Althouse: "... a Goddamn coward..."

June 9, 2026

"... a Goddamn coward..."

Chris, reader of presidential biographies, sends me a photograph of the book he's reading:

29 comments:

Achilles said...: We sent them to work in the dining hall or mail room.

Some people just don’t have what it takes.; 6/9/26, 10:49 AM
gilbar said...: i wonder what the GOOD countries; like the Russians did?
Tim? could you let us know? how did the Russians treat 'psychoneurotic anxiety' ?; 6/9/26, 11:14 AM
bagoh20 said...: Cowards get people killed. It's not about the coward.; 6/9/26, 11:16 AM
Heartless Aztec said...: Every man is a different cup. When it finally fills up with horror it's full. No shame there. Some can take more than others. Some can't take any at all.; 6/9/26, 11:23 AM
tim maguire said...: In Patton, it was shell shock. The footnote here says the men were legitimately sick, just not injured. Maybe the movie changed it because the truth would have robbed Patton of all sympathy.

What's a "skulking soldier"? Was he listening in on the colonel's meetings? If so, he probably should have been shot.; 6/9/26, 11:24 AM
Milo Minderbinder said...: War is hell.; 6/9/26, 11:26 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: This incident almost cost Patton command of 3rd Army. When he misspoke at his Knutsford speech in April 44, Eisenhower had enough. He'd already decided based on slapping incident, to not promote Patton beyond Army command.

Patton was on thin ice, and Knutsford kerfuffle was the straw that broke the Generals back. Ike decided to sent Patton back to the USA. Fortunately, for Patton, Ike's choice to replace him was tied up at Anzio. So Eisenhower decided to reduce Patton to tears in a "You got one chance and you're out" lecture.; 6/9/26, 11:33 AM
narciso said...: Russian discipline is called devdochins it is often brutsl sometimes fatal; 6/9/26, 11:33 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: Patton had served as an aide to MacArthur, while Big Mac was Chief-of-staff. And MacArthur liked him, but when he heard about the slapping incident, he decided to not have him in the Pacific. Too erratic.; 6/9/26, 11:34 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: BTW, I suggest anyone who didn't realize what a good politician Ike was, go to his Library and read his letters to George marshall. Eisenhower could have taught a course on how to manipulate your boss without really trying. And flatter him, without being a suck-up.; 6/9/26, 11:36 AM
RideSpaceMountain said...: Commander's sidearms are almost exclusively symbolic in nature. That he actually unholstered his in a fit of rage is shocking...I never knew that.

Gravely erratic career-ending behavior then, now, and forevermore. That he was brought back is equally shocking.; 6/9/26, 11:37 AM
Narr said...: My first guess was D'Este, but it may be Perret.; 6/9/26, 11:44 AM
narciso said...: That seems unlikely because his aide was general willoughby; 6/9/26, 11:48 AM
Yinzer said...: Ann, I'm not sure what to make of tim sending that to you, or your response without comment. It's as if these famous episodes are news to both of you. If you have never seen the movie 'Patton' with George C Scott I heartily recommend that you do so.; 6/9/26, 11:58 AM
narciso said...: We had a war to win patton was decidely more 19th century than 20th he saw what the cost of low morale would br; 6/9/26, 12:18 PM
tommyesq said...: Narciso,

I think Willoughby became Mac's aide shortly after WWII started. Mac was Chief of Staff in the early 30's, before he became whatever his title was - effectively king of the Philippines.; 6/9/26, 12:27 PM
narciso said...: And that was in the north african campaign which was a prelude to the main event; 6/9/26, 12:27 PM
narciso said...: Manchester may have been atar struck but perret abd others have been too dismissive; 6/9/26, 12:35 PM
Howard said...: bagoh20 said...
Cowards get people killed. It's not about the coward.

That's not true because most cowards find a way of avoiding military service.; 6/9/26, 12:41 PM
Quaestor said...: Patton’s famous ivory-gripped forty-fives were not a matched pair. One was an 1873-model Single Action Army, the standard United States cavalry trooper’s sidearm, familiar to non-pistoleers as the quintessential cowboy revolver. The only difference between Georgie’s SSA was its nickel finish and the ivory grips with GSP in gold. Patton carried it because he didn’t trust the M1911 automatic. Lieutenant Patton received his 1911 pistol just before he was assign to capture Pancho Villa. Not being familiar with the weapon he managed to fire it accidentally. He put it assign and took up his custom-made Single Action Army revolver, and never touched a .45 auto again.

The other pistol was a Colt double-action revolver chambered in .45 Colt Long, just like his SSA. It had a 4-inch barrel and ivory grips with GSP in gold. He told his aides that if he had to fight for his life at close range, he’d draw the double-action gun. If he wanted to pick off a Nazi at long range, he’d use the SSA.; 6/9/26, 12:41 PM
Quaestor said...: Assigned and aside. Damned spellcheck.; 6/9/26, 12:42 PM
Howard said...: Well they finally had to get rid of Patton once he started making noises about opening up a whole new Eastern front against the Soviets.; 6/9/26, 12:43 PM
Bob Boyd said...: You fuck one goat...; 6/9/26, 12:53 PM
Bob Boyd said...: Okay, two goats...; 6/9/26, 12:54 PM
D.D. Driver said...: That's not true because most cowards find a way of avoiding military service.

Bone spurs. I wonder what General Patton would have thought about Donnie's bone spurs?; 6/9/26, 1:20 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: TIL: I thought it had only been one incident.; 6/9/26, 1:21 PM
D.D. Driver said...: Never forget, when Donnie was called to serve his country: he had "bone spurs." He is leading good men and women to combat and he is a little cowardly cunt with bone spurs.; 6/9/26, 1:24 PM
narciso said...: And yet all the intelligentsia though ike was stupid as compared to stevenson; 6/9/26, 1:31 PM
Ampersand said...: I'm impressed that we didn't hear more about the psychiatric and social adjustment consequences for soldiers of seeing so many people die during WW2. It sounds to me as though Patton went nuts.
But, human nature being what it is and will always be, there must have been soldiers who were malingerers, allowing others to die in their stead so they could get home. And malingering was therefore a serious issue.; 6/9/26, 1:33 PM