When this was announced on the 2nd, many of the newspaper headlines, including that in Stars and Stripes, read PATTON FIRED. Some papers were sympathetic; the New York Times wrote: Patton has passed from current controversy into history. The Pattons had been married for 35 years, with minimal domestic turmoil, except for an apparent dalliance the general had with Gordon in 1936, according to Patton biographer, Carlo DEste. And why? Patton as a four-star general. The apogee of Pattons career came with the dramatic sweep of his Third Army across northern France in the summer of 1944 in a campaign marked by great initiative, ruthless drive, and disregard of classic military rules. This photo shows Gen. Patton's dog Willie after the general's death. When his wife asked about birthday plans he curiously responded: 'No Glenice. Was he any relation to you by any chance and, if so, what ever happened to him? George Smith Patton IV (December 24, 1923 - June 27, 2004) was a major general in the United States Army and the son of World War II General George S. Patton Jr. In 1912 Patton was selected to represent the United States at the Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden. He was promoted to colonel in 1938 and temporary brigadier general in 1940. Pershing, commanding the 8th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Bliss, Texas, had recently lost his wife and three of his four children in a tragic fire. Alexander Lovelace holds a masters degree in military and American history from George Washington University, where he was awarded the Charles Herber Teaching Prize for best Graduate Teaching Assistant Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. In 1968/69 while a young USARMY engineer LT stationed in Kontum Province in the VN Central Highlands, I recall meeting a young armor LT named George Patton. He often led from the front, and he almost always delivered victory. Patton is my hero. RIP, General. On September 30,1953 at Hamilton, Massachusetts, while horse riding she suffered a ruptured aortic aneurysm which took her life instantly causing her to fall from the animal. Courtesy of The National Archives and Records Administration. His offensive minded spirit may have rubbed his G.I.s the wrong way as he did not want to let up on a beaten enemy in NW France, but his Third Army, in France and especially the brilliant pre-planning and performance before and during the Germans Wacht am Rhein Ardennes attack, no doubt saved many G.I.s at Bastogne. We must either finish the job nowwhile we are here and readyor later in less favorable circumstances. Needless to say, such ideas were totally unacceptable to the politicians in Washingtonand indeed to most of the American soldiers in Europe; all they wanted to do was to go home. The two men did not get on. None of todays generals could ever come close. The Real Story of General George Patton, Jr's Death & Final Days Following his campaign in Western Europe, George S. Patton had difficulty adjusting to peacetime and was fatally injured in an automobile accident. Cartoonist Bill Mauldin describes the moment: "Beside him, lying in a big chair was Willie, the bull terrier. Eisenhowers response is unrecorded. From now on we will get . They should have cut him loose with the Third army and the 7th and there would have never been an East Berlin! George Patton was also the great-grandfather of Major General George Patton IV, who died in 2004. The investigation into the Golden State Killer was just a cover-up to throw off Patton. The room was empty except for a hospital bed and a few other pieces of standard furniture of that long-ago era. Pattons personal residence was a palatial house on nearby Lake Tegernsee. . In the opening strokes of the Battle of the Bulge, platoon leader Vernon McGarity distinguished himself in combat, inspired his men, and saved lives while delaying the onslaught of German forces. They are a scurvy race and simply savages. He married his first wife Ramona Yorba in 1844. MY THEORY WOULD BE THAT THE GENERAL WAS NOT OF SOUND MIND AND HIS DEATH COULD BE A BLESSING IN DISGUISE FOR MANY POLITICIANS AND LEADERS. Helen, In August of this year, I was at the American cemetery in Luxembourg where General George Payton is buried. Wikipedia Advertisement 11. She was dead within days. There, he was x-rayed, revealing two crushed vertebrae. (Chicago Tribune October 25, 1952) Mrs. Beatrice Ayer Patton Waters West Point, N. Y., Oct. 24 (AP)-- Mrs. Beatrice Ayer Patton Waters, 41, daughter of the late Gen. George S. Patton Jr., died yesterday of a heart attack in her home in nearby Highland Falls. On May 7, 1945, he had pleaded with visiting Undersecretary of War Robert Patterson: Lets keep our boots polished, bayonets sharpened and present a picture of force and strength to these people [the Russians]. Those who knew the Pattons were aware of the vital role Beatrice played in his reaching his destiny, but few others . During their two-hour meeting Eisenhower was more excited than I have ever seen him, remembered Patton in his diary. The present internals of the EU certainly reflect that even today. On the evening of December 8, Gay suggested to Patton that they should spend the following day pheasant shooting in an area known to be rich in game about 100 miles southwest of the headquarters. For decades since General George S. Patton's untimely death in December 1945 there have arisen all manner of conspiracy theories regarding it. General George S Patton's wife is pictured . Before it departed, seventeen Army cannons roared a salute to the fallen general. She was dead within days. His task was to keep a group of disparate actors on the same page while still planning a strategy to win a war. Death 6 Oct 1928 (aged 67) San Gabriel, Los Angeles County, California, USA. Patton tried to explain that the camp had been fine before the arrival of the present Jewish occupants who were pissing and crapping all over the place. Despite being told to Shut up, George, he apparently went on to say that there was an empty village nearby which he was planning to turn into a concentration camp for them. He also breakfasted with Count Bernadotte and was able to enjoy a specially staged ice carnival and hockey game in the Olympic stadium. He recorded that the supreme commander made a speech which had to me the symptoms of political aspirations, on cooperation with the British, Russians and the Chinese, but particularly with the British. While I knew little of this great man save what minor things that I had learned in my youth I was moved to silence. Patton is said to have told the American officers accompanying him that he thought it was sheer madness to intern these people.. We could beat hell out of them., The following day he in turn was entertained by Marshal F.I. Corrections? His strict discipline, toughness, and self-sacrifice elicited exceptional pride within his ranks, and the general was colourfully referred to as Old Blood-and-Guts by his men. (Image source: WikiCommons) A Family Affair Jean Gordon. May God bless you and your family the way HE has blesses your Grandpa! Patton enjoyed military history in particular, especially books about the American Civil War, a conflict in which his grandfather and great-uncle had been killed while fighting for the Confederacy. Who in hell let him in? Instead, the museum was temporarily closed, remodeled, and reopened in 2018 with a tighter emphasis on Patton himself. The highlight was perhaps a reenactment of the 1912 Olympic pistol competitionPatton came second, 13 points better than I made in 1912., The Swedish trip was the last highlight of Pattons life. I believe Germany should not be destroyed, but rather rebuilt as a buffer against the real danger which is Bolshevism from Russia., Eisenhower ended the meeting by telling Patton that he felt he should get back to Bad Tlz as quickly as possible and that his personal train was ready to take him at 1900 hours. If I get a really good job I will stay, otherwise I will retire. The plan was to fly to London and then sail from Southampton aboard the cruiser USS Augusta. I cant understand why Patton wasnt brought back to the US for burial at West Point, like his wife wanted. Very Warm story. Military career. Rather surprisingly, Patton chose to return the governors hat-doffing salute by removing his own helmet, complete with its four stars and the emblems of the Third and Seventh Armies and I Armored Corps. Youre all hoping I will! His daughter, who worked in the amputee ward as an occupational therapist, recalled later that when her father saw the soldiers there he burst into tears and exclaimed, Goddammit, if I had been a better general, most of you would not be here. The men, who were not looking for sympathy, cheered him as he left. His obituary revealed that he had died just a few weeks after he'd ushered in his 50 th wedding anniversary. The weather was too bad to fly, and when Patton arrived on the 28th, after a seven-hour car journey in heavy rain, he was uncharacteristically dressed in an ordinary khaki jacket and GI trousers. There are a number of sources available to consult and the reader can decide for themselves. Patton and Gay left Bad Nauheim at about 0900 hours on December 9 in Pattons 1939 Model 75 Cadillac driven by Pfc. George S. Patton, Jr., was buried at 0930 hours on December 24, 1945, among other American soldiers, many of whom had died while under his command. His wife came but he wa sunable to speak to her. The Pattons were then stationed in Hawaii, and Gordon was passing through, headed for Asia. Patton was put in a crude and extremely