General Patton was known for his quick temper and short fuse. He showed it when he was in
Sicily, Italy during WWII. He would visit the hospitals for the soldiers to give them
praise or award them medals for their bravery in battle. In this particular incident, he
was visiting a hospital to give wounded soldiers the Purple Heart. As he was walking down
the rows of men, he would talk to them, ask them how they were wounded and then he would
pin the medal on their chests. He came to one man and who had no wounds on his body. He
asked the man how he was hurt and the man said, "I guess I can't take it."
Patton went into a tirade and slapped the soldier across the face. He cursed and swore at
him and then left the tent.
Another incident was very similar to the first one. Patton was
walking down the rows of wounded men and he was asking how they were hurt. He came across
a man who was quivering in bed. When Patton asked what the problem was, the soldier
replied, "It's my nerves." Again, Patton exploded and said, "Your nerves
hell. You are just a goddamn coward, you yellow son of a bitch. You're a disgrace to the
army and you are going back into the front to fight, although that's too good for you. You
oughta be lined up against a wall and be shot. In fact, I oughta shoot you myself right
now, God damn you." At that moment, Patton, pulled out one of his ivory handled guns
and pointed it directly at the soldier's head. But, he then put his gun back in its
holster and left the tent. When word of this incident reached the US, Patton was ordered
to apologize to the men. His quick temper could have cost him his career, but the US
decided that he was too important to be taken out of the service.
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