponed." "If we can't back Lucian up by land, our end run could be a disaster." "Those men might get caught on the beach and cut to pieces." " What's the matter?" " All we're saying is not to rush in until we're ready." "Give him an extra day." "Just one more day." "The landing is on." "We're going to Messina." "We're going to get there before Montgomery does." " What's so important about that?" " General Truscott if your conscience won't permit you to conduct this operation I'll find somebody who can." "General, it's your privilege to relieve me anytime you want to." "This match will not be postponed." "Any questions?" "No, sir." "You're a very good man, Lucian." "You want to guard against being too conservative." "Remember what Frederick the Great said:" ""L 'audace, I'audace!" "Toujours I'audace!"" "Go on, have a drink." "Excuse me, sir, I won't be drinking for the next couple of days." "If anything happens to those men, I'd like to be there with them." "You're not going, so forget about it." "You believe Truscott's right?" "No." "But you're gambling with those boys' lives just to beat Montgomery into Messina." "If you pull it off, you're a hero, but if you don't..." "What happens to them?" "The ordinary combat soldier." "He doesn't share in your dreams of glory, he's stuck here." "He's living out every day, day-to-day, with death tugging at his elbow." "There's one big difference between you and me, George." "I do this job because I've been trained to do it." "You do it because you love it." "The men on the beach are catching hell, general." "The men are doing their best." "We have no replacements." "I can't break through to the coast." "I'm going down there myself." "Colonel!" "How did he get over there?" "What the hell are you waiting for?" "Looking for a place to ford, general." "I sent a patrol to reconnoiter." "I've done that." "Down there this sewer's no more than 3 feet deep." "Get that outfit cranked up or you'll be out of a job!" " And put that helmet on." " Yes, sir." "Move it!" "Let's go!" " What's holding up this column?" " I don't know, sir." "Planes!" "Come on, move it!" "Pull up over there." " Come on." " What's going on here?" "Jackasses!" "You let a column get stalled and strafed on account of two jackasses?" "!" "No." "No." "Now, dump them over the side and clear this bridge!" "We're pinned down because we can't get air support!" "Nobody's getting any air support!" "Put fire into this battalion, or I'll get somebody who can." "Major!" "You the executive officer here?" " Your name?" " Walker." "You're now commanding officer." "You've got 4 hours to break through that beachhead." "If you don't make it, I'll fire you." "50,000 men on this island would like to shoot that son of a bitch." "Please take me home." "Take me home." "Please take me home." "Take me home." " There he goes, "Old Blood and Guts."" " Yeah, our blood." "His guts." "Hi, how are you, son?" "Where are you from, Gomez?" "California, sir." "Me too." " Where were you hit?" " In the chest, sir." "Well this might be interesting to you." "The last German I saw had no chest." "Didn't have any head either." "You get well quickly, son." "What's the matter with you?" "I guess I just can't take it, sir." "What did you say?" "It's my nerves, sir." "I just can't stand the shelling anymore." "Your nerves?" "Hell, you're just a goddamn coward." "Shut up!" "I won't have a yellow bastard crying in front of these brave, wounded men." "Shut up!" "Don't admit this yellow bastard." "Nothing wrong with him." "I won't have sons of bitches afraid to fight stink up this place of honor." "You're going back to the front, my friend." "You may get shot, you may get killed, but you're going up to the fighting." "Either that or I'll stand you up in front of a firing squad." "I should shoot you myself, you bastard!" "Get him out of here!" "Send him up to the front!" "You hear me?" "You goddamn coward!" "I won't have cowards in my army." "I had to kick a few butts but Truscott finally broke through to those people on the beach." "Have you seen the casualty lists?" "Yes, I've seen them." "What's the word from the coast road?" "The 3rd Division's east of Brolo, heading toward Messina." "Let's get over there." "I want to go in with the troops." "You go ahead, George." "I'm not very good at that." "General Bradley it's time to consider how many casualties we'd have if we were still crawling on that goddamn road." "Forward, march!" "Don't