1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. May 2 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 1: God have mercyful my enemies, because I won't welcome to 3 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History. My name is Ben. That is a quote 4 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: by George S. Patton Jr. My name is no. And 5 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:40,599 Speaker 1: that was a very grizzled sounding impression there. I liked 6 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: it very much. Is that what he sounded like? I mean, 7 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: he's he's living life in the middle of wars man. 8 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: That's that's like a war voice. He is known as 9 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 1: one of the most grizzled generals, as portrayed by what 10 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: is it George C. Scott got it? Yeah, Casey on 11 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: the case That Casey on the case is uh. Nod 12 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: to our super producer, Casey Pegram. That was a nice 13 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: doubling up of those moments there, Ben. I really like that. 14 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: So who was General Patton? Ben? Great question? Uh? In 15 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: addition to be in the main character of today's Strange 16 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 1: Ridiculous anecdote, George Smith Pattent Jr. Was a general of 17 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:22,960 Speaker 1: the U. S Army who commanded the seventh Army in 18 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,399 Speaker 1: World War Two, the Third Army in France and Germany 19 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 1: after D Day UH the Allied invasion of Normandy in 20 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 1: June of nineteen forty four. He also makes an appearance 21 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 1: in one of my favorite graphic novel series, Uber, which 22 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: I highly recommend checking out if you are a World 23 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: War Two buff, if you're a sci fi buff, if 24 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: you just like good stories. He was born into a 25 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: family with a very storied military background, both in the U. S. 26 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 1: Army and in the late Confederate Army. He went to 27 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: West Point, he study the fencing. He even designed the 28 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: M one cavalry saber more commonly known as the patent 29 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:11,359 Speaker 1: saber today. Fun fact about him he competed in the 30 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: nineteen twelve Summer Olympics. I know it's true. He was 31 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: a triathlete, or excuse me, a pent athlete swimming, riding, fencing, 32 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: running and shooting. Man, that is a real uh pent 33 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 1: tuple threat? Yes, yeah, I mean forget about Broadway, right, 34 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: what do they have? Just triple threats? But now it's true. 35 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: This was in the nineteen twelve Olympic Games in Stockholm. 36 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 1: What a guy. And on his way up to all 37 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: of these accolades, it was later were later to come 38 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 1: for a patent. He was one of the inaugural members 39 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 1: of the first ever United States Tank cores established in 40 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: nineteen seventeen, so he thought he would see more action 41 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 1: with these newly invented armored vehicles than what if he 42 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: had just stayed with the infantry. And before the year 43 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: had passed nineteen seventeen, Patent becomes a colonel and he 44 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 1: sent to France and he's ordered to find a good 45 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: location in France to train people in the use of tanks. 46 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: He finds a village named Borg b o U r 47 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 1: G and he says, you know what this, this will do. 48 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: That'll do pig because it has so much mud that 49 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: they can practice driving in. It's true. It turns out 50 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: the Borgs primary exports are fish and mud. Oh is 51 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: that is that true? Okay? Oh? How how? Why are we? 52 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: Why are we mentioning the village? And we we didn't 53 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: even check with you, Casey, What can can you illuminate 54 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: the Francophone perspective on this village Borg? Well, Borg is 55 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,120 Speaker 1: like a generic kind of um word that you see 56 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: in lots of city names, like Luxembourg or something. Um. 57 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: It's like Pittsburgh that we see here in America. But 58 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: it just means, basically, it's like a village that's on 59 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: the larger side and features markets and you know, would 60 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: be sort of a meeting place or a trading place 61 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: for other smaller villages nearby. So that's a boorg. But 62 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: this one is just called Org so they didn't bother 63 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 1: specifying anything more, you