Survive as a World War II Soldier - Chapter 141



Only Noblemtl

#141

No one was more surprised than Patton’s adjutants and staff members when they saw him climb up onto the stage at de Gaulle’s beckoning.

‘Uh, uh.’

‘Who prepared the speech in advance?’

‘How could that be?’

‘Oh, shit.’

Everyone became lost in thought.

That would be the case, because Patton was a person who made speeches and caused massive, unmanageable accidents on a daily basis.

Once might be a mistake, but twice isn’t a mistake, it’s just human error.

The American officers were all depressed by the fact that they were about to throw ashes on a cooked meal.

Regardless, de Gaulle approached Patton and hugged him tightly, then grabbed his hand and lifted him up into the sky.

And then he raised his voice and explained why he had called Patton out.

“Through the long dark years, the hard times when victory was not assured, we were able to endure with our trusted friends. When I was satisfied in front of Marseilles, Lieutenant General George Patton said it was too early. He led me and others by shouting for Paris.

“If it weren’t for Lieutenant General Patton here, we wouldn’t be here enjoying our freedom today. Please pray for our friend Patton and the American soldiers.”

The confusion caused by Patton’s appearance was short-lived, but as soon as de Gaulle finished speaking, a huge cheer erupted.

“Patton, Patton.”

“Viva USA”

“Viva Patton”

Patton blinked for a moment at the unexpected cheer, then waved his hand with a relaxed expression.

And then he stood in front of the microphone that de Gaulle had given up.

Of course, at the sight of Patton, some of the American soldiers below the podium raised their hands and covered their eyes. It meant that they could not bear to look.

But their worries were in vain as Patton’s speech was normal.

Even when talking to de Gaulle, he always spoke English, but the French that came out of his mouth was fluent.

“It is true that I and our American soldiers fought bravely. But it was because I became a friend of the French, a country of real men with an indomitable will who never give up. Isn’t it true that friends never turn away from difficulties?

Long ago I learned about tanks in this land and it changed my life.

Since then, France has been my second home, my fatherland. So it is only natural that I fight for France, for Paris.

“Thanks to de Gaulle and the Free French Army led by him, and to all of you who have never stopped fighting for freedom, Paris is able to celebrate this day of freedom. May our friendship last forever.”

Patton’s aides muttered in disbelief at his speech.

“Hey, this isn’t a dream, is it?”

“Wow, that guy can speak so normally sometimes?”

But not only in baseball, but also in words, you had to listen to the end. Nothing was over until it was over.

“So guys, let’s go to Berlin. Let’s go to Berlin together and show these motherfucking Jerrys what a real tank is!!!”

The faces of the staff members who had been brightened by Patton’s last shout turned pale again. And then…

“That’s right, gentlemen! The war is not over yet. Paris, you here have regained your freedom, but there are still those who suffer from the oppression of the Germans. That damn Hitler could not just leave Paris alone and tried to burn it to ashes. Can we just let this disgrace pass!!!”

De Gaulle, who was next to him, instead of trying to stop him, started to run wild with him.

“We must not stop just because we have reclaimed Paris. Just as the Americans helped us, we must also help our allies. He who wants to wear the crown must bear its weight. What kind of country is our France? Isn’t it a great country? Great France will fight to the end and win.”

As soon as de Gaulle finished speaking, the square was filled with cheers.

“Right!!”

“Viva France”

“Wow!!!”

“For a great France!”

The shouts that started out as a chaotic commotion soon began to unify into one slogan.

“To Berlin!”

“Let’s go to Berlin!”

“Berlin!”

“Berlin!”

“Berlin!”

The two madmen acted like they were going to Berlin at any moment, but as you can see, that wasn’t going to happen right away.

It was a month before Christmas.

What kind of day was Christmas? Even during World War I, when people were fighting while spraying poison gas as if they were going to kill, wasn’t Christmas a day when people sang carols and shared food with each other, thinking of the grace of the Lord Christ?

De Gaulle seemed ready to lead the French army to Germany at any moment, but he had many tasks ahead of him.

“The liquidation of Nazi collaborators must be the first priority.”

Although he called for Berlin, the first thing de Gaulle did was to liquidate Nazi collaborators.

Churchill did not hide his discomfort about this.

“Isn’t that too much? The urgent task now is not to liquidate Nazi collaborators, but to fight the war…”

“This is also part of the war for us. Doesn’t Britain catch spies?”

“That and this···.”

Britain condemned de Gaulle’s French Committee for National Liberation’s activities as being largely politically motivated, but to no avail.

And Patton and I were supposed to be headed for Washington, not Berlin.

##

Bampara bam baam

“Wow!”

“MacArthur! MacArthur!”

“Patton! Patton!”

It was difficult to open my eyes due to the flashes of reporters who had gathered around me.

Those who cheer and call my name are like that, but it was shocking to see the crowds enthusiastically calling his name, when just a few months ago, the public opinion that Patton should be retired immediately was nowhere to be found.

“Hahaha. I didn’t know it would be this bad···.”

Patton looked quite touched.

After entering Paris with de Gaulle, Patton had earned the nickname of the Liberator of Paris. It was only natural that the press would troll him.

-Patton, the friend of the French, the liberator of Paris.-

-He’s not a troublemaker, he’s just a little tough.-

-He only had a passion for tanks and a determination to never back down.-

-Patton, the unknown hero of Normandy, what were his achievements?-

-What is his secret for traveling over 600km from Marseille to Paris in just ten days?-

-If France has Napoleon, we have George S. Patton.-

-From Pancho Villa to Paris. Let’s learn about George Patton’s life-

Despite being treated as a troublemaker due to his slips of the tongue and other controversies, he became extremely popular as a hero of the U.S. Army, a friend of France, and the liberator of Paris.

