Patton

Spiritually Speaking in the Movies on Veterans Day, 2025.

There is a moment in the film Patton that speaks loudly to our present time. It’s the famous scene where General Patton attempts to shame a cowardly solider, in his view, into action and leave weakness behind. This was Patton’s idea, explained implicitly in the film.

It is also not fiction, but fact, as was the personal apology he had to give live to the entire army he was leading. He had to have the guts to be humble, as much as that soldier needed to have courage to fight

Veteran’s Day is a tremendous opportunity to explore the link between courage and compassion, resolve and weakness, between fear and fight. For soldiers on the “Front Lines” of any fight — those in harm’s way — the lesson is directly in front of them in ways bystanders cannot fathom.

Front Line Faith, is what many call it. I’ve interviewed my fair share of veterans from WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan — from Guadalcanal, to Chosin Resovior, to Cambodia to Kabul, and they all said they were scared at times. It’s what They did with it, that counted. They all learned what to fear was fear itself.

I once met a 92-year-old veteran of WWII at a store here in Texas. He said he’d just turned 16 when he joined the Marines to fight in the Pacific war (if you have ever lived in Texas, you know this is not far-fetched).

“It was hard, but it was good for me,” he told me. “It taught me discipline.” It struck me that of all the things he could have said — “it was horrific.” “It was a nightmare” “It was deeply disturbing experience,” — he choose to say “discipline.

Patton’s expectations of his men were exacting, but he had a reason. He wanted the enemy to fear his men, to expect defeat at their hands and to quit their fight.

The slapping incident nearly finished his career, but given another chance, his results against the power of darkness, the Nazi’s, was impressive. This was the man who engineered the famous, improbable and so-called impossible, “Relief of Bastogne” during Hitlers final, furious attempt at victory during the Battle of the Bulge. There has never been a military victory like it. It was critical beyond belief.

Many casual observers don't realize that Bastogne was not just about saving a surrounded U.S. Airborne group in a small town. It was a critical moment, at a strategic crossroads in Europe, to stop the Nazi’s and save the war effort itself.

Thousands upon thousands of Allied lives were saved. Patton and his men, did this. It was nothing short of amazing and, some say, miraculous. Patton himself credited God for his victory there.

I must admit that knowing this, and seeing it acted out in this excellent film (winner of seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture) inspired me to be tougher on myself. The older I got, the more I fought through obstacles, to overcome. That attitude served me to survive a life-threatening stroke; open heart surgery and other situations that seemed impossible. It got to the point where my doctor told me I was “a poster-child for survival.”

Sometimes, it’s best to stand and fight. So many of us, me included, want to be lovers rather than fighters, but the truth is, it’s not either/or — it’s both. The question is, when do we do one or the other? Many times, fighting through is not an option. It’s essential.

On Veteran’s Day, watch Patton or Hacksaw Ridge. Spiritually speaking, you may be inspired to fight on.