know, precise, just Burg. So it's 64 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 1: like a town named town. Yeah, kind of casey on 65 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:21,480 Speaker 1: the case. So it seems like a little bit of 66 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 1: an uncreative burg Borg here, but you know that makes 67 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 1: sense where they would be so lousy with fish and mud, 68 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 1: but not a bad place to train Tanksman, what do 69 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:33,480 Speaker 1: you call a tank a tanker? Where where the fish 70 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 1: coming from? I don't know, just my imagination. Okay, well 71 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:38,479 Speaker 1: they're a long water so a little coastal r. What 72 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: do you call a tank driver, pilot, a pilot. No, 73 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:44,160 Speaker 1: you don't call them a pilot. You would call them 74 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: a driver. The driver drives the tank, but they're not 75 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: really in charge. They're just steering their following orders. Yes, 76 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: they have a professional backseat driver called the commander, and 77 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 1: they're in charge of the whole tank. Oh that's got 78 00:04:57,200 --> 00:04:59,719 Speaker 1: to get a little bit awkward sometimes a professional backseat 79 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: dry ever. Well, yeah, they but they're also in charge 80 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: of telling the gunner and the load or what to 81 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:07,839 Speaker 1: do and communicated with Okay, so you got they're not 82 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:10,359 Speaker 1: just sitting there. You got a gunner, a loader, a driver, 83 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:12,599 Speaker 1: and a commander. So it's a four person team in 84 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: one of these things, yes, or three if there's an 85 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:19,720 Speaker 1: auto loader installed, because the then the loader doesn't need 86 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: to be there. They would just be watching the auto loader. 87 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:27,039 Speaker 1: But back to pattent back to the board. Uh, no 88 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 1: relation to the board from Star Trek which dissimilate, which 89 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: I loved. You remember when Picard gets taken by the 90 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: borg and turns into Locutis gets borged. You could tell 91 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 1: he had some heft behind the scenes at that point 92 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: because his face wasn't really covered the way all the 93 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 1: other board where he just got a little dally bop 94 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:51,280 Speaker 1: on his one of his temples, a little laser. He 95 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,600 Speaker 1: was like a high ranking board. Yes, yeah he was. 96 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: He was. I think they even made a film about it. Man, 97 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 1: I forgot. I wonder if the board aged well. I 98 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: used to love the idea when I was a kid. 99 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 1: But that's a story for another day. Today's story still 100 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:09,600 Speaker 1: has us talking with Patton. He's found the perfect place 101 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:15,239 Speaker 1: to create his tank training school, and while he's there, 102 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: something very strange happens. The mayor of Borg comes to 103 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: Patton and he is weeping. This mayor openly, openly because 104 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:29,919 Speaker 1: he feels terrible. I forgot to tell you, colonel. He 105 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: says to Patton that there is an American soldier, one 106 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:37,239 Speaker 1: of your countrymen, who has died in this our small town. 107 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 1: So Patton, like in a frenzy, He's like, oh, man, 108 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:41,719 Speaker 1: have I lost someone? Am I one man down? And 109 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 1: he looks through his ranks and finds that is not 110 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,600 Speaker 1: the case. But the mayor says, no, no, there's definitely 111 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 1: been a dead soldier that was left behind here and 112 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:52,280 Speaker 1: there's a soldier's grave. I'm confused about this relationship here. 113 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: What is he talking about? Why is he's he's saying 114 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: there's a dead soldier that is from your company, a 115 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: dead soldier from a previous engagement here, a dead American soldiers, 116 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:07,160 Speaker 1: not necessarily as specific as from your crew that you're 117 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 1: taking to train in tankery. He's alluding to other some 118 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: other group of soldiers that passed by, and he feels 119 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: like he needs to inform them, but Patent, as you said, no, 120 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: he checks through. He says, well, all of my people 121 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 1: are fine, and the mayor insists, no, no, look, will 122 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 1: you at least go visit this guy's grave. We should 123 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 