smirk, Patton." "I shan't kiss you." "Pity." "I shaved close this morning to prepare for getting smacked by you." "Forward, march!" "You wanted to see me, George?" "Got a letter here from Ike." "I was rereading Caesar's Commentaries last night." "In battle, Caesar wore a red robe to distinguish him from his men." "I was struck by that fact because..." ""Despicable." First time anybody's ever applied that word to me." "Well, at least it's a personal reprimand, it's not official." "The man was yellow." "He should've been tried for cowardice and shot." "People have taken a lot worse than a little kick in the pants." "I ruffled his pride a bit." "What's that compared to war?" "Two weeks ago at Palermo they said I was the greatest general since Stonewall Jackson." " Now they draw cartoons about you." "Dirty bastard!" "They got me holding a little GI and kicking him with an iron boot." "You see that, what's on my boot?" "A swastika." "On my boot." "An iron boot with a swastika!" ""You will apologize to the soldier you slapped to all doctors and nurses present in the tent at the time to every patient in the tent who can be reached and last but not least to the 7th Army as a whole through individual units, one at a time."" "God, I feel low." "Oh, God  Thou art my God." "Early will I seek Thee." "My soul thirsteth for Thee." "My flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land." "So as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary." "My soul followeth hard after Thee." "But those that seek my soul to destroy it  shall go into the lower parts of the earth." "They shall fall by the sword." "They shall be apportioned for foxes." "But the king shall rejoice in God." "Everyone that sweareth by him shall glory." "But the mouth of them that speak lies  shall be stopped." "Ten-hut!" "At ease." "I thought I'd stand up here and let you people see if I am as big a son of a bitch as some of you think I am." "I assure you I had no intention of being either harsh or cruel in my treatment of the soldier in question." "My sole purpose was to try to restore in him some appreciation of his obligations as a man and as a soldier." "If one can shame a coward I felt one might help him to regain his self-respect." "This was on my mind." "Now, I freely admit that my method was wrong but I hope you understand my motive and will accept this explanation and this apology." " Dismissed." " Ten-hut!" "Good evening, general." "I want to report on a private poll I'm taking." "What poll?" "The fan mail." "Eleven percent con, 89 percent pro." "And that 11% of protest, in most cases, is both obscene and anonymous." "But the pro letters are mostly from relatives and servicemen." ""I want you to know we're proud our son is serving in your army." "From the newspaper, we're not clear exactly what you did and why but we want you to know we're for you." "Keep going, and God bless you."" "Keep going, huh?" "Where?" "I thought you might like a sip of wine, general." "It's New Year's." "You didn't celebrate at all last night." "I'm sick of sitting around this royal doghouse." "We've taken Sicily." "I'm ready for a new assignment." "Maybe you've got it." "Here's a radio message, just came in." "Cod." "I've been relieved." "They've relieved me from command of the 7th Army." "I don't believe it." "Happy New Year." "Just a minute, sir." "Since they're sure to give you another command isn't it logical they'd relieve you here first?" "You mean command of all American troops going into Europe?" "It's possible." "I know it's been discussed from time to time." "The logic of it is so obvious, it couldn't mean anything else." "Sir, I'm going to open this bottle of wine." "No, Sir Cod but if you find a bottle of cognac, I'll help you drink it." " How you feeling tonight, general?" " Not bad, not bad at all." " Get me some writing paper, will you?" " Yes, sir." "Your wife ever give you the devil for not writing?" "All the time, sir." "Only I don't write as often as you do." "Don't seem to get around to it." "Lucky for us we got them." "Who wants to marry a couple of broken-down old horse captains?" "That's what my wife says to me every time I come home, sir." "Why are you up so late, George?" "Thought you'd like a nice hot bath or something." "I got this sleeping pill from the doc, just in case you need it." "Sleeping pill!" " What's going on here?" " I heard the news, sir." " They announced it on the radio." " What news?" "About General