General Patton’s Silent Night

“On December 21, 1945—75 years ago today—in the stillness of his waning moments in a German military hospital, General George S. Patton Jr. pondered his life.”

Editor’s note: Although based on actual events, this is a fictionalized account (with some artistic liberties taken) of the last night of General George S. Patton Jr.’s life by Robert Orlando, the director of the 2018 film Silence Patton.

On December 21, 1945—75 years ago today—in the stillness of his waning moments in a German military hospital, General George S. Patton Jr. pondered his life.

In the darkness of his Heidelberg hospital room, a Christmas tree nearby, Patton the warrior, lying face down, experienced the unfamiliar—a lack of control. This could, indeed, serve as a metaphor for the moments during the war when his Third Army was commanded to proceed no further on its would-be, triumphant march to Berlin. His own words now echo over the beats of his electrocardiogram: “I don’t want any messages saying, ‘I’m holding my position.’ We’re not holding a f—ing thing. Our plan of operation is to advance and keep on advancing. Allow Monty and the Brits to receive the glory now that the war is coming to a final settlement?” Patton had rushed to save Eisenhower’s early plans in Bastogne and to prevent Adolf Hitler’s last desperate chance to prolong the war. Patton had witnessed countless Nazis surrendering in his race across France. He was aware of the German commanders’ desire to surrender. Instead, however, he would have to wait and watch as the Soviets approached from the East.

Patton had already imagined President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ghost visiting his hospital room. He received a grin from Churchill wishing him well; the Prime Minister, too, had wanted to push back Stalin as far east as possible. Something moves in the dark, and Patton becomes aware of Stalin’s presence, a ghostly figure showing its red uniform in the ambient light. Patton’s thoughts fire at Stalin like daggers: “I could have defeated you, Genghis Khan! We promised the Eastern Europeans freedom. It would be worse than dishonorable not to see they have it. This might mean war with the Russians, but what of it?” The prescient Patton knew all too clearly that Russia was now the real enemy.