1: also mention that Borg is a really small town, and 124 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 1: like some other small towns in France, Board's population declined 125 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: considerably during World War one and two. So this is 126 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: this is a very small place. And the mayor takes 127 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:46,679 Speaker 1: pattent to this grave site. To this quote unquote grave site, 128 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: there's a mound of dirt. There's a stick post in 129 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: the ground at one end, and nailed crosswise on that 130 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: stick such that it forms a rustic looking cross like 131 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: you see on a grave, is another piece of wood, 132 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:04,120 Speaker 1: and it has what perhaps the mayor thought was the 133 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: name of the fallen soldier. It's it's a strange name. 134 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,080 Speaker 1: It's not a very common name, I would say, then 135 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:14,559 Speaker 1: or now for a person. The name is abandoned rear 136 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 1: conjured so much imagery. So you've got the mud, and 137 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 1: stacked on top of the mud, you got a pile 138 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: of dirt, and shoved into the dirt, you got a stick. 139 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: And then on the stick there's a sign that says 140 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: abandoned rear um and yeah, and the and the French 141 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 1: mayor had apparently made a little bit of a goof 142 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:34,920 Speaker 1: and and thought this sign was across. Like you said, 143 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 1: I don't know, how do we keep spinning this yarn 144 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:39,080 Speaker 1: bend before we do the big reveal? Or how do 145 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 1: we how do we do this? Let's set the sea 146 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: just a little bit good because patents reading this and uh, 147 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,079 Speaker 1: you know, he has probably never heard of someone with 148 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 1: that name. And we can only speculate, my friends, we 149 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 1: can only imagine, hopefully optimistically, that the French mayor is 150 00:08:56,320 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: is kind of weeping, you know, by this very straight 151 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: a somewhat bellicost officer and then saying like, oh, can 152 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: you imagine the life he could have led, the humanity, 153 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:12,559 Speaker 1: the inhumanity of war. He was but a youth, a child, 154 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: oh abandoned rear. Yeah. The French are known as being 155 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:20,200 Speaker 1: somewhat emotional individuals, right, and you know they like to 156 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 1: weep openly while eating cheese and drinking tiny cups of coffee. 157 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:27,080 Speaker 1: Watch out, we have a lot of French listeners. I'm 158 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 1: just kidding, French listeners. Goodness, gracious, we don't want to 159 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:33,520 Speaker 1: we don't want to get the La Bush contingent. Look, 160 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 1: Americans only eat cheeseburgers and drink large, big gulp Coca Cola's. 161 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 1: And um what else do we do? We ride seguys 162 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: everywhere we go. No, I don't know. I'm just trying 163 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:49,200 Speaker 1: to stereotype everyone. That's gonna be my new thing. I'm 164 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: gonna do on the show. That's your new thing. So 165 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: what happened? What happened? What could you tell us the 166 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:04,360 Speaker 1: story of abandoned Rearnal? How did this? How did this 167 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:07,800 Speaker 1: grave come to pass? Oh? Well, he certainly made a 168 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 1: grave mistake in identifying this, uh, this spot as a grave, because, 169 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: as it turns out, the mayor it made a terrible decision. 170 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:17,199 Speaker 1: Wasn't a grave at all. But it was a latrine, 171 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:24,959 Speaker 1: a potty, a privy, yes, a toilet. Uh, this latrine 172 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: was dug in the woods. It's it's a very common 173 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:34,239 Speaker 1: part of camp hygiene to bury your you know, your leavings. 174 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:35,959 Speaker 1: I went to camp hygiene when I was a kid. 175 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:37,959 Speaker 1: It was great. They taught you how to like brush 176 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:40,840 Speaker 1: your teeth and put on deodorant and just stay nice 177 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: and fresh. Like is the bit you went to a 178 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:46,560 Speaker 1: place named camp camp hygiene. Okay, is the real thing? Oh, 179 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 1: it's kind of like space Camp, but it's camp hygiene, 180 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: good hygiene. Oh Man, space Camp. I know, dude, I 181 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 1: really did go to space Camp. I know you did. 182 00:10:56,760 --> 00:10:59,199 Speaker 1: I went to space Camp as well. Casey, which one 183 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:01,560 Speaker 1: did you go to? Phil? Yeah? I went to I 184 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 1: went to Huntsville as well. Matt also went to space Camp. 185 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:06,840 Speaker 1: From our other show, I have not been to space Camp, 186 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 1: only Camp Hygiene. I feel like he didn't miss very much. No, 187 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:11,560 Speaker 1: really that he did. You to do the gyroscope? I 188 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: love the gyroscope? Did the gyroscope? You do the moonwalk? 