there was another key time afterwards, after -- near roosevelt's death where luben intervened on behalf of donovan on the oss. >> okay, i want to thank our panelists for a terrific job. and lynn bassanese will offer a few closing words. thank you. >> that was a fantastic discussion and i'm sorry we have to bring it to a close. before we end our program today, i would like to thank our panelists, lynne olson, thomas parrish, david woolner, and i thank them not only for their scholarship and knowledge, but because they're dear friends of the roosevelt library. they frequent our research room and they never say no to our requests to share their whork

with the audience. i'd like to thank the roosevelt institute and for all they do to support the library. nothing is achieved at the roosevelt library without the amazing assistance of the staff. i want to thank cliff lobby, sarah malcolm and the volunteers bob sullivan and pat bream and the wonderful books that our panelists have written on the fascinating people and subjects are available at our museum store. i strongly suggest you purchase a few for some fascinating reading. thanks again for joining us and if you have time, please walk over and visit the museum as our guests. thank you.

now a film produced by the us army on world war ii general george s. patton. it originally aired as part of the big picture series on abc television from 1951 through 1975. this series focused on historic battles, figures and traditions in u.s. military history. it's a half hour. in 1942, he stepped forth like some warrior of old, to lead and inspire vast forces of men. at a pace never equalled, his third army swept across the continent of europe. no american leader was more colorful and more successful. general george s. patton, jr., dedicated to glory and to victory that was won. the name, the symbol the victori

victories, our history. >> the united states army presents "the big picture." an official report produced for the armed forces and the american people. our guest narrator, mr. ronald reg reagan. >> it's not easy to believe that george s. patton, jr., was once just georgy. a missouri, this lad believed he'd be general george s.

patton, jr. his imagination was stirred by stories of great heroes of the past. told by his father. his military career began at vmi. at west point he proved himself a model cadet, although like washington and napoleon, he could not spell. rarely from this time on would georgy flash this attractive smile. it didn't go with his very serious ideas of soldiering. he established a first football team for soldiers. to keep them from wasting their off hours in drinking and gambling. world war i, convinced that this pond rouse vehicle would come into its own, he studied it. rode into battle on it. became a hero alongside. our first tank commander, he would always be linked with the

weapon that symbolized his driving, overwhelming personality. after the war, the tank school at ft. meade. two officers shared a deep military interest. ike eisenhower and georgie. the fierce expression, his get-up at masquerades reflected his deep instinct to play warrior or fighter. his wife joined in, sensing that even in fun these roles suited her soldier husband. the time came as it had before when the clothing of battle was to be worn by millions of americans. november 1942. in command of the american forces for the invasion of north africa.

lieutenant general george s. patton, jr. one of the outstanding features of the brief campaign was patton's bold leadership and later, the favorable impression he created on french and arabs alike. long-range plans could now be discussed, plans which would cast the toughest general in a leading role. meanwhile a battle was raging to the east in tunisia.

his tankers when they roused to the pitch of the fighting spirit and entered the fray. allied leaders such as general alexander sensed patton's remarkable military gifts, his judgment, his sure instinct for what the enemy would do. patton set a tank trap for rommel. rommel marched right into it. his tenth division lost half of its 60 tanks. retired and never attempted a counterattack.

his reputation grew. he looked forward eagerly to his next campaign. he'd been selected to command a new army, the seventh. slated for the conquest of sicily. an order of the day from patton to his men. remember that we as attackers have the initiative.

we must retain this tremendous advantage by always attacking, rapidly, ruthlessly, viciously without rest. keep punching. god is with us. we shall win. attack, attack, and when in doubt, attack again. patton's major principle for fighting battles or a war. his chief mission he believed was to arouse the morale of his men. he urged them on certain that speed and boldness could shorten the war.

like monty, he believed in show manship. but he was aware if the act could not be carried off in fine style, the men would see through it. they used every means to inspire the troops of their vast command. sicily proved to be a model campaign. sound tactics and a fighting spirit won the island in 38 days. a supreme allied commander paid a visit. passionately involved in the work at hand, patton had acquired a reputation or the being tempestuous, sometimes

rash. there was a question as to his role in the invasion of ft. peshawar. then his whereabouts carefully concealed from the german high command, he appeared in great britain. new troops called him old blood and guts. the old timers referred to him as the old man. who knew more about fighting than any man alive. he called a spade a spade. he told them to get mad and stay mad. they listened.

on d-day, behind bradley's first army, another army assembled. patton's third. with plenty of armor, this outfit was like its commander. fast, hard-hitting, spirited, spectacular. when the peninsula began the attack, an all-out blitz, a german blitzkrieg.

the old man had said, the harder we push the more nazis we'll kill, and the more nazis we kill the fewer of our men will be killed. pushing means fewer casualties. the third took the old man at his word and found he was right. the beginning of a long list of towns occupied by germans one day, liberated the next.