painful form of traction that evening, and the U.S. Army Surgeon General in Washington recommended that a British neurosurgeon, Brigadier Hugh Cairns, and an orthopedic surgeon be brought in to assist. On the 22nd, the day Stars and Stripes carried the headline PATTON DIES, she drove to Bad Nauheim to oversee her husbands effects being prepared for shipment back to their home in Massachusetts. Gen. John K. Waters who is in Korea. Stories of General George Pattons encounters with the Russians are legendary, and some may well be apocryphal. There were, of course, no seat belts in those days, and whereas Gay and Woodring, having seen the oncoming truck, had braced themselves for the impact, Patton, who had been looking out the side window, had not. My language was not particularly politic, but I have yet to find where politic language produces successful government. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. He was obviously in a post which he was unsuited by temperament, training or experience to fill. Patton was rushed to the 130th Station Hospital in Heidelberg, 12 miles away. Furthermore, his problems were compounded by the fact that Washington was intent on demobilizing its warrior soldiers as quickly as possible, thus reducing his pool of skilled American manpower. Rather than IKE. Many historians have written about the famous Buffalo Soldiers of the all-Black 92nd Infantry Division, who fought with distinction during World War II. That includes Patton's own wife Beatrice, who believed George and Jean were a couple. He was, indeed, the consummate warrior, steeped in military and well trained for the terrible combat which followed. There is information (although perhaps not necessarily reaching the level of evidience, be that as it may) of foul play. This was despite the fact that an Army order banning dependents had prevented Beatrice from accompanying him. He always said Patton saved my life, I would not be home by now, but a war prisoner in Russia. I was born and raised in Brussels (Bxls), Belgium until I got remarried for the 2nd time to an Air Force aircraft mechanic from Spangdahlem, Germany. By Michael E. Ruane April 24, 2017 at 1:15 p.m. EDT Jean Gordon, left, was found dead in a. Fortunately, the official aim of Pattons month-long leave was achievedhis enthusiastic oratory helped to sell millions of war bonds and he received a letter of thanks from Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau. If I can parse the weird grammar on the Wikipedia page correctly, she wasn't actually related to Patton. The ceremony lasted 25 minutes. My record on that is clear and unchallengeable. Her mother was his wife's half-sister. and George. There are many famous and controversial figures to emerge from World War II, but General S. Patton is arguably one of its most controversial. My chief interest in establishing order in Germany was to prevent Germany from going communistic. Beatrice and an American neurosurgeon, Colonel Geoffrey Spurling, flew in from the States on the 11th. Beatrice initially wanted him flown home for burial at West Point but was persuaded that this would be totally inappropriate since no American soldier had, up to that time, been sent home for burial. Genealogy for Mary "Polly" Patton (Carpenter) (1782 - 1871) family tree on Geni, with over 245 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Not surprisingly, one of the American officers, a Jew, reported the incident to Eisenhowers headquarters, now housed in the IG Farben building in Frankfurt and known as Headquarters U.S. He reaped no laurels from the peace, but those he won in war will remain green for a long time., Pattons letter to Beatrice, written the day after his meeting with Ike, indicates the turmoil in his mind: The noise against me is the only means by which Jews and Communists are attempting and with good success to implement a further dismemberment of Germany. He ended it by saying that he had no wish to be executioner to the best race in Europe., With regard to the fateful September 22 press conference, Patton later wrote: This conference cost me the command of the Third Army, or rather, of a group of soldiers, mostly recruits, who then rejoiced in that historic name, but I was intentionally direct, because I believed that it was then time for people to know what was going on. The United States should have helped destroy the Soviet Union in 1941. https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Smith-Patton, Jewish Virtual Library - Biography of George Patton. Now the horrors of peace, pacifism and unions will have unlimited sway. Patton spent a year at the Virginia Military Institute and then transferred to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he was forced to repeat his plebe (freshman) year because of poor grades.