189 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 1: Which is way cooler than the Michael Jackson moon walk. 190 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: I was moderately cooler than the Michael Jackson moon walk. Uh, 191 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 1: contrary to what the eighties film would have you believe, 192 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,440 Speaker 1: you don't actually accidentally end up in a space shuttle. 193 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 1: But I learned a lot. But did you learn how 194 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:32,680 Speaker 1: to diggle a train? Ben? Yeah? I did that in 195 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 1: Boy Scouts? OK. Well that's what I learned in Camp hygiene, 196 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,199 Speaker 1: And that's what they were looking at that they thought 197 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: was a grave, but it was in fact. What does 198 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:43,199 Speaker 1: a band in rear mean? Does that mean we've I 199 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:46,080 Speaker 1: don't understand what does a band in rear. That's just 200 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: what someone used to describe their their leavings or their latrine. 201 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:55,679 Speaker 1: Here's the thing. People find out about this story in patents, 202 00:11:56,200 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 1: autobiographical accounts which he drew from his Die Harry entries, 203 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:05,080 Speaker 1: and he says that the French when they had taken 204 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 1: this newly doug latrine for a cross, it wasn't old. 205 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:11,480 Speaker 1: It was a freshly doug latrine. He decided not to 206 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 1: tell them the truth. So he just let it ride, 207 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 1: or let it roll, i should say, as he was 208 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:21,200 Speaker 1: into tanks at the time. And because he didn't tell 209 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:23,680 Speaker 1: the residents of the town the truth about this spot. 210 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:27,200 Speaker 1: But what do you think happened? Did they just keep 211 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:30,680 Speaker 1: up with the grave, because you know, you wouldn't desecrate 212 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,000 Speaker 1: a grave, and they had been up to that point, 213 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 1: they had been maintaining it right right, And since he 214 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: didn't tell them, we can only we can only assume 215 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:42,800 Speaker 1: that they didn't randomly decide to desecrate this grave. And 216 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:47,520 Speaker 1: now we come into a question of authenticity. Because the 217 00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 1: only record of this story is the general's autobiography, and 218 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 1: this was incomplete at the time of his passing in 219 00:12:55,720 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: nineteen we have we have some questions and so we 220 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: have some questions and we want to hear what you 221 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: all think. If you don't have a knowledge of French 222 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 1: or English names, then maybe you know, like, maybe you 223 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 1: could assume the French mayor thought abandoned rear was a 224 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: name that would be common in the US. But the 225 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 1: problem with that is that the word abandoned means the 226 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 1: same thing in both French and English. Isn't that right? Casey, yeah, 227 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 1: casey on the case. So maybe he thought abandoned was 228 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 1: a rank in the army that makes sense, sure, or 229 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:41,600 Speaker 1: like a defector of some kind. I don't know. Interesting, Yeah, yeah, 230 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: maybe it's like a coward's death. And yet they still 231 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: treated it with such with the with the utmost respect. Um, 232 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,319 Speaker 1: didn't it also smell? How much dirt did they put 233 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:52,120 Speaker 1: on it? You know how to diggle a treating? You 234 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:55,240 Speaker 1: went to camp hygiene. There's a science to this and 235 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 1: there are standards. It's right, you gotta dig it at 236 00:13:57,559 --> 00:14:00,839 Speaker 1: least five feet down. Uh, And yeah, I don't know, Okay, 237 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 1: I've gotta come clean. Um. Camp hygeene is not a 238 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:06,920 Speaker 1: real thing. And I've never dug a latrine. I've never 239 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: I've never even pooped outdoors dude. Sorry that you remember that. 240 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 1: I remember that. I remember. Yeah, you're not a camper. 