An Engineer & Patton

[Walt's Daughter]

You'll love this letter. I am still laughing. It will conjure up some great images, rest assure. This gentleman was a member of the 1301 Engineer General Service Regiment and assigned to Patton's 3rd Army. I am planning on creating a page for him very soon and he just mailed me a package to help get me started.

------------------------------------

Dear Marion:

 

You indicated your desire to hear of General Patton and I happen to have a brief anecdote that you may enjoy.

 

My unit had stopped at a chateau near Nancy, France for a brief overnight; our first night under cover in a couple of months. One of the fellows found a collapsible top hat which were quite popular in France. The next day, in the back of a 6X6 truck with about a dozen other Engineers, I pulled off my helmet, put on the top hat and was doing my rendition of Maurice Chevalier's "'Thank Heavens for Little Girls". About the time I got started, a jeep flew by and our truck suddenly came to a screeching halt. Who should appear at the tailgate, except the old man himself with his pearl handle revolver strapped on. He shouted. "who was that SOB with the top hat on" to which I responded . He directed me to fall out and for the next two or three minutes, dressed me down with every word of profanity I had heard of and then some, also dwelling on my family lineage in the same tone. I was dirty, unshaven and scared to death. He reached over and grabbed my shirt pocket flap and I thought he was actually going to hit me. He asked if that pocket had a button on it to which I affirmed resulting in another barrage regarding wearing of the uniform. After he finished with me then he glared at the men in the truck and shouted out, "you engineers boys are doing a damn good job, keep it up" and with that he was gone.

 

The occasion got my CO's attention and he got my mine. Any words Patton left out were deftly covered by the CO.

 

General Patton was a professional soldier; egotistical as hell, but a real soldier.

Needless to say, I became the recipient of barbs from the whole company for weeks on end.

 

Hope you enjoy my experience. I didn't!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Respectfully,

 

Bill Douglass