at the head of the vast crusading army, the man fulfilling a destiny he had dreamed of since early youth. the attacks now were in all directions at once. toward the south and north. and east. toward germany. the third advanced like a tidal wave and the enemy's response was feared. he told his men in the last two weeks, the third has advanced farther and faster than any other army in history. my intendtion is to move farther and faster still.

outrunning the maps, the third army crossed the seine. in his words he was touring france with an army. he was everywhere at once. covering the great distances within his command. his use of light aircraft exemplified his eagerness to adopt any new means of increasing efficiency. throughout the 19th tactical air command of the 8th army air force gave him incredibly close support. the astounding advances went on and on.

patton saw nothing in the way. he was ready to push on, into the heart of germany. struggling to keep up with his fast-moving front was a miraculous supply effort known as the red ball express. but now patton's supply lines were strained to the utmost. winter was approaching. other allied armies were feeling the pinch. the third was ordered to hold up, to take the defensive. nothing but defeat itself could have made the general more depressed. this was a difficult time for an army built to roll.

he was assured by his old friend that the third would receive adequate supplies to resume what they had begun. patton urged his leaders to keep high the morale created during the offensive. he himself delivered the pep talks for which he was famous, giving credit, instilling pride, urging men to even greater deeds. then the green light. in 400 years, this fortress city had withstood every assault.

this was no cheap victory. but the fall of this highly regarded fortification bore out patton's belief that no defense position had ever been successfully defended. with general walker at the front, new plans now. a great drive toward the highly reputed siegfried line. but an instinct for what the enemy will do had alerted him to a new danger.

feemdz -- field marshals struck on the fronts and the battle of the bulge. patton was asked to speed what help he could. could it be in three days ike asked? patton's armored troops would make it in two. dashing 100 miles over icy roads. then at the heart of major attack, patton's concentrated armored power.

terrible weather prevented a much needed air attack. a religious man, patton frequently prayed. this time, a prayer went out on thousands of printed cards for all his men to join him. almighty and merciful father, grant us fair weather for battle. now, the enemy was on the defensive. in patton's book, they were

destined to fail. the 3rd broke the back of the german offensive and began preparations for their own. always the old man pushed them harder than anyone had pushed them before. always the results were more than they might have expected. for a commander who was so obviously a winner, he would do the impossible. patton believed in decorations, in recognizing and exulting the heroic quantums of his men. and they sensed a sincerity when he used words like duty, patriotism and loyalty. to him, these words had real meaning.

the siegfried line. in patton's words, this monument to the stupidity of man cracked easily. the famous 3rd was now on the loose again. on a spring rampage that would bring the war to a close before summer. again, patton's army was going beyond expectations. the enemy believed patton would

pause at the rhine. he went right across. now, along a wide front, his divisions fought toward the final goal. always he took time out to give credit where it really belonged. to the men. to private harold a. garmon, the medal of honor. exulting sacrifice, patton never dwelt long on the horrors of war. but as his 3rd army overran concentration camps in germany, he saw horror of a new kind.

victories piled up as the 3rd turned southwest to link up with soviet forces in the danube valley. it was over. for a moment, patton relaxed his carefully maintained role of colorful leader to be himself. on his return, americans showed their gratitude.

in general pershing's words, it didn't hurt america to have a general so bold that he was dangerous. los angeles went all out in its reception. with him was general doolittle, whose force in europe did so much to ensure final victory. >> although no unit, no individual won the war, we're fortunate in having one here with us tonight with us who had a large part in winning the war. i'm pleased and proud to have been privileged to fight by the side of general george patton. [ applause ] >> your honorable mayor, general

doolittle, soldiers, ladies and gentlemen, coming over here, that was a very great, the first four hours, we passed over a destroyed land. permanently destroyed. those who have not seen it do not know what hell looks like from the top. that's what germany looks like. that's what it looks like, that's what anyplace that the 8 air force and 3rd army worked on looks like. [ applause ] you must remember this, that those blessed in various towns and solid governing and names

who i can't pronounce, but whose places i have removed -- [ laughter ] -- the trail of the 3rd army and the 19th tactical air commander of the 8 air force is marked by more than 40,000 white crosses. 40,000 dead americans. >> few realized how deeply he felt about his men. germany with no more battle to win, patton watched americans compete on the playing field. again, he saw the fighting spirit. the will to win. a quality that he loved to admire and which he epitomized himself. struggle was the test of a man. war, the supreme struggle

provided the highest test. he had expected his own death to be spectacular. in this one prediction, had weighs more mistaken than in the planning of any battle. he died of injuries received in an automobile accident four months after the end of the war.

the place of burial, among the men of the 3rd army who had fallen in the battle of the bulge. his personality lives on in the statue at west point. he lived for action and glory and reached the heights in serving his country.