My Dad was a WWII veteran. While he served under Gen. Mark Clark he told me General Patton’s nickname became “. He told the joke among the mean was that it was His Guts your Blood. “Blood and Guts” Patton on this day in 1945 and his 3rd Army captured Frankfurt, as “Old Blood and Guts” continued his march east. Frankfurt am Main, literally “On the Main” River, in western Germany, was the mid-19th century capital of.

In late December 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, General Patton broke through the German lines of the besieged Belgian city of Bastogne, relieving its valiant defenders. Patton then pushed the Germans east. Patton’s goal was to cross the Rhine, even if not a single bridge was left standing over which to do it. As Patton reached the banks of the river on March 22, 1945, he found that one bridge, the Ludendorff Bridge, located in the little town of Remagen, had not been destroyed. American troops had already made a crossing on March 7, a signal moment in the war and in history, as an enemy army had not crossed the Rhine since Napoleon accomplished the feat in 1805.

Patton grandly made his crossing, and from the bridgehead created there, Old Blood and Guts and his 3rd Army headed east and captured Frankfurt on the 29th. Patton then crossed through southern Germany and into Czechoslovakia, only to encounter an order not to take the capital, Prague, as it had been reserved for the Soviets. Patton was, not unexpectedly, livid.

There will be a Legion Certificate of Appreciation presented to Vice Commander Steve Swinford’s Barber in Mannford who sold all those 10-gun raffle tickets for us last year. Also, thanks also to Carl Blue who put up a 10-gun Raffle Poster and left raffle tickets at the Hominy pawn shop on Highways 20&99 for the current raffle.

John Henry Mashunkashey from Barnsdall is with the Purple Heart Society. Since the City Council voted to make Hominy a Purple Heart City to honor our Hominy veterans, the Purple Heart Society of Oklahoma is preparing an official plaque that could be placed at City Hall or elsewhere and John Henry will pay for the highway signs which are made in Louisiana.

This is a reminder that The Department of Oklahoma in OKC has Legion 100th Anniversary coins for sale at $15 each.

Next Legion Meeting will be Thursday April 5th, usually with inner at 6:00 PM and meeting at 7:00 PM. We will conduct the election of officer s at that time. Monday morning Koffee Klatch meetings in March are still scheduled for biscuits and gravy with always a cup of Joe (coffee to the civilians). Keep your eye on the weather in case things must be postponed (like freezing weather). If you are a veteran come on by. If you have a good story it may end up in print. Also keep up with us at website “americanlegion142.org”.