Purple Heart Box
During a lull in the North African campaign, Gen. George Patton escorted a British general on a tour of his frontline units. He was not slow to brag on his men and equipment. At one point the generals came up to a crew working on a vehicle known as a half-track. Sgt. Bob Bishop was underneath the vehicle, making repairs.
He and the other men present heard General Patton explain the vehicle’s superb mobility, great firepower, and armor that could stop almost anything.
“Isn’t that right, Sergeant?” asked General Patton.
“No, sir,” said Sergeant Bishop, getting up. He walked around to the other side of the half-track, the generals following him, and he pointed up.
“You see this hole? One bullet from a strafer. One bullet, pierced the armor here, rattled around inside, and killed Private Torgerson. The men call it the ‘Purple Heart Box,’ sir.”
General Patton turned pale and quickly escorted General Alexander somewhere else.145
The truth sometimes hurts. It was certainly dismaying to the general to have it thrown in his face. Most of us would probably have been a little more tactful or even supportive of the views of such an exalted leader. This tendency is one of the great problems of anyone in authority, whether in the military, business, church, or family. When approaching the boss, many tend to cushion the bad news or paint a rosier picture than is warranted. Worse still, many leaders consciously or unconsciously promote this kind of behavior. The truth does sometimes hurt. But the truth is necessary for any group to effectively deal with its problems. Facing the truth is even more vital to our individual spiritual health.
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.
—John 3:21