Small Reporting on the Berlin Wall. The freedom of millions was held off for so many years because the U.S. held policy higher than the people of Eastern Europe who were harmed first by Germany and then by Russian oppression. The weakness of U.S. policy of East vs West was finally ended when President Reagan had the courage to identify the USSR as the Evil Empire. His courage and action eventually led to their freedom. Something many will forget and those that were freed should let people know that it was the US who gained their freedom.
After the surrender of May 8, 1945 eliminated the threat of Nazi Germany, Patton was quick to assert the Soviet Union would cease to be an ally of the United States. He was concerned that some 25,000 American POWs had been liberated from POW camps by the Soviets, but were never returned to the US. In fact, he urged his superiors to evict the Soviets from central and eastern Europe. Patton thought that the Red Army was weak, under-supplied, and vulnerable, and the United States should act on these weaknesses before the Soviets could consolidate their position. In this regard, he told then-Undersecretary of War Robert P. Patterson that the “point system” being used to demobilize Third Army troops was destroying it and creating a vacuum that the Soviets would exploit. “Mr. Secretary, for God’s sake, when you go home, stop this point system; stop breaking up these armies,” pleaded the general. “Let’s keep our boots polished, bayonets sharpened, and present a picture of force and strength to these people, the Soviets. This is the only language they understand.” Asked by Patterson — who would become Secretary of War a few months later — what he would do, Patton replied: “I would have you tell the Red Army where their border is, and give them a limited time to get back across. Warn them that if they fail to do so, we will push them back across it.”
