Details
PATTON, George Jr. Typed letter signed ("G S Patton Jr.") to Lt. Col. Charles R. Codman (Patton's former aide-de-camp), Headquarters 15th U.S. Army [in southern Germany], 18 October 1945. 1 page, 4to, on Patton's 15th Army stationery.
"PRACTICALLY EVERYONE BUT MYSELF IS A PUSILLANIMOUS SON OF A BITCH"
A characteristically snappish letter, commenting on various aspects of the postwar occupation of Germany and spelling out his own future plans. "I read all the clippings you sent [probably dealing with Eisenhower's decision, in late September, to remove Patton as Commander of the 3rd Army due to controversial remarks to the press] and they make me quite sick but the ones enclosed in your letter were considerably better." Then, he notes approvingly that "in the Stars & Stripes which I saw yesterday General Eisenhower made a kick against Bolshevism in Berlin, stating that minor German Nazis would be employed to prevent a breakdown of communications in Bavaria and also that former German Army officers were being used as mayors" (Patton had long maintained that former Nazis be retained in civil posts in the occupation government).
"My present plan is to finish this job, which is a purely academic one, about the first of the year and then submit my resignation after which I can do all the talking I feel like and may write the book you suggest, 'War and Peace as I knew it.' I sent a telegram through Kay the other day initiating a request for you to come over but I am not at all sure that it got any further. My private opinion is that practically everyone but myself is a pusillanimous son of a bitch and that by continued association with them I may develop the same attributes."
"PRACTICALLY EVERYONE BUT MYSELF IS A PUSILLANIMOUS SON OF A BITCH"
A characteristically snappish letter, commenting on various aspects of the postwar occupation of Germany and spelling out his own future plans. "I read all the clippings you sent [probably dealing with Eisenhower's decision, in late September, to remove Patton as Commander of the 3rd Army due to controversial remarks to the press] and they make me quite sick but the ones enclosed in your letter were considerably better." Then, he notes approvingly that "in the Stars & Stripes which I saw yesterday General Eisenhower made a kick against Bolshevism in Berlin, stating that minor German Nazis would be employed to prevent a breakdown of communications in Bavaria and also that former German Army officers were being used as mayors" (Patton had long maintained that former Nazis be retained in civil posts in the occupation government).
"My present plan is to finish this job, which is a purely academic one, about the first of the year and then submit my resignation after which I can do all the talking I feel like and may write the book you suggest, 'War and Peace as I knew it.' I sent a telegram through Kay the other day initiating a request for you to come over but I am not at all sure that it got any further. My private opinion is that practically everyone but myself is a pusillanimous son of a bitch and that by continued association with them I may develop the same attributes."