“Oh my god. Real war is crazy.”

“Yes. That kid can become a hero. War really is…”

Some shook their heads, saying that they had come to realize how crazy war was.

“Do you think a guy like that deserves to be a leader?”

“Why? Montgomery is the captain too.”

“ah.”

Some were concerned about Patton’s promotion to general.

But what no one could deny was that Patton had definitely hit a home run this time.

“It’s all thanks to you, senior.”

“Right? So listen carefully from now on. Got it?”

“Of course.”

It’s third-rate to just sit back and worry when it’s obvious that an accident will happen.

Wouldn’t it be first-class to prevent accidents from happening?

The moment I saw Patton and De Gaulle become best friends, I could tell that they would be dealt with severely if they did something wrong. So I set De Gaulle aside, who I could do nothing about, and caught Patton and dealt with him severely.

“If you ever have to speak in front of people, think of them as Anna and Mary and speak to them as if they were you.”

“Anna and Mary… you mean your wife and our niece?”

“okay.”

As I nodded with a snicker, Patton looked at me with a very sheepish expression.

If you make a mistake with either of them, I’m not the only one who’s going to come after you with a shotgun. Not only Roosevelt, but even that seal thug who dotes on his nephew.

Whichever of the three he met, he would never be safe. And Patton knew that better than anyone.

Look now. The guy who was so excited and smirking just a moment ago is now standing there with a solemn and serious expression as Mary approaches him with a bouquet of flowers…

“Welcome America’s hero. It is my honor to present flowers to General Patton, the liberator of Paris.”

Patton bent down toward Mary, who was smiling and spouting off phrases that were clearly written down by someone else.

“Thank you, Mary. Are you a full-fledged lady now?”

Mary, who had been making a chic expression toward Patton, opened her eyes wide when she saw me standing behind her and flew towards me.

“Oh my. Is it okay for me to hug you like this?”

“ah.”

“It’s okay. It’s okay. Our daughter has grown a lot. She got heavier last time.”

“dad.”

Mary rolled her eyes at my joke for a moment before hugging me tightly.

“I’m glad you came back safely.”

He answered Mary’s wet mutterings by stroking the child’s head.

“You’re saying the obvious. You’ve had a hard time too. Isn’t your grandfather treating you too harshly?”

“No, it’s okay.”

I nodded as if I understood, seeing Mary shaking her head.

Because it wasn’t Mary who was being questioned about child labor and exploitation, it was someone else.

Anyway, it was thanks to the recapture of Paris that Patton and I were able to return home during the war.

Didn’t you once refuse the title of Marshal and talk about liberating Paris?

After recapturing Paris, shouldn’t he be given the rank of Marshal? And Patton, who had made a name for himself as the liberator of Paris, was finally set to become a general.

Of course, Patton wasn’t the only one promoted.

As I was promoted to field marshal, Bradley and Patton, as well as several other struggling lieutenant generals in the Pacific and Europe, were scheduled to be promoted to general.

However, it was impossible to gather everyone together for a promotion ceremony in the midst of a war. The person chosen as the representative was Patton.

I wasn’t the only one who became an enemy.

Although I was the first marshal in the U.S. Army, four others were to receive the rank of marshal within a day of each other: Marshall as Chief of Staff, Eisenhower in the Pacific, and Henry Arnold in charge of the Army Air Corps.

By the way, Mitchell was also considered, but he turned it down.

That was because he retired again a few months ago due to health issues.

However, I have been conveying words like this.

“I don’t need anything else. Just create an air force before I die. That’s enough. I don’t need to do anything like an enemy.”

Arnold chuckled at the thought that he was worried that when a person becomes wise it is time to die.

“Doesn’t it seem like the only thing you’re shouting about is the Air Force, then and now?”

And in the Navy, it was said that Arthur III, who is the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, King, who is the chief of naval operations, and Admiral Nimitz will be awarded the rank of field marshal.

“But the seals are complaining a lot?”

“Yes. There are four of us, but they say there are three.”

Marshall replied, sounding bewildered.

“Hey, you’re not very good at that.”

“That’s right. Honestly, if they hadn’t blown up the fleet near Guam, wouldn’t the Pacific Theater have ended by early evening?”

“yes.”

Anyway, they were funny guys.

A few days later, I was awarded the rank of Marshal along with my brother Arthur III.

“You really should be thanking me, hyung.”

Please save me from dying young, call me back from the reserves after I barely retired as a lieutenant general and make me a general, make me the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and make me the first admiral of the Navy.

At this level, it’s not enough to carry around for the rest of your life.

But contrary to my expectations, Arthur III snorted with a look of exultation on his face.

“Thank you? Gaamsa? You’re crazy. Wow, even when you were still active, you pushed people around so hard to develop torpedoes. You even called in retired people and pushed them into this hellhole. Thank you? Hey, do you know how sad I feel every time I look in the mirror these days?”

“I don’t know. Why?”

Arthur III was beating his chest in frustration at my answer, but I couldn’t figure out why.

So I had to be led by the officer who had received the rank of Marshal and enter the endless path of events. There were six more people who had received the rank of Marshal, including the seals, but what can I do, since the public wants me?

But it wasn’t so bad because I could see Mary or Anna once every day.

People liked me standing with Mary. It was a shame that I couldn’t see the other kids, but at least I could see Mary somewhere.

In between events and while moving around, I had the chance to chat with Mary, who had grown up so much.

Then one day it happened.

“dad.”

“huh.”

“That’s the friend my dad brought.”

When I asked who she was talking about, it turned out that the friend Mary was talking about was Rommel.

“That old man, he seemed a bit lacking.”

“huh?”

Who? Rommel seems lacking?

Daughter, what on earth were you talking about with that man?

A ray of light