Bradley, sir." "How they gave him the top American command." "Oh." "Oh, yeah." "I just thought you might be feeling kind of low, sir." "Your writing things, sir." "Here on the desk, sir." "Yeah." "Thank you, George." "One little dog face." "One measly little slap." "That's what done it." "Ah, George." "I wish I'd kissed the son of a bitch." "He's paying tribute to the Free French Forces under DeGaulle and Leclerc." "And to the people of the Resistance who risk their lives to help destroy the Germans." ""France will be free again." "I give you my word."" ""Just as Free French troops liberated Corsica, Napoleon's place of birth I will someday land in France to liberate the birthplace of Lafayette."" "General, the reporters would like a word with you." " Good afternoon." " General." "Can you tell us the purpose of this visit to Corsica?" "General Eisenhower ordered me here." "You wrote the mother of the boy you slapped, "The rat should've been shot."" " Is that true, general?" " No comment." "Sir, I understand Gen. Alexander suggested you take over Gen. Clark's Italian campaign but it was killed due to the incident." " No comment." " Can you say where you're going, sir?" "Off the record, Eisenhower's ordered me to Malta." "Interview concluded." "You plan on slapping any soldiers there, general?" "In 1528, these forts were defended by 400 Knights of Malta and 800 mercenaries against a force of 40,000 Turks." "Codman." " Still no word from Gen. Eisenhower?" " No, sir." "Not even a response about the two turkeys I sent for Christmas?" "No, sir." "Go ahead, gentlemen." "Take a closer look for yourselves." "Looks like you boys have hitched your wagon to a falling star." "Pass the word." "If anyone wants out, I'll understand." "Sir, I can speak for the entire staff." "We want to stay with you, no matter what duty you're assigned to." "Up in London, they're planning the invasion of Europe." "I've trained my mind, body and spirit for that." "What, in God's name, am I doing here?" "All right." "Let's get on to Cairo." "See if the pyramids are still standing." " This place is for me?" " Yes, sir." "This way, sir." "Whoever found it has a genius for cloak and dagger." "Who picked this cathouse?" "I think it was Gen. Smith, sir." "To spite me, that son of a bitch." " Welcome to London, Georgie." " Bedell." "How are you?" " Is Ike here?" " He asked me to brief you." "Would you excuse us, please?" "Let me put you straight about Ike." "We hear a lot about you criticizing his decisions." "Not really." "You know me." "I'm just an old fool." "At times, I do wonder whether he isn't a limey at heart." "George, this is the toughest coalition ever attempted in history." "Ike's trying to hold it together and lick the Germans at the same time." " It's a hell of a job." " I understand." "You have an important assignment connected to the Normandy invasion." "Good." "I've studied the Overlord Plan and there's a number of flaws in it." "You can't depend on Monty taking Caen by D-day." "He'll never make it." "I've drawn up an alternate plan to land at Calais following an air bombardment..." " Will you just listen for a change?" "Ike stood by you when everyone, I mean everyone wanted Patton with a rope around his neck." "We're gonna let it leak out that you are here undercover." "That you're preparing to invade at the Pas de Calais." "We hope to pin down the German 15th Army there so that they can't be used against us at Normandy." "Is that all I'm good for?" "We're going to build an army of 12 divisions around you." "All fictitious, of course." "Dummy troop concentrations, dummy landing craft simulated radio traffic." "The Germans are convinced that you will lead the main invasion effort." "Their agents will spot you soon then we can move you to Knutsford." " What do I do there?" " Nothing." "Absolutely nothing." "Frankly, George, you're on probation." "Take my advice and behave yourself." "Remember your worst enemy is your own big mouth." "Look at this nasty-faced son of a bitch." "Ready for combat." "I'll call him William as in "the Conqueror."" " Sir, should we leave him in the car?" " No." "Good afternoon, ladies." "Good afternoon." "Watch this, Cod." " Sir, he'll kill that dog." " I'll hold him." "I'm terribly sorry, general." "Did Abigail frighten your dog?" "That's quite all right, madam." "This way, sir." "Your name isn't William." "It's Willy." "My dear friends." "General George S. Patton, Jr., has accepted