During the early part of that month he decided to visit some of the prison camps in his area holding hardened Nazis and former members of the Waffen SS. Jean Gordon (February 4, 1915 - January 8, 1946) was an American socialite and a Red Cross worker during World War II. When Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa led an attack on the border town of Columbus, New Mexico, in 1916, Patton joined the staff of Brig. Pattons armoured units were not operational until August 1, almost two months after D-Day, but by the end of the month, they had captured Mayenne, Laval, Le Mans, Reims, and Chlons. Patton did not remain in his plot for long. She was the bridesmaid for both the Patton girls. I dont like the Nazis any more than you do. With hind sight many people think if we would have went to war right away with the Russians things would be different today. . He briefed Ikes chief of staff, General Walter Bedell Smith, who sent the report of the incident to Eisenhower who was on leave in the South of France. If any of my gunners started firing at your people before they had closed to less than 700 yards, Id have them court-martialed for cowardice.. General Patton's Warning | National Vanguard Finally, the general was moved to the front of the entire cemetery, where, today, patio stones protect the ground and a white chain-link barrier preserves the grass around Patton. Dead from injuries sustained in a car crash after the close of WWII, General George S. Patton, Jr. left in his wake a tremendous legacy. He married his first wife Ramona Yorba in 1844. One could perhaps be forgiven for suspecting that Patton saw this as an award to himself the Silver Star was after all conspicuous by its absence among his many decorations. Patton desperately wanted to complete an encirclement of the Germans, but his commander, Gen. Omar Bradley, feared that such an attack would leave Pattons flanks weak and exposed to counterattack. On December 22, an Army ambulance brought Pattons body to Villa Renier, where it would lie in state to be visited by friends, soldiers, and the general public. Truman wrote in his diary, Dont see how a country can produce such men as Robert E. Lee, John J. Pershing, Eisenhower and Bradley and at the same time produce Custers, Pattons and MacArthurs., Patton did not enjoy his time there and on the 21st wrote to Beatrice, We have destroyed what could have been a good race and we [are] about to replace them with Mongolian savages. The Funeral of General George S. Patton, Jr. - The Text Message all ears I am for some brilliant military strategy. When Fort Knox shipped out most of its old Army tanks in 2011, the General George Patton Museum seemed destined to follow. So what did Patton do with his time? Nobody would have thought anything unusual about it, and even would have thought it to be proper. He was obviously in a post which he was unsuited by temperament, training or experience to fill. It was too late by 1945, the US had made the USSR a superpower. Other than a handful of men on his personal staff, no one even knew where Patton would be, what route he would follow, or what time he would arrive at his destination.. If you fail to do this, then I would like to say to you that we have had a victory over the Germans and have disarmed them, but have lost the war.. Hordes of well-wishers tore up the cemetery grounds making the trek to his grave in the back corner. Following his campaign in Western Europe, George S. Patton had difficulty adjusting to peacetime and was fatally injured in an automobile accident. 504-528-1944, Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy, Two Moments of Remorse for Nazi Crimes: Willy Brandt, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the Memory of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Operation FLAX, April 1943: Severing the German, General William H. Simpsons Ninth US Army and the Crossing of the Rhine, Black Volunteer Infantry Platoons in World War II, Servility Is Just Not for Me: Robert Brown and the Racial Politics of the Alabama Black Belt. In the case of Europe, he was convinced it would soon become Communist, and in the case of the Nazis he saw practical problems. Then, before a crowd of up to 50,000, he made a speech in which he said, My name is merely a hook to hang the honors on. "May the Great Worm gnaw your vitals," Beatrice Patton declared to Jean Gordon. This was, of course, completely contrary to the political direction he had received from Eisenhower for the denazification of the American zone of Germany. After inspecting the American garrison responsible for administering and guarding the camp, he met the German commander of the prisoners. Politician were scared of him because he spoke the truth! Horace Woodring. 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. It is rather sad for me to think that my last opportunity for earning my pay has passed. The fake news that haunted George Washington. One staff officer wrote later: It was obvious he was undergoing deep and gnawing turmoil.. . Then he vanished. 43 Facts About General George Patton, The Great American Firebrand Corrections? We, as a nation and an Ally, were fortunate to have him on our side. PDF The Death of General George S. Patton On September 22, Patton agreed to answer questions from reporters after his normal morning briefing at Bad Tlz. Patton wrote this account as part of a six-page letter to his wife, which, despite all its bombast, managed to be magnanimous to MacArthur's unwillingness to seek shelter: "I was the only man on the front-line except for General MacArthur who never ducked a shell." MacArthur's version of the story is more convoluted. RIP, amen. Patton's granddaughter revisits father's time as armor commander He always said Patton saved my life, I would not be home by now, but a war prisoner in Russia. A comment now that time has given historians a bit more perspective. A great man should be remembered for ever. We could beat hell out of them., The following day he in turn was entertained by Marshal F.I. Gen. George Patton's wife put a Hawaiian curse on his ex-mistress. Instead, the museum was temporarily closed, remodeled, and reopened in 2018 with a tighter emphasis on Patton himself. The American press had guaranteed him a heros welcome. In September things began to go terribly wrong for him. Wonderfully done! There he competed against military officers from around the world in the modern pentathlon, an event that included swimming, pistol shooting, running, fencing, and riding. Why General George S. Patton Was Murdered | National Vanguard General Patton was the greatest US Army combat general of WWII. Ruth Wilson Patton (1861-1928) - Find a Grave Memorial Excellent fact based article, very human flaws and all including the facts of his anti semitism I happen to be Jewish so I am keenly aware of this flaw in his character He was from an extremely wealthy patrician family, anti semitism came naturally to him. Courtesy of The National Archives