Quotations and Literature Forum

Hello! I'm new to forum. I hope one of you can help my with this quote.

I read it about 15 years ago and, though I've search, have not seen it since or been able to confirm the author. I believe, at the time, it was attributed to General Patton, but I am not certain. The words are not exact, just the best I can recall from memory:

"Let us not so much mourn their deaths, as we thank God such men ever lived.."

Many thanks in advance if anyone can offer assistance in tracking this quotation down.

SJ

Let us not ask God why young men such as these should die in war. Let us rather thank God that such men lived.~Gen. George S. Patton

Also quoted as:

It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died.
Rather we should thank God that such men lived.

Nice to hear from you, Phaedrus. We miss you when you're not around.

Thanks! I was deep in the heart of Texas for a week.

Oh, great!
Now I won't be able to get that song out of my head for the rest of the day.
Don't be such a stranger.