our invitation to say a few words to you on the occasion of this inaugural ceremony." "General Patton is not here in an official capacity and I have assured him most earnestly that nothing he says will be quoted." "May I present General Patton." " Remember, sir, watch your language." " Yeah." "My dear ladies." "Until today my only experience at welcoming has been to welcome Germans and Italians to the infernal region." "At this I have been quite successful since the troops, which I have had the honor to command have, to date, killed or captured some 170,000 of our enemies." "I feel that such clubs as these are of very real value because I believe with Mr. Bernard Shaw that the British and the Americans are two peoples separated by a common language." "Since it is the destiny of the British and Americans to rule the world the better we know each other the better we will do it." "The Russians, don't forget the Russians." "I think that a club like this is an ideal place for promoting mutual understanding." "Because as soon as our soldiers meet and get to know the English ladies and write home and tell our women just how lovely you truly are then the sooner the American ladies will get jealous and force this war to a quick termination." "And then I'll get the chance to go to the Pacific and kill Japanese." "All over the nation  mass meetings are held to protest General Patton's statement  that Britain and America will rule the postwar world." "That Russia will have no say." "Congressional leaders like Senator Clayburn Foss are quick to react." "This man has insulted our Russian allies  implying Anglo-American world rule." "In my opinion, he should be severely disciplined." "This time I didn't do a damn thing." "They promised there wouldn't be any reporters." "I made a few remarks off the record." "Ike told you to keep your mouth shut." "You know how suspicious the Russians are of the British and us." "I was only trying to be polite to the old ladies." "If I'd seen the Russians there, I'd have mentioned the sons of bitches." "Bedell, I don't know anything about politics." "I have no political ambitions." "All I want to do is to command an army in combat." "Well, it's out of our hands now." "Ike sent a message last night to the chief of staff." "Now it's up to General Marshall whether you stay here as a decoy or he sends you home." "He's a good man." "At least he's a fair man." "I'll let it sit with him." "George our war is over." "Over, sir?" "It's just a question of waiting for the orders now." "I feel I'm..." "I'm destined to achieve some great thing." "What, I don't know." "But this last incident is so trivial in its nature and so terrible in its effect..." "It can't be an accident." "It has to be the work of God." "Yes, sir." "The last great opportunity of a lifetime an entire world at war and I'm left out of it?" "No, sir." "God will not permit this to happen!" "I am going to be allowed to fulfill my destiny!" "His will be done." "In the greatest amphibious operation ever attempted  a predawn naval bombardment prepares the way  for allied soldiers to assault the Normandy beaches  and claw out a desperate foothold on the continent of Europe." "I knew Montgomery couldn't take Caen on D-day or D-plus-10." "And I said so." "And here they are all hung up in the hedgerow country." "They should pivot the way von Schlieffen planned it in World War I." "Then we might get a chance to do some real broken field running." "But they don't listen to me." "What a way to enter the continent of Europe." "Along with all the rest of the spare parts." "Sir, everything on this plane is high priority." "Gen. Bradley wouldn't send for you unless he had something in mind." "I'll tell you, Cod." "I've learned my lesson." "If I ever do get another chance, I'm gonna keep my mouth shut." "I'm gonna play the game." "If I forget, you remind me." " I'll give a gentle nudge in the ribs." " Give me a swift kick in the ass." "Yes, sir." "Welcome to France, sir." "Hope the war's still on." "Where's the boss?" "Right this way, sir." "Patton, haven't seen you since Messina." "How are you?" "You're doing a splendid job decoying the Jerries." "You'll forgive me, I'm off to the front." "Best of everything, old boy." "By the way intelligence confirms that I'm against Rommel again." "Rommel." "Hi, how are you, George?" " Pretty fair, Brad." "How are you?" " Fine." "Well." "My, my." "Isn't this plush?" "Looks like you're bucking for