Patton: The Movie

[IShootBack]

I watched Patton yesterday with George C. Scott.

What an excellent movie. Great acting.

Larger than life man. I may have to read up on him a bit.

Any suggestions?

ISB

[Xracer]

Which one.......Patton or Scott?

Patton:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=George+S.Patton&btnG=Google+Search

Scott:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=George+C.+Scott&btnG=Google+Search

[Mesen]

Make sure you read about his exploits in Phenix City(Fort Benning area) Or ask tuckerd.

see ya
Bree

[IShootBack]

I'll bite, tell me more.

ISB

[tuckerd1]

Well the story goes of PHENIX CITY, Alabama, a city so wicked that Gen. George S. Patton threatened to roll his tanks across the river from Ft. Benning, Ga and destroy it.

The town was controlled by mobsters promoting illegal gambling, booze and whore houses. Soldiers who were stationed at Ft. Benning, Ga visited the clubs, gambling halls, and houses of prostitution in Phenix City. They often got into trouble with the owners of these establishments.

"They would completely take advantage of these soldiers," says Margaret Anne Barnes, author of "The Tragedy and Triumph of Phenix City, Alabama." "They would get them drunk or get them to gamble and take all of a man’s money, and if he objected about being ill-treated, then he was beat up and sometimes killed."

Some of these houses of ill repute were located on the banks of the Chattahoochee Rver seperating Alabama & Georgia. The buildings had balconies that hung out over the river. Some that were in trouble with the house owners were actually tossed off the balconies into the river. The Chattahoochee in the area of the bars had a lot of shallow rock. If you didn't die from landing in the rocks, a short distance down stream were deep pools with horrendous whirlpools that would suck anything caught in them under. Drowning , if caught in one of these, was almost certain.

During WWII and before Patton's command in N. Africa, the story is that Patton actually rolled tanks to the Ga side of the river and threatened to come across and destroy the city. Of course he didn't do it. But it got folks excited anyway.

It was over 10 years later in the mid 1950's, the newly elected state attorney general, Albert Patterson was murdered in Phenix City while trying to clean up the city. The National Guard had to be called in to help law enforcement to gain control of the town from the mobsters, before efforts were successful in cleaning up the town of its' openly illegal activities.

Of course a lot of activity went underground and it was still a pretty hot bed of crime and corruption in the 60's when I was a teenager. I knew of some folks that were so paranoid of being murdered by competitors and folks seeking revenge, that their homes were fenced with rock walls with elaborate alarm and lighting systems. Talk about some MEAN kids , teenagers and young adults growing up in this town. If you wanted trouble, just yell and he would be there shortly. You didn't have to go looking.

Read more about the military experience at Paratrooper Stories of Phenx City (http://home.hiwaay.net/~magro/phenix.html)

Read more about The Tragedy and the Triumph of Phenix City, Alabama (http://www.margaretannebarnes.com/phenix_city.htm)

It has been an interesting story for me because I knew some of the folks who lived it.

[Marlin]

After Albert was murdered, his son John, a very fine person, ran successfully for Governor partly on a platform of finishing the job Albert had started.

John was a longtime friend who was pretty up-beat most of the time though I had many a conversation with him that ended up in tears followed by prayers. Truly his faith helped guide all that he did.

[tuckerd1]

Marlin, I figgured you knew either Albert, John or both Pattersons. But, you were only 19 when Albert was murdered.

[Marlin]

John was one of the first people I met upon moving to Mobile. He and I developed an almost instant friendship and total comradary that lasted throughout his life. He was the one that encouraged me most when I talked about possibly going to law school nights since I was already married with two children by that time. His help and assistance through that period helped direct me toward a most rewarding career.

Knew personally and liked John's successor, too, though I didn't always agree with his politics. He had a lovely wife, for whom we cried as she lived and lost her life eaten by cancer. She was a strong headed Christian who faced all with dignity.

BTW, I was deeply involved in political matters from the time I went to Prep School in the late forties. Have always been a true blue-blooded conservative, especially when it comes to true Constitutional beliefs. It has seemed to come naturally all my life.

[DemonDesert]

I enjoy watching that movie, no doubt about that. But in reality the movie is about Bradley, and not Patton. Bradley was a consultant for the movie, and the movie is about himself. Notice that it presents Bradley as the "GI's General," which is his famous moniker, but in reality he was anything but that. Re-watch the movie and see whom the movie really extols--it ain't Patton.

Moreover, the movie reflects Bradley's anglophobic tendencies. It presents Monty as some effete, almost effiminate character who wanted to denigrate the contributions of American soldiers, which in reality he did not do. Montgomery in fact recoginzed Patton's genius, and made it known. He very much sought to cooperate with Patton, but the major stumbling block between such cooperation was the result of Omar Bradley's devious machinations. This movie is one of the contributing factors to this country's misunderstanding of the British and their heoric contribution to the War effort.

No, I'm from Texas, I'm not a Brit.:)

[tuckerd1]

Marlin,

I've read a book review comment that John Patterson was wrongly elected as AG because he was not a resident of AL at the time. That he was actually living in Columbus, GA. The law supposedly required 6 yrs continuous residence in AL up to the election.

Any comments?

Don

[Marlin]

I was never aware of that question. Following his graduation from the University Law School in 1949 he returned home and practiced law with his father in Phenix City and was so employed at the time of Albert's death. I'd be interested in knowing more about it. I lived in Montgomery during the latter part of his service as Governor and mever heard any questions about his character, be it false residence or otherwise. We always considered him to be one of the BETTER Democrats!! :) :) :)

We lost touch after I moved to Jasper. He retired from the Court of Appeals after many years service of distinction and Constitutional support in the late ninties about the time that my health took a real nose-dive. It was interesting to me recently that he recently came out of retirement to serve as the Chief Judge/Moderator of the panel that heard the Roy Moore ethical/cannon case after being appointed by Governor Riley, a Republican. It was another indication to me of the character of the man.

[tuckerd1]

You commented on how Riley, a Republican, selected a Democrat to serve as Chief Judge/Moderator. It has not been too long ago that democrats had a monopoly on politics in the south. The way I read it, It was during the days that a southern democrat was a conservative, logical thinking individual. A republican didn't have a snowballs chance in hell of being elected in the south.

Man how things have changed!! What happened?

[Marlin]

Enlightenment, Tuck.

People finally realized that most good Southern Democrats were really conservative, Constitutional Republicans except on Election Day!! So why not on Election Day, too???????

[45Smashemflat]

I'm reading Patton - Life of a Warrior right now. Its pretty good. Takes him from childhood to the end. The guy had a very interesting life.

Contrary to the character played by Scott - who did great, in my opinon - Patton did not have the "commander's voice" as portrayed. Actually, he had this high squeaky voice that was kinda annoying, apparently.

Suffice to say that there are proably four sides to the Brit/American story in WWII. Even better are the Ground Forces versus Air Forces stories. This book gives a fair amount of detail on the issues with air support in Africa and the Sicily campaign.