U.S. General’s Prayer By Order Gets Results Against Germans

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 36, 9 April 1948, Page 3

U.S. General’s Prayer By Order Gets Results Against Germans

General Patton—that glamorous American General who was killed in a car accident in Germany—didn’t like “Monty.” In his book of memoirs, now published, Patton makes this perfectly clear. The book is chiefly amusing for Patton’s views on himself, says an article in “Review.” Even Patton’s faith in God echoed with the sounds of the parade ground. A couple of weeks before the fateful Christmas of 1944, Patton recalls, “The weather was so bad that I directed all Army chaplains to pray for dry weather.” He called Chaplain O’Neill of the Third Army into his office, and the conversation went along these lines: General Patton: Chaplain, I want you to publish a prayer for good weather. I’m tired of these soldiers having to fight mud and floods as well as Germans. See if you can’t get God to work on our side. Chaplain O’Neill: Sir, it’s going to take a pretty thick prayer rug for that kind of praying. Patton: I don’t care if it takes the flying carpet. I want the praying done. O’Neill: Yes, sir. May I say, General, that it usually isn’t a customary thing among men of my profession to pray for clear weather to kill fellow men. Patton: Chaplain, are you teaching me theology or are you the chaplain of the Third Army? I want a prayer. O’Neill: Yes, sir. The prayer was issued to the troops. And the next day the weather picked up.