archbishop." "Chet Hansen had this rig built for me." "George, sit down." "Ike wanted me to talk to you since we can level with each other." "That's right." "We're making 3rd Army operational when I take over 12th Army group." "Do I get it?" "I'll be honest with you." "I've had reservations." "You've been my senior ever since I left the academy." "You were the boss in North Africa and Sicily and I just thought well, it might be a problem for us." "It wouldn't bother me." "There's one other thing." "We're different kinds of people." "Goddamn it, Brad, you're always right." "With your brains and my screwy ideas, we make a great team, like in Sicily." "Truthfully, if I had been your senior in Sicily, I would have relieved you." "Brad I'm not crawling on my belly to get a command." "For God's sake, get me in this fight." "The only way out of the doghouse is to do something great." "I gotta get back in the war!" "Hitler's own people tried to kill him a few days ago." "First thing you know, it'll be over and..." "I'II keep my mouth shut." "I'll behave myself." "I give you my word." "George I've been working on a plan called Cobra." "I'd like your opinion." "We've been slugging through hedgerow country half an acre a day and we've got to find a way out." "I want to use this road." "The Saint Lô-Periers road." "Monty will pin down the enemy forces at Caen." "We'll pulverize an area 31/2 miles wide with bombing." "Then seven divisions will follow." "The 3rd Army will swing around here, a sweeping end run right across France." "What do you think?" "I think you'll need a screwball old cavalryman to command the 3rd Army." "George Ike came to that conclusion in London three months ago." "He what?" "Why, that dirty...!" "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "I promise to keep my mouth shut." "George could have the courtesy to tell us where he's going." "Good God, look at that." "Where you going, general?" "Berlin." "I'm going to personally shoot that paper-hanging son of a bitch." "Hold it." "Hold it!" "This place isn't on the map." "You know why?" "We've run clear off the map." "Give George a headline, and he's good for another 30 miles." "Atten-hut!" "Hold it!" "Pay attention." "We're gonna clean this mess up right now." "Let's move this vehicle out this way." "This one out this way." "Back that thing up there, and we'll take this one here." "All right, get up off your ass." "Let's go now!" "That's it." "That's the way to move." "Good boy." "All right, come on." "Come on, now." "Here we go." "Come on." "That's it!" "That's it!" "Gun it!" "Gun that thing!" "Okay, come on." "Watch it!" "Go, go, go!" "Come on." "Hold it up." "Come on, baby." "Yeah, yeah." "Come on." "That's it." "Come on, now." "Come on, keep coming." "Keep coming." "Hold it up there." "Now come on!" "Hold it!" "Hey, dummy, hold the fricking tank!" "That's it." "Come on." "Good boy." " Hold it up there." " General!" "General Bradley wants to have a word with you." "Okay." "Come on!" "Okay." "Hold it up." "Take over." "George, you'd make a good traffic cop." "George this drive has been magnificent but I'm sorry to say I have to slow you down." " What the hell for?" " We'll have to cut off your supplies." "Gasoline, ammunition, everything." "We're up against new priorities." " I think I smell Montgomery." " Take it easy, George." "There are serious issues involved." "Political issues." "By God, it is Montgomery." "The launching sites for the B-2 bombs are all in his area." "Churchill wants those bases destroyed." "Hitler kills more civilians in London than soldiers." "Expect Montgomery to do anything?" "You give me gasoline and I'll gain ground with it, kill Germans too." "Give me 400,000 gallons." "I'll go to Berlin." "George, I can't do it." "The Siegfried line is an empty shell." "They stripped the equipment and sent it east." "It's crawling with cows." "I can punch through in two days." "There's no use in arguing with me." "It wasn't my idea." "Why did you pick me to command?" "I didn't pick you." "Ike picked you." "George, you have performed brilliantly." "You are loyal, dedicated." "You're one of the best I've got, but you don't know when to shut up." "George, you're a pain in the neck." "I have a lot of faults, Brad." "But ingratitude isn't one of them." "I owe you a lot." "Hell, I know I'm a prima donna." "I admit it." "What I can't stand about Monty is, he won't admit it." "Captain, the Bailey's run out of gas." "The