Religion: Patton Talking

Like many another military man, the late General George Patton was prayerful as well as profane. He was also a peremptory commander who did not hesitate to let the Almighty know what kind of cooperation he expected. When bad weather held up his advance before the Battle of the Bulge, he is reported (by one of his staff) to have called in Third Army Chaplain James H. O'Neill, and said: "Chaplain, I want you to publish a prayer for good weather . . . See if we can't get God to work on our side." The chaplain demurred but Patton roared:...

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