Patton Page #4

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 b*tch

is in charge of this operation?

I don't know, but they

ought to hang him.

Afternoon, Padre.

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 Gring 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.

lf 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 11th.

I don't think we can make it

by the 11th.

- Hell, it's only 15, 20 miles.

- My boys have been dying for yards.

Hm.

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.

lf 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.

lf 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.

lf 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.

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