point tank has run out too." "And there's a kraut column up ahead." "Yeah, I know." "Were you in command here, captain?" "I was in command." "My tank platoon was supporting an infantry company." "Tanks ran out of gas, so we had to fight it out." "We started 11:00 last night." "Finished a couple hours ago." "This morning the fighting was hand-to-hand." "I had a dream last night." "In my dream it came to me that right now the whole Nazi Reich is mine for the taking." "Think about that, Cod." "I was nearly sent home in disgrace." "Now I have precisely the right instrument at precisely the right moment of history and exactly the right place." "The Saar?" "This will change too, very quickly." "Like a planet spinning off into the universe." "A moment like this won't come again for 1000 years." "All I need is a few miserable gallons of gasoline." "Right now, the weak spot is here." "In 10 days, we could be in Berlin." "What about the fortifications that were done in Metz?" "Fixed fortifications, huh?" "Monuments to the stupidity of man." "When mountain ranges and oceans could be overcome anything built by man can be overcome." "You know how I'm sure they're finished out there?" "The carts." "They're using carts to move their wounded and the supplies." "The carts came to me in my dream." "I couldn't figure it out." "Then I remembered that nightmare in the snow." "The agonizing retreat from Moscow." "How cold it was." "They threw the wounded and what was left of the supplies in the carts." "Napoleon was finished." "Not any color left." "Not even the red of blood." "Only the snow." "Look at this, Cod." "I love it." "God help me, I do love it so." "I love it more than my life." "Paris is liberated, and French troops lead the way." "The Allies march into the city after four years of Nazi occupation." "The hard-fighting French 2nd Armored Division  under Major General Jacques Leclerc  gets an unforgettable welcome  as they enter their beloved Paris." "In a powerful drive to the north  General Montgomery cuts off and bypasses the French coastal towns  of Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk." "Pushing on to capture the vital Belgian port of Antwerp." "Meanwhile, the main body of Patton's army  resupplied now and rolling like a juggernaut, slashes toward the Saar." "Nazi resistance appears to crumble." "It seems that nothing can stop our troops from driving on into Germany." " Sir, General Bradley on your line." " Good, good." "Brad, listen, I've got a bridgehead across the Saar." "I'm on my way to Germany." "Wait a minute, George." "There's a lot of trouble up north." "I want you to transfer tank armor to Middleton's 8th Corps right away." "Brad, you can't do that." "George, listen." "I don't have time to argue." "There's a lot of enemy activity up around Ardennes." "No, I don't know how serious it is but Ike wants us to meet with Bedell Smith tomorrow at Verdun." "Be there at 1100." "Yes, sir." "There's absolutely no reason for us to assume that the Germans are mounting a major offense." "The weather is awful and their supplies are low." "The Germans haven't mounted a winter attack since Frederick the Great." "Therefore I believe that's exactly what they're going to do." "I want you to start making contingency plans for pulling out of our eastward attack." "Changing directions 90 degrees, moving up to Luxembourg." "Don't look so stunned, gentlemen." "I want you to plan for three possible axes of attack." "From Diekirch, due north." "From Orléans to Bastogne." "From Neufchâteau against the German left flank." "We've identified four German armies:" "The 7th, the 5th Panzer, 6th SS Panzer and the 15th." "They've hit us with 26 divisions." "They've overran two regimens of the 106th Division." "And 7500 of our men were forced to surrender." "Our concern is that von Rundstedt has the 101st Airborne trapped here at Bastogne." "Bastogne, by the way, is the key to this entire area." "If we can hold it, we can break up the entire German offensive." "If they take it, we're in serious trouble." "Ike wants to know if anybody can go and relieve the 101st before they're torn to pieces." "There's nothing Montgomery can do." "At any rate, not for some weeks." "What about you, George?" "I can attack with three divisions in 48 hours." "I'd give myself some leeway." "Ike wants a realistic estimate, George." "You're in the middle of a fight now." "It's over a hundred miles to Bastogne." "My staff's already