George S . Patton ' s speech to the Third Army Patton ' s Speech to the Third Army , alternatively known simply as " Patton ' s Speech " or " The Speech " , was a series of speeches given by General George S . Patton to troops of the United States Third Army in 1944 , prior to the Normandy Landings . Patton , already established as a highly effective and charismatic leader , sought to motivate the inexperienced Third Army for its pending combat duty . In the oration , Patton implored his soldiers to do their duty regardless of personal fear , imploring them to aggressiveness and constant offensive action . Patton ' s profanity - laced speaking was viewed as unprofessional by some other officers but the speech resounded well with his men . Some historians have acclaimed the oration as Patton ' s greatest speaking as well as one of the greatest motivational speeches of all time . An abbreviated and less profane version of the speech became iconic after the 1970 movie " Patton " , as performed by actor George C . Scott before an enormous American flag . The performance was instrumental in bringing Patton into popular culture and transforming him into a folk hero . Background . In January 1944 , Lieutenant General George S . Patton was given command of the Third United States Army , a field army which was newly arrived in the United Kingdom and which was composed largely of inexperienced troops . Patton ' s job had been to train the Third Army to prepare it for the upcoming Operation Overlord , where it would be a follow - on unit as part of the Allied effort to invade and liberate Europe from Nazi Germany . By 1944 , Patton had been established as a highly effective and successful leader , noted for his ability to inspire his men with charismatic speeches , which he delivered from memory because of a lifelong trouble with reading . Patton deliberately cultivated a flashy , distinctive image in the belief that this would inspire his troops . He carried a flashy ivory - handled , Smith & Wesson Model 27 . 357 Magnum . He was usually seen wearing a highly polished helmet , riding pants , and high cavalry boots . His jeep bore oversized rank placards on the front and back , as well as a klaxon horn which would loudly announce his approach from afar . Patton was an effective combat commander , having rehabilitated the U . S . II Corps during the North African Campaign and then led the Seventh United States Army through the Invasion of Sicily during 1943 , at times personally appearing to his troops in the middle of battle in hopes of inspiring them . Patton ' s army had beaten British general Bernard Law Montgomery to Messina which gained him considerable fame , though a " slapping incident " sidelined his career for several months thereafter . At the time of the speeches , Patton was attempting to keep a low profile among the press , as he had been ordered to by General Dwight Eisenhower . Patton was made a central figure in an elaborate phantom army deception scheme , and the Germans believed he was in Dover preparing the First United States Army Group for an invasion of Pas de Calais . On each occasion , Patton would wear his polished helmet , full dress uniform , polished riding boots , and a riding crop to snap for effect . Patton frequently kept his face in a scowl he referred to as his " war face " . Patton would arrive in a Mercedes and deliver the speech on a raised platform surrounded by a very large audience seated around the platform and on surrounding hills . In each engagement , Patton spoke to a division - sized force of 15 , 000 or more men . The speech . Patton began delivering speeches to his troops in the United Kingdom in February 1944 . The extent of his giving the particular speech that became famous is unclear , with different sources saying it had taken this form by March , or around early May , or in late May . The number of speeches given is also not clear , with one source saying four to six , and others suggesting that every unit in the Third Army heard an instance . The most famous and well known of the speeches occurred on 5 June 1944 , the day before D - Day . Though he was unaware of the actual date for the beginning of the invasion of Europe ( as the Third Army was not part of the initial landing force ) , Patton used the speech as a motivational device to excite the men under his command and prevent them from losing their nerve . Patton delivered the speech extemporaneously , without notes of his own , and so though it was substantially the same at each occurrence , the order of some of its parts varied . One notable difference occurred in the speech he delivered on 31 May 1944 , while addressing the U . S . 6th Armored Division , when he began with a remark that would later be among his most famous : Patton ' s words were later written down by a number of troops who witnessed his remarks , and so a number of iterations exist with differences in wording . Historian Terry Brighton constructed a full speech from a number of soldiers who recounted the speech in their memoirs , including Gilbert R . Cook , Hobart R . Gay , and a number of other junior soldiers . Patton only wrote briefly of his orations in his diary , noting , " as in all of my talks , I stressed fighting and killing . " The speech later became so popular that it was called simply " Patton ' s speech " or " The speech " when referencing the general . Impact . The speech was noted to be favorably received by the troops under Patton ' s command . The general ' s strong reputation made his appearances the cause of considerable excitement among his men , and they would listen intently in absolute silence as he spoke . A majority indicated they enjoyed Patton ' s speaking style . As one officer recounted of the end of the speech , " the men instinctively sensed the fact and the telling mark that they themselves would play in world history because of it , for they were being told as much right now . Deep sincerity and seriousness lay behind the General ' s colorful words , and the men well knew it , but they loved the way he put it as only he could do it . " Patton gave a humorous tone to the speech , as he intentionally sought to make his men laugh with his colorful delivery . Observers later noted the troops seemed to find the speeches very funny . In particular , Patton ' s use of obscene humor was well received by the enlisted men , as it was " the language of the barracks " . A notable minority of Patton ' s officers were unimpressed or displeased with their commander ' s use of obscenities , viewing it as unprofessional conduct for a military officer . Among some officers ' later recounting of the speech , " bullshit " would be replaced by " baloney " and " fucking " by " fornicating " . At least one account replaced " we ' re going to hold the enemy by the balls " to " we ' re going to hold the enemy by the nose . " Among the critics of Patton ' s frequent use of vulgarities was General Omar Bradley , Patton ' s former subordinate . It was well known that the two men were polar opposites in personality , and there is considerable evidence that Bradley disliked Patton both personally and professionally . In response to criticisms of his coarse language , Patton wrote to a family member , " When I want my men to remember something important , to really make it stick , I give it to them double dirty . It may not sound nice to a bunch of little old ladies , at an afternoon tea party , but it helps my soldiers to remember . You can ' t run an army without profanity , and it has to be eloquent profanity . An army without profanity couldn ' t fight its way out of a piss - soaked paper bag . " Under Patton , the Third Army landed in Normandy during July 1944 and would go on to play an integral role in the last months of the war in Europe , closing the Falaise Pocket in mid - August , and playing the key role in relieving the siege of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge in December , a feat regarded as one of the most notable achievements in the war . The rapid offensive action and speed that Patton called for in the speech became actions which brought the Third Army wide acclaim in the campaign . Historians acclaim the speech as one of Patton ' s best works . Author Terry Brighton called it " the greatest motivational speech of the war and perhaps of all time , exceeding ( in its morale boosting effect if not as literature ) the words Shakespeare gave King Henry V at Agincourt . " Alan Axelrod contended it was the most famous of his many memorable quotes . The speech became an icon of popular culture after the 1970 film " Patton " , which was about the general ' s wartime exploits . The opening of the movie saw actor George C . Scott , as Patton , delivering a toned - down version of the speech before an enormous American flag . It began with a version of Patton ' s " No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country . . . " quote . Scott ' s iteration omitted much of the middle of the speech relating to Patton ' s anecdotes about Sicily and Libya , as well as his remarks about the importance of every soldier to the war effort . In contrast to Patton ' s humorous approach , Scott delivered the speech in an entirely serious , low and gruff tone . Still , Scott ' s depiction of Patton in this scene is an iconic depiction of the General which earned Scott an Academy Award for Best Actor , and was instrumental in bringing Patton into popular culture as a folk hero .