Rodrigo Samodal
LDS 102
Charles Powell
January 31, 2016
Patton
In times of war, there have been a great many leaders, warriors and war heroes. One of these esteemed heroes was General George S. Patton, one of the commanding officers in the Second World War. Patton participated in commanding the African, Sicilian, and European campaigns. These were known as Operation Torch, Operation Husky, and Operation Overlord respectively.
The movie Patton which portrayed a reenactment of General Patton’s World War II career, was a very interesting film. I do believe that Patton’s character was accurately and excellently portrayed, as well as General Bradley, although Patton was more prevalent in the film. Patton’s passion, hardiness, and aggression were well captured. He is a very straightforward man, always doing what is necessary to get the job done. He expects the best, and nothing less from his men. He is the embodiment of patriotism and what it means to be a true American soldier.
Although his methods can be quite unconventional, Patton demands only the best from his army. During battles, some may think he is reckless, charging straight into battle with guns blazing. Many of his comrades did not share in his eager for battle, and many men were not pleased with Patton. However, this did not stop Patton. “I do not want these men to like me, I only want them to fight for me,” said Patton. General Patton is also very harsh in his disciplinary methods. He has ways of getting what he wants done, speaks his mind openly and clearly, but often does not know when to keep his mouth shut. During Operation Husky when the Allies invaded Sicily, Patton deliberately denied and disobeyed the orders he was given, and rushed his army to the key city of Messina, attempting to beat British General Montgomery to the target and to speed up the campaign on his own terms. Another specific incident involved his outburst on a shell-shocked soldier when he physical and verbally abused him of being a coward. The consequences of his actions lost him respect from almost everyone, and his actions overall has caused him to lose his position of command, as well as participation in D-Day and Operation Overlord. Although Patton is a reckless and aggressive leader, he was also very successful.
General Bradley, Patton’s right hand man, was often against many of Patton’s decisions and often reprimanded him for his lack of self-control over his words and his actions. Bradley is a more cautious man, not as hard-headed as Patton, and is much quieter when making remarks. His leadership style was very different to that of Patton, and often their differences caused disputes. However they both were still capable of doing their job. Eventually, after the incident’s with Patton’s aggressive actions in Italy and he is relieved of command, Bradley gets promoted to a higher position than Patton.
Both Patton and Bradley were very successful military leaders, but had different methods and styles. Patton is very aggressive, straightforward, and often reckless, and Bradley is more cautious and careful. Patton openly speaks his mind on whatever he thinks while Bradley knows when to choose and use his words. Both were effective at getting their jobs done, but if I were to choose one leader to emulate, I would personally choose General Bradley. Although I admire and respect General Patton’s patriotism, courage, and bravery, I do not approve of his methods and recklessness, especially when his victory comes at the cost of the men who fight for him. I would not want to make unnecessary risks and rush into action without careful consideration. I also would treat my subordinates much better than Patton did. I would want to earn the respect of my fellow men instead of commanding it. And I would not be harsh with anyone and be careful not to offend anyone, especially in important political matters. I feel like I would be more of a leader like General Bradley. He is careful and considerate of the decisions he makes. And he is also careful with what he says, often having to remind Patton of his words. I believe I would want to emulate the leadership of General Bradley, learn from his words and actions, and apply them to my own life to help me grow as a student, as a person, and as a leader.
Citation
Patton. Dir. Franklin J. Schaffner. Perf. George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Stephen Young.
Twentieth Centruy Fox Film Corporation, 1970. Putlocker. Web. 01 Feb. 2016. <http://putlocker.is/watch-patton-online-free-putlocker.html>.