If you've ever seen Patton, you know the speech I'm talking about. It opens the movie with Patton addressing troops that you never see. Just a HUGE flag behind him.

Here it is if you want to watch it but please note... Patton obviously has a big heart for illegitimate children and their dog mothers. He also likes goose dung and a few other things like that. This is part of why my story is so funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u7qswjJEA4


Now when I was a kid, my dad had me listen to this speech every year or two (everytime it came on!). The movie would come on at 8 pm right at my bedtime but my immovable bedtime was always shoved back the 6.5 minutes that it took for this speech. I know most of it by heart still.

However, my kids have never seen it so I decided that at almost 13, it was time for Nolan to wtch it. I sat him down and the half-winces on his face at every inappropriate word were both heartening (I don't want my kids to ever be immune to foul language) and a bit comical.

About half way through, he quit wincing as much and sat up a bit straighter. Then his chest started to swell a bit. By the end his hands were clenching and this look of raw American pride was clearly etched on his face. He turned to me and said. "That was a good speech. Too bad he has such a limited vocabulary."