Defense Secretary Robert Gates offered tenuous support for issuing the purple heart to any military person suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. While I am sure that many of our Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors suffer from the horrific realities of combat, the wound is not the same as taking a bullet, losing an arm or a leg, etc….
I am reminded of the field hospital scene in the movie Patton:
Patton: What’s the matter with you?
Soldier: Well, I… I guess I… I can’t take it anymore.
Patton: What did you say?
Soldier: It’s my nerves, sir. I… I just can’t stand the shelling anymore.
Patton: Your “nerves”? Well, hell, you’re nothing but a God-damned coward.
[Soldier starts sniveling]
Patton: Shut up!
[Slaps him, once forehanded, then backhanded on the rebound]
Patton: I’m not going to have a man sitting here crying! In front of these brave men who have been wounded in battle!
[Soldier snivels some more, and Patton swings a vicious forehand slap, knocking his helmet away]
Patton: Shut up!
[to the doctors]
Patton: Don’t admit this yellow bastard. There’s nothing wrong with him. I won’t have a man who’s just afraid to fight stinking up this place of honor! You will get him back up to the front.
[to soldier]
Patton: You’re going back to the front, boy. You may get shot, and you may get killed, but you’re going back to the fighting. Either that, or I’ll stand you up before a firing squad. Why, I ought to shoot you right now, you…
[pulls his service automatic. At that, the doctors leap forward and hustle the soldier out of the tent. Patton keeps shouting at the soldier’s back]
Patton: God-damned bastard! Get him out of here! Take him back to the front! You hear me? You God-damned coward!
[Takes deep breath]
Patton: I won’t have cowards in my army.
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