General George Patton and Mother of Pearl Grips...

[collector14]

Colt .32 Detective Special (1950), Mother of Pearl Grips & Fully Engraved



General George Patton would have labeled this a "New Orleans' Pimp" gun because of the Mother of Pearl grips. I think a reporter asked him about his gun grips being Mother of Pearl at a press conference once. Patton was quick to correct the reporter about the grips on his revolver being made of Elephant Ivory, not Mother of Pearl. Patton went on to make the statement that "only a New Orleans Pimp would carry a gun with Mother of Pearl grips".

The father of a very good friend of mine served under Patton, new him well and told me stories of some of Patton's "antics", for lack of a better term. The one story that stands out in my memory is about the time that Patton squared off with the Chief of Police in Phenix City, Alabama. Patton and his troops were at Ft. Benning in Columbus, Georgia preparing to ship out for the war in Europe.

Columbus, Georgia is right on the Georgia-Alabama state line, with only a river separating it from Phenix City, Alabama. Army troops would routinely get into trouble at the bars and nightclubs in Phenix City. Four or five of Patton's troops were arrested for a Saturday night bar fight and were being held in the Phenix City jail. Patton telephoned the Chief of Police on Sunday morning to get his men released so they could ship out for the war on Monday. The Police Chief didn't like Patton's attitude and basically told him that the men would not get any special treatment and that it would be Monday before they could go before the judge.

Patton went ballistic! Patton informed the Chief that he was coming for his men and would be at the bridge that separated the two towns in thirty minutes, if he had to cross the bridge to get his men, the Chief would no longer have a jail when he left with them. Patton proceeded to take several tanks and lined up at the bridge. The Chief released his men.

 

[1 old 0311]

We could use a man like that leading this country at this point.

 

[50 Freak]

Although I respect the legacy of Old Blood and Guts, I have a feeling the man was an egotistic maniac.

 

[Cannonball888]

In front of his army Patton standing on a bridge urinated into the Rhein.

 

[LaEscopeta]

...I have a feeling the man was an egotistic maniac.

I have the same feeling and I also believe Patton knew it. But remember in WWII we were fighting a few egotistic maniacs (among others) so maybe it was good to have one on our side. Sort of like having General Boykin on our side in our current war against religious fanatics.

But getting back to Patton, many of the quotes attributed to him (like most of the ones at the beginning of the George C. Scott movie) were not written down when he supposedly said them. But huge numbers of his men all remember the quotes decades later, and almost all remember them the same. Pretty good evidence he really said them. Patton is quoted as saying “When I address my men I try to talk so they will remember what I say.” Seems like it worked.

 

[zoom6zoom]

I have a feeling the man was an egotistic maniac.

You say that like it's a bad thing...

It's better than a lot of the current crop of politicians, who are just egotistic buttwipe traitors.

 

[v35]

In war, whom would you like to have fighting on your side...

"old blood and guts", or the current crop of politically correct namby-pambies?

Thought so.

 

[PeteRR]

The US Army in WWII was civilian in character, with practically everyone having joined after Pearl Harbor. We needed a no-nonsense leader to inspire farmers and shopkeepers to kill the enemy. Patton was very good at that job.

 

[alucard0822]

I have a feeling the man was an egotistic maniac.

If you were to land on the beaches of Normandy, facing thousands of trained veterans, entrenced in the impenetrable Atlantic Wall, who would you want leading you to glory

Blood and guts General George Patton?

or Stuart Smalley?

When facing an invincible force with your back to an ocean often times the only way you could have survived was to be lead by the craziest, most egotistical A-hole the 20th century has ever seen, and I mean that in a good way

and nowadays if someone tells you "that gun looks pimp" it isn't exactly a bad thing

 

[DC3-CVN-72]

"who would you want leading you to glory, Blood and guts General George Patton or Stuart Smalley" that floored me !!!

 

[Strings]

Actually, that quote (Only a New Orleans pimp...") caused me to name my Smith "the Pimp"...

The only grips I've found so far that I like on it happen to be mop...

 

[Misfire99]

Patton also thought that he was a reincarnated Roman Centurion. That might make for a good military leader but I'm not so sure about a civilian leader. How would you feel if one day the President said he was the reincarnated Duke of York? Yes Mr. President come this way. Go with the nice men in the white coats please.

 

[alucard0822]

How would you feel if one day the President said he was the reincarnated Duke of York?

actually I wouldn't be all that surprised

 

[CSA 357]

Patton was i think , a great leader, and a smart man, he did his job , he never knew when to keep his mouth shut, but thats what i like most about him, yea we need men like that now but that time has passed, csa

 

[buckshott]

I have an uncle,89years old, who served with Patton. He said Patton was a real a$$ hole who really didn't care about his men. He also said most of the men under him hated him. At one time, he begged Ike not to replace him.

 

[Tommygunn]

But getting back to Patton, many of the quotes attributed to him (like most of the ones at the beginning of the George C. Scott movie) were not written down when he supposedly said them. But huge numbers of his men all remember the quotes decades later, and almost all remember them the same. Pretty good evidence he really said them. Patton is quoted as saying “When I address my men I try to talk so they will remember what I say.” Seems like it worked.

A friend of mine's father (now deceased) served under Patton. The speech he gave in the movie is a pretty decent, though not entirely accurate, rendition of the speech Patton actually gave on more than one occasion.
A pretty accurate version of it can be found in The Unknown Patton, by Charles Province. BTW, the real Patton did not sound anything like the George C. Scott character in the movie.

 

[Trebor]

The German's respected Patton's abilities so much that they were sure he'd be the one to lead the invasion of Europe. One of the reasons the D-Day deception worked was because, since Patton wasn't involved in the Normandy invasion, the Germans were more easily able to believe it was just a diversion and the "real" invasion was yet to come at Calais.

 

[RNB65]

I have a feeling the man was an egotistic maniac.

So are most of the people wearing stars on their shoulders in the military. At least Patton had the gonads to go with the ego. I've read a couple of Patton biographies and, while he certainly had many faults and failings, I greatly admire the man. What he did with the US II Corps after the battle of Kasserine Pass is one of the greatest leadership accomplishments in the history of the US Army.

 

[RNB65]

BTW, the real Patton did not sound anything like the George C. Scott character in the movie.

You mean the real Patton who sounded like a squealing school girl because his voice was so high pitched?

 

[Frog48]

I have a feeling the man was an egotistic maniac.

Like we havent had a few of those nowadays? Gen. Norman Schwartzkopf, among others, comes to mind...

And in alot of ways, its not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Mega]

Patton might have called me a 'New Orleans pimp', but I think he would have liked my sidearm.

 

[Justin]

This thread is three years old.