Message from George Patton to US 5th Infantry Division

Editor's Note: The following content is a transcription of a period document or a collection of period statistics. It may be incomplete, inaccurate, or biased. The reader may not wish to take the content as factual.

17 Nov 1945

ww2dbase
HEADQUARTERS FIFTEENTH U. S. ARMY

Office of the Commanding General
A P O 408

17 November, 1945


To the Officers and Men of the Fifth Infantry Division:

Nothing I can say can add to the glory which you have achieved.

Throughout the whole advance across France you spearheaded the attack of your Corps. You crossed so many rivers that I am persuaded many of you have web feet and I know that all of you have dauntless spirit. To my mind history does not record incidents of greater valor than your assault crossings of the Sauer and the Rhine.

Concerning the former operation, I showed the scene of your glorious exploit to a civilian for whom I have the highest esteem. After looking at it for some time he said, "I did not believe there was enough courage in the world to achieve such a victory." Knowing the Fifth Infantry Division, I was sure you would achieve it and you did.

Now that peace has been re-established I am sure all of you will continue through the remainder of your lives to stand for those great qualities of America which in war you so magnificently demonstrated.

with affectionate regards and sincere congratulations, I am, as ever,

Your devoted commander,
[signed]
G. S. PATTON, JR.
General

ww2dbase



Source(s):
Michael Bilder, A Foot Soldier for Patton

Added By:
C. Peter Chen





Você gostou deste artigo ou achou este artigo útil? Se sim, considere nos apoiar no Patreon. Mesmo USD $1 por mês já vai longe! Obrigado.

Por favor, ajude-nos a espalhar a palavra:

 Reddit
 Bluesky
 Mastodon

Fique atualizado com WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds


Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Anonymous says:
12 Aug 2020 08:23:18 PM

My father was a leutenant in the 5th division. He received silver and bronze star and 2 purple hearts. He is 99 years old. Still mentally sharp getting around on a walker.
Did not speak of the war for 40 years but opened up some since then.
2. Ed Sager says:
1 Nov 2021 10:54:38 AM

My father Willam H. "Bill" Sager, Jr., served in the 5th Infantry Division in 1945 at the end of the war. He just died at age 95 after living a very good life. He wrote about this commendation letter in his memoirs. It meant a great deal to receive this from General Patton.
3. Jim Ritthaler says:
28 Nov 2024 08:26:01 PM

My dad was Dale Ritthaler with the 2nd regiment, 5th infantry division as a medic. He was wounded on November 12, 1944 during the German counterattacks at the Nied river at Sanry France. He received a bronze star and purple heart while rescuing two tankers from their burning tank of the 6th armored division. He was struck by shrapnel and it stayed in his thigh the rest of his life. From there they went on to Metz and eventually to the bulge in December 44.

All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.

Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name 
Your Webite 
Your Email 
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type 
Your Comments 
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.
Pesquisar WW2DB
More on Message from George Patton to US 5th Infantry Division
Associated Figure(s):
» George Patton

Associated Event(s):
» Crossing the Rhine

Foto Aleatória

Soviet Brigade Commissar M. Nikishov, artillery officer N. Voronov, and corps commander Colonel General Georgy Zhukov, date unknown

Estatísticas Atuais do Site

Citação Famosa da 2ª GM
"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

Winston Churchill, on the RAF


Apoie-nos

Por favor, considere nos apoiar no Patreon. Mesmo R$1 por mês já faz uma grande diferença. Obrigado!

Ou, por favor, nos apoie adquirindo alguns produtos do WW2DB na TeeSpring. Obrigado!