241 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: You don't like to go Campa. Well, I mean, look, 242 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: I want to be more of a camper. I want 243 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:21,920 Speaker 1: to be more of an outdoors man. I am trying 244 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: to meet somebody in my private life who's really into that, 245 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 1: because I tend to, you know, broaden my horizons when 246 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 1: i'm when I'm kind of like, what does exactly? Yeah, exactly, 247 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 1: That's how I That's how I actually ended up vegetarian 248 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: for like a decade. But I went back. Yeah, I 249 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 1: went back. It's actually this is unrelated. But you know, 250 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 1: to ever tell you when I stopped becoming a vegetarian, 251 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 1: well you you had become one at that point. I 252 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: assume I I had been one for several years and 253 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 1: then I started eating meet again when I was in 254 00:14:57,040 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 1: Central America because where I was living, you know, people 255 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 1: are being very gracious making you dinner or something, and 256 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 1: it's very I think it's very privileged and pretty inconsiderate 257 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: to tell somebody that's worked very hard on something, especially 258 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:12,160 Speaker 1: if they don't have a lot to go around anyway, 259 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: to be like, I'm too good for this food. They'd 260 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 1: be lovingly given me. I've got scruples, Okay, scruples when 261 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 1: it comes to being prepared a nice meal. No, No, 262 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 1: it's a very good point, you know. It's like, especially 263 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:27,280 Speaker 1: when you're in another country you're trying to honor customs, 264 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:29,240 Speaker 1: it's very do Maybe if you don't even speak the 265 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: language super well, it's really hard to explain this without 266 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 1: sounding like a kind of an elitist jerk exactly. And 267 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: maybe this is similar to see, you thought we weren't 268 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 1: going anywhere with this, folks, but this is not just 269 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:44,800 Speaker 1: a tangent. Maybe Pattent was in a similar situation where 270 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 1: he said, uh, because again this the French mayors proclaimped 271 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,280 Speaker 1: you know, he's very upset. He's a lachrymose would be 272 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 1: a good word for it. So maybe Patton says, it 273 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:00,080 Speaker 1: might be awkward for me to explain to this guy 274 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: that this is clearly not a grave. I don't want 275 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: to upset him even further. Yeah, I think the official 276 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:12,120 Speaker 1: term as a whole, or I guess maybe technically like 277 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:22,280 Speaker 1: a troth barrow, a barrow implies mobility, though, right kheel barrow, Well, 278 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:24,240 Speaker 1: one of the old terms for a barrow is a 279 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 1: large mound of earth or stones, but that's over the 280 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 1: remains of the dead. So I'm probably conflating my word. 281 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: My word of the day I walked away with this 282 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: one was lachrymoset I love is a great word. This 283 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: story doesn't end just there, though. In nineteen forty four, 284 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: during World War Two, General Patton returned to borg the 285 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: as you said, Casey, the town of town, and was 286 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 1: given a heroes welcome by the people who remembered him 287 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 1: from the last time he was there in seventeen nineteen seventeen, 288 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: and he relived memories. He went to his old office, 289 00:16:57,200 --> 00:16:59,600 Speaker 1: he went to where he used to live back when 290 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 1: he was a huge deal general, and then he said, wow, 291 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:11,639 Speaker 1: in the village is still respectfully maintaining the grave of 292 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:16,119 Speaker 1: abandoned rear. Here. Here's my question, Ben, was it would 293 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 1: it have been more polite and ultimately less humiliating to 294 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 1: just tell the guy, tell the townsman townspeople that it 295 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:25,760 Speaker 1: was in fact that they had made a mistake, so 296 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,040 Speaker 1: they didn't just keep up this charade for all of 297 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:31,919 Speaker 1: these low these many years. What's more humiliating, you know, 298 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:36,239 Speaker 1: a moment of embarrassment or a lifetime of you know, 299 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 1: maintaining a latrine as though it were a grave. I 300 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 1: would say even further, what