On this day in 1945, General George S. Patton’s 3rd Army captures Frankfurt.
In December 1944, prior to the famed Battle of the Bulge, Patton asked his chaplain Colonel James O’Neill to write a prayer asking God for good weather for battle. 250,000 prayer cards were distributed to every soldier in his Third Army.
“Chaplain, I am a strong believer in prayer. There are three ways that men get what they want; by planning, by working, and by praying.”
3,200 training letters went out to officers and chaplains to, for, as Chaplain O’Neill said: “we must urge, instruct, and indoctrinate every fighting man to pray as well as fight. In Gideon’s day, and in our own, spiritually alert minorities carry the burdens and bring the victories.”
Patton was victorious. First, his army broke through the German lines at Christmastime. Then, they crossed the Rhine river in the week leading up to the capture of Frankfurt.
Victory to Victory
Here’s the aforementioned prayer:
“Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish Thy justice among men and nations.”