working out the details." "Frankly, I don't see how it's possible." "Not in this kind of weather." "I should have thought you'd want to fall back and regroup." "Not me." "I don't like to pay for the same real estate twice." "But what about your men?" "You can't cart them off 100 miles, expecting them to attack without rest." "I trained these men." "They'll do what I tell them to do." "We hadn't realized you were so popular with your troops, general." "I'm not." "They'll do it because they're good soldiers." "And because they realize, as I do, that we can still lose this war." "Then I think I can speak for Field Marshal Montgomery." "He'd say you're asking the impossible of your men." "Of course he would." "Cause he's never realized that's what we're in business for." "General McAuliffe refused a German surrender demand." "You know what he said?" "What?" "He said, "Nuts."" "Keep them moving, colonel." "A man that eloquent has to be saved." "This is where it pays off." "The training and discipline." "No other outfit in the world." "Pulled out of a winter battle, move a hundred miles." "Going to a major attack with no rest, no sleep, no hot food." "God!" "God, I'm proud of these men!" "Sir, von Rundstedt's thrown another panzer division against Bastogne." "101st Airborne's barely holding on." "We need damned air cover." "If we had decent weather, we might make it." "General Mason, sir." "Hello, Mase?" "Listen, we're short on foot soldiers." "Cannibalize your antiaircraft units and turn them into riflemen." "Yes, every last one you can find." "Good evening, general." "I just got the weather report for tomorrow." "More snow." "There goes our air cover." "We may have to wait for better weather." "Brave men dying up there." "I won't wait, not an hour, not a minute." "Going to keep moving." "Is that clear?" "We're going to attack all night and attack tomorrow morning!" "If we're not victorious let no one come back alive." "You know something, general?" "Sometimes, they can't tell when you're acting and when you're not." "It isn't important for them to know." "It's only important for me to know." " You want to see me, general?" " Oh, yeah, chaplain." "I'm tired of 3rd Army having to fight Germans with supreme command, no gasoline and now this ungodly weather." "I want a prayer, a weather prayer." "A weather prayer, sir?" "Yes, let's see if you can't get God working with us." "Gonna take a thick rug for that kind of praying." "I don't care if it takes a flying carpet." "I don't know how this will be received, general." "Praying for good weather so we can kill our fellow man." "I assure you, because of my relations with the Almighty if you write a good prayer, we'll have good weather." "And I expect that prayer within an hour." "Yes, sir." ""Almighty and most merciful Father we humbly beseech Thee of Thy great goodness to restrain this immoderate weather with which we've had to contend." "Grant us fair weather for battle." "Graciously hearken to us  as soldiers who call upon Thee  that armed with Thy power  we may advance from victory to victory  and crush the oppression  and wickedness of our enemies  and establish Thy justice  among men and nations." "Amen. "" "Weather's perfect." "Cod, get me that chaplain." "He's in good with the Lord and I want to decorate him." "Hiya, general!" "Supported by medium bombers and fighter bombers  flying sorties against German positions  elements of the 3rd Army  spearheaded by the 4th Armored Division  drive into Bastogne  to relieve its 18,000 defenders  on the day after Christmas." "During this operation, 3rd Army moved farther and faster  and engaged more divisions in less time  than any other army in the history of the United States." "Excuse me, sir." "General Katkov would like to know if you'll join him to drink to the surrender of Germany." "My compliments to the general." "Please inform him that I do not care to drink with him or any other Russian son of a bitch." "Sir I cannot tell the general that." "You tell him that." "Tell him word for word." "The general says he thinks that you are a son of a bitch too." "Okay." "I'll drink to that." "One son of a bitch to another." "Is it true that Roosevelt, before he died promised you a command in the Pacific?" "Yes." "But now that he's gone, I don't think there's much chance of that." "Doug MacArthur doesn't want me up there." "We're told of "wonder weapons" the Germans were working on:" "Long-range