if the town of Boorg 301 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:45,600 Speaker 1: is still doing this? What if he never told them? 302 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 1: You don't think they read Snopes and Borg. I don't know, 303 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 1: I don't know, but yeah, Snopes does have an interesting 304 00:17:52,040 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 1: article on this. Oh there's one last piece of specular 305 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:02,840 Speaker 1: ation regarding how the mayor could have thought it was 306 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 1: a fallen soldier. Maybe the soldiers were in a hurry 307 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:12,880 Speaker 1: and the soldier last name was Rear, that was their surname, 308 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 1: and they just abandoned them there and then, so it 309 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:20,320 Speaker 1: would be like, you know, the same thing as abandoned Pegram. 310 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:23,200 Speaker 1: I still think that's a stretch. I don't know what 311 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: led the mayor to believe this, and it's not clear 312 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:28,919 Speaker 1: whether Patton felt sorry for the mayor or whether he 313 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:33,520 Speaker 1: just privately thought it was hilarious. The Snopes article does 314 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:37,359 Speaker 1: point out a really nice, sort of ironic, little twist 315 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: to this story of abandoned Rear that involves the general's 316 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 1: own battle record. Let's say he was only ever injured 317 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 1: in battle once during the muse ar Gone Offensive of 318 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:56,400 Speaker 1: September nineteen eighteen where he and five other foot soldiers 319 00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 1: were charging into machine gun fire and he's the only 320 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 1: one that survived. No, actually four of his companions were killed. 321 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:07,800 Speaker 1: One of them was Okay, he got hit in the thigh, 322 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:10,680 Speaker 1: and this is from his memoir quote it came out 323 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:13,800 Speaker 1: just at the crack of my bottom, about two inches 324 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: to the left of my rectum. Uh, yeah, that's what 325 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:22,840 Speaker 1: we said. The doctor said that quote. Um, he can't 326 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:25,720 Speaker 1: see how the bullet went where it did without crippling 327 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 1: me for life. He says he could not have run 328 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:31,720 Speaker 1: a probe without getting either the hip joint, sciatic nerve 329 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 1: or the big artery. Yet none of these were touched. Fate. Again, 330 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:39,400 Speaker 1: I have never had any pain and can walk perfectly. 331 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:42,200 Speaker 1: So it makes you, it makes it makes me think 332 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:46,000 Speaker 1: of that million dollar injury the way they would describe 333 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 1: it in the Vietnam War, or something like in Forrest 334 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 1: Gump when the lottery by getting shot in a way 335 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 1: that takes you out of the war zone but doesn't 336 00:19:55,119 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: ruin your life. I think Forrest also got shot in 337 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 1: the keystone in the buttocks. Ye yeah, he shows it 338 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:04,640 Speaker 1: to the to the president, and that really pretty well 339 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 1: doctored c g I footage. Yeah, he showed his buttocks 340 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:13,280 Speaker 1: to um Lyndon Johnson, right, I think because Johnson says 341 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:16,719 Speaker 1: he'd like to see his gunshot wound. Oh. Also, this 342 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:21,119 Speaker 1: goes back to our old episode on what a terrible person, 343 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:24,200 Speaker 1: what a real pill Lyndon Johnson was he had I 344 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 1: think he was the president who had a creepy thing 345 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:30,000 Speaker 1: for scars. Yeah, maybe so. And he also like didn't 346 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:33,920 Speaker 1: even get his pants um Taylor in a certain way 347 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 1: to make room for his bunghole. Wasn't he in the 348 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: butts as well? Yeah? Yeah, uh yeah, I've got to 349 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:42,240 Speaker 1: I've got to figure out who that was. That's kid, 350 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 1: that was LBJ. I just I just looked at the 351 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: clip on the YouTube. There's even a reaction shot where 352 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:50,080 Speaker 1: Forest kind of shows them the bullet wound and uh l, 353 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 1: b J sort of has a great reaction. Yeah. So 354 00:20:56,800 --> 00:21:00,280 Speaker 1: there you have it. If we were to draw oral 355 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 1: from this story, what what would it be? Is it 356 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:07,960 Speaker 1: sometimes that it's the thought that counts? Can we say 357 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 1: that like they yeah, there we go. Because the community 358 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:16,120 Speaker 1: of the town thought they were doing the right thing, 359 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 1: but what was actually inside was not the the fallen soldier. 