Details
PATTON, GEORGE S., Lieutenant General. Typed letter signed ("G S Patton Jr") as Lieutenant Colonel, to "Dearest Mama," [France], 24 September 1918. 1 page, 4to, with original envelope.
"THIS BUSINESS OF...FIGHTING IS...THE MOST INTERESTING THING I HAVE EVER DONE"
A letter written just two days before Patton was wounded in the Meuse-Argonne offensive: "The chap who wrote about my commanding the first tanks in action was right only he was previous. As you will have seen by my letter to pa we have been in once and will be in again in a few days. This time we hope to have things a little better arranged and not be in such a hell of a hurry. But on the other hand it will I fancy be a harder affair and the country is poor for the T[ime?]. Still we can only do our damdest [sic] and hope that it will amount to something. This business of actually fighting is fine and the most interesting thing I have ever done. But it keeps one moving. [O]ne of my best men got his foot shot off to day which was hard on him as we are far back but a big one came along and got him. Of course I dont expect to get hit but there is always the chance, however one is too busy to think of it at the time and later it does not matter. Cest fait au non. I hope we get a rest after this for a week in one place as the men are tired and need to clean up, so do I. There is no news I can talk of so I will stop; the next letter will I hope be more interesting..."
Patton organized and directed the American Tank Center at Langres, before forming and commanding the 304th Brigade of Tank Corps which he led during the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne offensives. He was out of action for the duration of World War I, however, after being wounded on 26 September 1918.
"THIS BUSINESS OF...FIGHTING IS...THE MOST INTERESTING THING I HAVE EVER DONE"
A letter written just two days before Patton was wounded in the Meuse-Argonne offensive: "The chap who wrote about my commanding the first tanks in action was right only he was previous. As you will have seen by my letter to pa we have been in once and will be in again in a few days. This time we hope to have things a little better arranged and not be in such a hell of a hurry. But on the other hand it will I fancy be a harder affair and the country is poor for the T[ime?]. Still we can only do our damdest [sic] and hope that it will amount to something. This business of actually fighting is fine and the most interesting thing I have ever done. But it keeps one moving. [O]ne of my best men got his foot shot off to day which was hard on him as we are far back but a big one came along and got him. Of course I dont expect to get hit but there is always the chance, however one is too busy to think of it at the time and later it does not matter. Cest fait au non. I hope we get a rest after this for a week in one place as the men are tired and need to clean up, so do I. There is no news I can talk of so I will stop; the next letter will I hope be more interesting..."
Patton organized and directed the American Tank Center at Langres, before forming and commanding the 304th Brigade of Tank Corps which he led during the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne offensives. He was out of action for the duration of World War I, however, after being wounded on 26 September 1918.