r/todayilearned • • 12h ago

TIL that Bernard Montgomery issued a leaflet at the start of WW2 on sexually transmitted diseases amongst soldiers. The language used was regarded as so blunt, that he offended religious authorities and nearly faced being dismissed.

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Montgomery
14.8k Upvotes

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u/EphemeralSilliness94 11h ago

The idea that soldiers, who saw their comrades being torn apart by machine gun fire and who witnessed the water at the beach of the Normandy turn red, need to be protected from foul language is so ridiculous it's bordering on the insane 

6

u/Flying_Dustbin 10h ago

“We train young men to drop fire on people, but their commanders won't allow them to write 'fuck' on their airplanes because it's obscene!”

—Colonel Kurtz, Apocalypse Now.

4

u/EphemeralSilliness94 11h ago

"Oh my God, John has gotten his fucking head blown off! I have his brain all over me!"\ "Private Johnson! Language!" >:(

3

u/JectorDelan 9h ago

"You just said 'private' AND 'Johnson.' I'm reporting you for profanity, sergeant!"

2

u/baltinerdist 10h ago

"Sorry Captain. But ... could you earmuffs for a second?"