360 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:23,400 Speaker 1: They were expecting you know what this makes me think. 361 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:28,680 Speaker 1: I would love to hear more about strange monuments, strange statues. 362 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:32,240 Speaker 1: There's so many. I have been talking off air with 363 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: some of my friends before, I think with you guys 364 00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:37,439 Speaker 1: as well in the past, about the idea of getting 365 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 1: a statue built to yourself, Like who does that is that? 366 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 1: Isn't that something where someone else should build the statue 367 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 1: for you, like they should spontaneously love your work. Back 368 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:53,080 Speaker 1: when our office was in Buckhead, which is a different 369 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 1: neighborhood from where we are currently based, there was a 370 00:21:56,119 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 1: statue for I believe the founder of the Peace Corps 371 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:02,400 Speaker 1: would who was between our office and the toys r us. 372 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:04,280 Speaker 1: Did you ever walk that way? Casey, do you remember 373 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 1: what I'm talking about? I don't remember the Peace Corps 374 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: guy statue. I remember there's a Michael Stipe Foxes. Yeah. Yeah, man, 375 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:16,480 Speaker 1: we need more statues here. I'm a big fan of statues. 376 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,080 Speaker 1: In my hometown, there is a true to life James 377 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 1: Brown statue because that's where he was born. Um and 378 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 1: but he appears very short, but apparently is his exact size. 379 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:29,000 Speaker 1: It's weird at my at a town where a lot 380 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:32,720 Speaker 1: of my families from My grandfather actually made tons of 381 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 1: the statues around town, like the ones in banks and 382 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 1: in airports and stuff like that. I think he made 383 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 1: some busts of us precedents too, but I don't know. 384 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 1: If you ever met Lyndon Johnson. I'll have to find 385 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:47,680 Speaker 1: out and update if we can find any more weird 386 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,919 Speaker 1: presidential or patent esque trivia. In the meantime, let us 387 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:54,359 Speaker 1: all take this as a lesson in your neck of 388 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:59,400 Speaker 1: the Global Woods. If you have a mysterious local monument, 389 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,280 Speaker 1: do some digging. Maybe not literal, that might be illegal, 390 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 1: but do some research and see if it is in 391 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:09,200 Speaker 1: fact what it purports to be. Agreed Uh, If you 392 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 1: want to tell us some stories about some grave mix ups, 393 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:14,760 Speaker 1: you can write to us at Ridiculous at I heart 394 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 1: radio dot com, or you can hit us up on 395 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:20,160 Speaker 1: our Facebook group, which is the Ridiculous Historians. I think 396 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 1: all you have to do is answer a very simple question, 397 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:25,200 Speaker 1: which is who are the hosts of Ridiculous History. It 398 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:27,600 Speaker 1: could be me, could be Ben, could be Casey on 399 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 1: the case, or just make us laugh. I mean, if 400 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:32,160 Speaker 1: you make me laugh, I'm gonna let you in. Yeah, 401 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:36,200 Speaker 1: you're in. Like Flynn, you can also find us as 402 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:41,240 Speaker 1: a show and as individuals on Twitter on Instagram. U 403 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:43,920 Speaker 1: I am on Twitter as at Ben Bolan hs W, 404 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:46,920 Speaker 1: but me and Noel both do Instagram. You can find 405 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:50,879 Speaker 1: my various adventures, misadventures and shenanigan r which is the 406 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:53,960 Speaker 1: word I just made up on at Ben Bullan can 407 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 1: find me at how Now. Noel Brown, Big, big, big 408 00:23:57,359 --> 00:24:02,879 Speaker 1: Thanks to Ryan Embarish, to Gabe Lousier, to Christopher A Hasiotis, 409 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:07,560 Speaker 1: to you know and to you Casey. Thanks Ben, thanks 410 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:10,320 Speaker 1: to you as well, thanks to Alex Williams who composed 411 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 1: our theme. And thanks to you kind gentle listeners of 412 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: the Internet. We will see you next time. And thanks 413 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:19,520 Speaker 1: to you a bands intervier Casey, can we play some 414 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:43,080 Speaker 1: memorial music for him? For more podcasts for my Heart Radio, 415 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 416 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:47,479 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.