In early August, 1943, General George S. Patton was making the rounds to inspect the soldiers fighting under his command in Sicily. Over the course of two visits, on August 3 and August 10, Patton commended the wounded soldiers he met. During each visit, he noticed men who appeared to have no physical injuries. When the men replied that it was nerves, Patton slapped the men and ordered the medical staff not to admit them. When word of these incidents spread, General Eisenhower temporarily removed Patton from the front lines. In early 1944, Patton's name surfaced as the head of a fictional army that was part of the deception campaign prior to D-Day. |