The lesser known characters of the story

I was watching the brilliant, Best Picture winning film "Patton" this morning.  It actually won 7 Oscars and one of the many interesting factoids about the movie and the people portrayed in it is that three of those winners were not present at the Oscar ceremony.  George C. Scott refused to consider himself in competition with other actors.  The film's director, Franklin J. Schnaffer and one of the screenwriter, some guy named Francis Ford Coppola were also not present when their names were announced as Oscar winners.

Most of know of, or are aware of General George S. Patton, Jr.  He was a colorful commander who spoke his mind, often to his detriment.  But most of us don't know that he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, our nation's second highest award for gallantry, for actions during World War I.  Or that his son, George S. Patton III (he dropped the Roman numeral from his name later in life) was also an Army Major-General who was highly decorated for gallantry.

In the 1970 film story of Patton's experiences during World War II, we're introduced to a number of people whose stories we are not as familiar with.  Here are a few of those people.

Karl Malden played General (later General of the Army) Omar Bradley.  General Bradley was General Patton's deputy commander in North Africa, but became his commanding officer later on.  General Bradley was the Commander of the 12th Army Group, which was the largest single group of American soldiers to ever serve under a single field commander.  After the war, General Bradley became head of the Veterans Administration.  He went on to be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Paul Stevens played Colonel Charles R. Codman, who became aide-de-camp to General Patton after the death of Captain Richard Jenson.  During World War I, then First Lieutenant Codman was a pilot and was awarded a Silver Star and the French Croix de Guerre for his actions in combat.  He was also a noted expert on wines and wrote a book on the subject.

There is a scene in the film where then Major General Lucian K. Truscott Jr., was asking for a one day delay in launching an attack.  General Bradley supported the request but General Patton turned it down and after telling Truscott he is a "very good man" then warns him against being too conservative.  Actor John Doucette played General Truscott.  General Truscott was also a highly decorated officer whose citation for the Distinguished Service Cross contains the following language.

"Completely disregarding his own safety, General Truscott personally directed the successful operation which expended the 3d Division's Licata beachhead, and by his continuous presence with the forward elements, as well as his exemplary judgment and leadership, inspired his command to the early capture of Agrigento and the continuance of the attack northward. General Truscott's contact with the assault units was maintained in the face of intense artillery, mortar, and small arms fire, and he repeatedly exposed himself to this enemy fire in order to confer with the officers leading the attack and to keep them informed of the enemy situation."

General Truscott was the antithesis of General Patton, as he abhorred self-aggrandizement.  

Then there is the story of the famous "Weather Prayer" requested by General Patton from a chaplain prior to the Battle of the Bulge.  

In the film's credit, actor Lionel Murton is credited as "Third Army Chaplain" and that's his scene with George C. Scott above.  The real chaplain involved was James H. O'Neill.  A Catholic priest, his recollection of how the weather prayer story actually transpired can be found here.  Shortly after the successful relief of Bastogne and the Siegfried Line breakthrough, General Patton awarded a Bronze Star to Chaplain O'Neill.

Last, but certainly not least, there is General Walter Bedell "Beetle" Smith.  He was played by Edward Binns in the movie.  General Smith served as Chief of Staff to General Dwight D. Eisenhower for almost all of World War II.  General Smith would go on to become the U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union after the war, and later on the first "successful" Director of Central Intelligence.  

General Smith also had a role in something that is given short shrift in the film.  Lieutenant General John C. H. Lee wanted to allow Negro soldiers serving in segregated units to volunteer to serve and fight alongside the white soldiers.  General Smith wrote a letter to Eisenhower on the subject, recognizing that this was a direct contravention of the written policy of segregation of the War Department.

"Although I am now somewhat out of touch with the War Department's Negro policy, I did, as you know, handle this during the time I was with General Marshall. Unless there has been a radical change, the sentence which I have marked in the attached circular letter will place the War Department in very grave difficulties. It is inevitable that this statement will get out, and equally inevitable that the result will be that every Negro organization, pressure group and newspaper will take the attitude that, while the War Department segregates colored troops into organizations of their own against the desires and pleas of all the Negro race, the Army is perfectly willing to put them in the front lines mixed in units with white soldiers, and have them do battle when an emergency arises. Two years ago I would have considered the marked statement the most dangerous thing that I had ever seen in regard to Negro relations. I have talked with Lee about it, and he can't see this at all. He believes that it is right that colored and white soldiers should be mixed in the same company. With this belief I do not argue, but the War Department policy is different. Since I am convinced that this circular letter will have the most serious repercussions in the United States, I believe that it is our duty to draw the War Department's attention to the fact that this statement has been made, to give them warning as to what may happen and any facts which they may use to counter the pressure which will undoubtedly be placed on them."

Ultimately the Negro volunteers were placed into provisional platoons.  But until Executive Order 9981 was signed by President Truman in 1948, racial discrimination was still allowable in the military.  It took some time after this became policy before segregation in the military ended.