rockets, push-button bombing weapons that don't need soldiers." ""Wonder weapon"?" "My God, I don't see the wonder in them." "Killing without heroics." "Nothing is glorified, nothing is reaffirmed." "No heroes, no cowards, no troops." "No generals." "Only those that are left alive and those that are left dead." "I'm glad I won't live to see it." "It's said you're still using former Nazis in key positions." "Despite the denazification policy." "Well, if I'm supplied with trained personnel I'll get rid of the Nazis." "Until then, I'll use them to keep the railroads and telephones working." "After all, didn't most ordinary Nazis join the Party in about the same way Americans become Republicans or Democrats?" "Yes, that's about it." "You agree that national policy be made by civilians, not by the military?" "Of course." "But the politicians never let us finish." "They always stop short and leave us with another war." "You thinking about our Russian allies?" "Did you say if you found your army between the Germans and the Russians you'd attack in both directions?" "No, I never said that." "I never said any such thing." "But I wish I had." "Sir, there's a call on your line from supreme headquarters, General Smith." "Ike is furious." "How could you compare Republicans and Democrats to the Nazi Party?" "And the statement that you refuse to denazify has the Russians, the British, everybody, screaming." "Well, the hell with the Mongoloid Russians." "We've given them Berlin, Prague, God knows what else." "They gonna dictate policy too?" "George, don't be a fool." "The war in Europe is over." "Washington dictates policy." "The war shouldn't be over." "We should stop pussyfooting about the Russians!" "We'll have to fight them anyway." "Why not do it now, when the army's here?" "Instead of disarming Germans let's get them to help fight the Bolsheviks." "You better shut up." "This line may be tapped." "I don't care." "I'll tell you we've been fighting the wrong people." "You and Ike don't have to get involved, you're so soft about it." "Leave it to me." "In 10 days I'll have us at war with them and make it look like their fault!" "George, you're mad." "You're absolutely out of your mind!" "Well, I'm no diplomat." "I'm a combat soldier." "That's all they understand." "Get Ike to give me the word, and I'll kick them back to Russia!" "Shall I call the artist back, sir?" "Oh, the hell with it." "Nobody wants to see a picture of me." "I'm mad!" "Don't you know that?" "Field Marshal Montgomery, his majesty is prepared to receive the next chief of the imperial general staff." "Thank you." "Thank you." "Take care of yourself." "George." "Well, gentlemen all good things must come to an end." "And the best thing that's happened to me in my life has been the honor and privilege of commanding the 3rd Army." "Goodbye and God bless you." "Brad they've taken the 3rd Army away from me." "I know." "I thought we could have dinner together tonight." "Thank you, Brad." "That's damn thoughtful." "I appreciate it." "Right now, I think I'll take Willy for a walk." "George, look out!" "After all I've been through imagine getting killed by an oxcart." "No, Brad, there's only one proper way for a professional soldier to die." "That's from the last bullet of the last battle of the last war." "At least the 3rd Army earned its pay." "In our drive across Europe, we liberated 12,000 cities and towns and inflicted a million and a half enemy casualties." "I sense from now on, just being a good soldier won't mean a thing." "I'm afraid we're gonna have to be diplomats, administrators, you name it." "God help us." "George, I want to say one thing." "You've done a magnificent job here in Europe." "That's right, George." "That soldier you slapped did more to win the war than any other private." "I'll see you for dinner." "Six-thirty?" "For over a thousand years  Roman conquerors returning from the wars  enjoyed the honor of a triumph, a tumultuous parade." "In the procession came trumpeters and musicians and strange animals  from the conquered territories  together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments." "The conqueror rode in a triumphal chariot  the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him." "Sometimes, his children, robed in white  stood with him in the chariot, or rode the trace horses." "A slave stood behind the conqueror  holding a golden crown  and whispering in his ear a warning  that all glory  is fleeting."