Read the Patton Letter

General Patton was a prolific writer. The following is an extract from a letter written on 6 June 1944. The letter is to his son, Cadet Patton, who was at West Point at the time. It gives us an insight into the mindset of this genuine Knight of the Armor Force.
"To be a successful soldier, you must know history. Read it objectively ... What you must know is how man reacts. Weapons change, but the man who uses them does not at all. To win battles, you do not beat weapons - you beat the soul of man of the enemy man... You must read biographies and especially autobiographies. If you do it, you will find that war is simple. Decide what will hurt the enemy most within the limits of your capabilities to harm him, and then do it. TAKE CALCULATED RISKS. That is quite different from being rash. My personal belief is that if you have a 50% chance, take it because the superior fighting qualities of American soldiers led by me will surely give you the extra 1% necessary."

"The most vital quality a soldier can possess is SELF-CONFIDENCE, utter, complete, and bumptious. You can have doubts about your good looks, about your intelligence, about your self–control, but to win in war, you must have no doubts about your ability as a soldier...."

"Soldiers, all men, in fact, are natural hero worshipers. Officers with a flare for command realize this and emphasize in their conduct, dress, and deportment the qualities they seek to produce in their men...."

"... You are always on parade... There is no such thing as a good field soldier.' You are either a good soldier or a bad soldier."

General George S. Patton Jr.