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The True Story of The Patton Prayer
Review of the News ^ | 6 October 1971 | Msgr. James H. O'Neill

Posted on 12/24/2014 9:41:12 PM PST by WhiskeyX

Many conflicting and some untrue stories have been printed about General George S. Patton and the Third Army Prayer. Some have had the tinge of blasphemy and disrespect for the Deity. Even in "War As I Knew It" by General Patton, the footnote on the Prayer by Colonel Paul D. Harkins, Patton's Deputy Chief of Staff, while containing the elements of a funny story about the General and his Chaplain, is not the true account of the prayer Incident or its sequence.

As the Chief Chaplain of the Third Army throughout the five campaigns on the Staff of General Patton, I should have some knowledge of the event because at the direction of General Patton I composed the now world famous Prayer, and wrote Training Letter No. 5, which constitutes an integral, but untold part, of the prayer story. These Incidents, narrated in sequence, should serve to enhance the memory of the man himself, and cause him to be enshrined by generations to come as one of the greatest of our soldiers. He had all the traits of military leadership, fortified by genuine trust in God, intense love of country, and high faith In the American soldier.

(Excerpt) Read more at pattonhq.com ...


TOPICS: History; Military/Veterans; Religion
KEYWORDS: 3rdarmy; chaplains; christmas; generalpatton; generals; georgespatton; godsgravesglyphs; jameshoneill; patton; pattonprayer; pattonsprayer; pattonsweatherprayer; prayer; thirdarmy; thirdarmyprayer; warasiknewit; weatherprayer; worldwareleven; worldwarii; ww2; wwii
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1 posted on 12/24/2014 9:41:12 PM PST by WhiskeyX
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To: WhiskeyX

Maybe this is the real reason Patton was hated by the elite.


2 posted on 12/24/2014 10:27:31 PM PST by itsahoot (Voting for a Progressive RINO is the same as voting for any other Tyrant.)
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To: WhiskeyX

http://youtu.be/VgxPR6tzqQQ


3 posted on 12/24/2014 10:33:58 PM PST by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: WhiskeyX

That was great. Excellent. Thank you.


4 posted on 12/24/2014 10:34:12 PM PST by Prospero (Si Deus trucido mihi, ego etiam fides Deus.)
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To: Spunky

Ping to self for later reading.


5 posted on 12/24/2014 10:58:23 PM PST by Spunky
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To: WhiskeyX
Thanks. Posted to Homer_J_Simpson's 12/24 thread.

In these times of evil, we need to pray.

BTTT.
6 posted on 12/24/2014 10:58:30 PM PST by PA Engineer (Liberate America from the Occupation Media.)
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To: WhiskeyX
Excellent! What a great Christmas present! Thanks for your effort.

I have a friend who was a heavy machine gunner in the 104th Reg't, 26th Yankee Div., 3rd Army and went through this whole thing, including the 3-day 100-mile forced march, incredibly shifting Patton's Army from Metz to Bastogne.

To the day he and his failing wife entered a local senior care center, he was a faithful member of the Yankee Div. Association, Life Member of NRA, present at the church house whenever the doors were opened, and supported its ministries with his time, income, and prayers.

While I would guess he has read this, I am sure he was at the receiving end of this praying task, and came home unscratched, but with an incredible record as an infantryman.

I am going to send this to him to let him know that I have followed anything I have seen re the Third Army, in honor and appreciation for his service when I was a kid, 8 years old in December 1944.

And thanks again!

7 posted on 12/25/2014 12:42:17 AM PST by imardmd1 (Fiat Lux)
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To: WhiskeyX

Thanks for posting this.


8 posted on 12/25/2014 1:33:40 AM PST by The Truth Will Make You Free
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To: WhiskeyX

For later read


9 posted on 12/25/2014 1:38:37 AM PST by SES1066 (Quality, Speed or Economical - Any 2 of 3 except in government - 1 at best but never #3!)
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To: WhiskeyX

The best sort of FR thread.

Thanks, and Merry Christmas!

Don’t forget to pray!


10 posted on 12/25/2014 1:38:42 AM PST by EternalVigilance
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To: imardmd1

Thank you, and please give him my heartfelt best wishes.

Here is another story about Christmas 1944 in the snows of Europe:

Christmas Eve in an Old Barn

We left Metz, France, and drove all night to stop the German attacks. The weather was one of our enemies and the snow made it hard to move our jeeps, trucks and tanks. The roads were covered with ice and snow and when we arrived in Luxembourg our company was also billeted in an old barn.

It was Christmas Eve and there I was standing guard duty; it was better cold and I can still remember the full moon shining down the landscape.

Many Christmas Eves have gone by however my thoughts still go back to the old barn and Christmas Eve in 1944. Moving on we had to cross the river at Diekirch in Luxembourg and this is where I lost a great friend, Donald Ickes, from Chicago. He was wounded and died (January 18, 1945) there on the riverbank. Each year the townspeople of Diekirch, Luxembourg, reenact this river crossing that resulted in the liberation of their town.[...]

http://www.battleofthebulgememories.be/stories26/32-battle-of-the-bulge-us-army/780-christmas-eve-in-an-old-barn.html


11 posted on 12/25/2014 1:48:11 AM PST by WhiskeyX
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To: WhiskeyX
Hello Wiskeyx...dropping in to say Merry Christmas!


12 posted on 12/25/2014 2:21:29 AM PST by caww
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To: caww

What to do on Christmas in Kyiv
Dec. 25, 2014, 2:14 a.m. | Ukraine — by Oksana Lyachynska
http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/the-main-christmas-tree-light-up-375723.html

The Declaration of Christmas Peace
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Peace


13 posted on 12/25/2014 2:54:21 AM PST by WhiskeyX
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...



14 posted on 12/25/2014 5:18:32 AM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/ _____________________ Celebrate the Polls, Ignore the Trolls)
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To: verga

PFL


15 posted on 12/25/2014 5:35:17 AM PST by verga
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To: WhiskeyX

May they one day know the Peace that passes all understanding.


16 posted on 12/25/2014 5:38:32 AM PST by caww
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To: itsahoot

Good point.


17 posted on 12/25/2014 6:15:50 AM PST by Bigg Red (Congress, do your duty and repo his pen and his phone.)
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To: WhiskeyX

Long read but well worth it.


18 posted on 12/25/2014 6:16:21 AM PST by Bigg Red (Congress, do your duty and repo his pen and his phone.)
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To: PA Engineer

In these times of evil, we need to pray.

***
Most definitely.


19 posted on 12/25/2014 6:17:07 AM PST by Bigg Red (Congress, do your duty and repo his pen and his phone.)
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To: WhiskeyX
from the article's ending: "Then he [Patton] cracked me on the side of my steel helmet with his riding crop.
That was his way of saying, 'Well done.' "

Not to be confused with a Gibbs-slap!

20 posted on 12/25/2014 7:03:25 AM PST by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective.)
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