and Records Administration. Washington Post - Shortly after Beatrice Patton buried her | Facebook They talked until three in the morning, but there is no record of any discussion about Pattons military governorship. Jeter Downs needs to play to develop. General William H. Simpson, commander of Ninth Army, has received little attention in the historiography of World War II. And now, with the war over and her famous husband buried, Beatrice wanted to see Gordon. But Eisenhowers mind was made up. The ceremony lasted 25 minutes. (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. Patton was born to a wealthy California family and enjoyed a privileged childhood. And so it went on throughout his leaveadulation from family, friends, and the vast majority of the public. Patton noted in his diary that after a bout of heavy whiskey drinking during and after the meal, the Russian went out cold, while he himself walked out under my own steam. December 21 is the 70 th anniversary of the death of General George S. Patton, Jr., renowned and controversial general and subject of the unforgettable 1970 eponymous motion picture. Well, Beatrice's dinner was interrupted when the nurse suddenly noticed that Patton had stopped breathing. MacArthur and Patton: The St. Mihiel Offensive In the gray skies above, an aircraft circled, attempting to bring Lieutenant General Walton Walker, one of Pattons former corps commanders, to the funeral, but low cloud cover prevented it from landing. Pattons personal residence was a palatial house on nearby Lake Tegernsee. The intersection where Patton had his car accident. When Patton eventually met him on September 28, he described him as a smooth, smart-ass academic type. Academic or not, Dorn soon focused his attention on the success or otherwise of the denazification program in Bavaria. Dead and buried in Europe, few will look back at what went on in 1944, which is when the war could have ended had they of listened to him. During his first speech that morning he had told his audience that the fact that a soldier was killed in action often made him a fool rather than a hero. Jean Gordon (Red Cross) | Military Wiki | Fandom Amazingly, Patton's current historians still try to deny this happened, though many of the participants and their living descendants have confirmed it, orally and on paper. In that role he designed the U.S. Model 1913 Enlisted Cavalry Saber, known as the Patton Sword. Patton also loved polo, and he played it, like he pursued so many things, with a violent, reckless abandon, frequently injuring himself in the process. The United States should have helped destroy the Soviet Union in 1941. There, he was x-rayed, revealing two crushed vertebrae. While some have mourned what was a tragic loss at the time, others over the decades have theorized Patton's death was anything but an accident. Gen. John J. Pershing and accompanied him on a punitive expedition into Mexico. She asked her brother, Fred Ayer, to set up the meeting. I am extremely proud of our General Patton and Im pretty sure you are too! Considered one of the most successful combat generals in US history, Gen. George S. Patton died on December 21, 1945, 12 days . Patton renamed the barracks Flint Kaserne, after Colonel Paddy Flint, an old friend and one of his regimental commanders who had been killed in Sicily. George S. Patton, who was the son of the famous World War II General and who became a Major General in the Army himself, died June 27, 2004, at his home in Hamilton, Mass., at age 80. His wife, Beatrice, a novelist, and their three children suffered greatly, according to the author, as Georgie went through periodic drinking bouts and began an affair with his wife's. Waters spoke with members of the Winyah Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution about his famous grandfather. Two days later, Patton wrote his last letter to his wife telling her that he was coming home for Christmas. Why does General Patton still lay in Europe? A blood clot in his paralyzed body had worked its way to his heart, stopping it and ending the life of one of America's greatest battlefield commanders. r/todayilearned on Reddit: TIL that General Patton had a years long When it became clear to Eisenhower that the press reports were basically accurate, he was aghast and ordered Patton to report to him in Frankfurt. Patton's final resting place is in Luxembourg American Cemetery in Luxembourg. At least, I have done my best as God gave me the chance.. He died from a form of Parkinson's disease [8] at the age of 80 in 2004 and is survived by his wife, the former Joanne Holbrook, and their five children, Mother Margaret Georgina Patton OSB, George S. Patton V, Robert H. Patton, Helen Patton-Plusczyk, and Benjamin Wilson Patton; six grandchildren; and a great-grandson. He was out partying while the Tet offensive happened. His former mistress. On his return to Bavaria, Patton, as military governor as well as Third Army commander, moved into his new headquarters, a former Waffen SS officers training school at Bad Tlz, 30 miles south of Munich. You seem to have forgotten that you lost the war! However, Hubert Meyer, the ex-Chief of Staff of the Hitlerjugend, recalled that on the occasion of Pattons visit things had been very different. That limousine we know from pictures and records was a 1938 Series 75 Cadillac sedan, a rare type. Omar Bradley was the MOST incompetent Commanding General. James Patton was killed in 1813 after he was wounded in the Creek Indian War. Patton is said to have predicted his own death to both his daughters, Ruth Ellen and Bee, during a visit to the latters home in Washington shortly before his return to Germany. LIMITED TIME OFFER $2 / Month Subscribe now for only $3.99 $2 a month! Patton, on the other hand, although conscious, was bleeding profusely from head wounds received when he was thrown forward against the steel frame of the glass partition separating the front and rear seats and then backward again into his seat. When Patton was a young adult, he was kicked by a horse, who broke his leg in three places. The 60-year-old general had led a life of adventure, fighting in almost every major American twentieth century conflict. He often led from the front, and he almost always delivered victory. Gordon was 21, and the daughter of Beatrices half sister. I left for the States (Mt Home, ID) in 1996 (was 32 at the time). The cemetery belongs to and is gifted to USA by Luxembourg and hence he is buried on American soil. When she returned, her husband had already died. Brad and Courtney [Hodges] were both decorated for their failures in this operation., Patton arrived at his new headquarters in the early hours of October 8. To his superiors, though, General George Patton remained, as in the past, a potential embarrassmenta missile that might go off track at any moment a missile that needed to be kept under tight control. General Patton belongs at West Point so that the cadets NEVER FORGET who he was, what he did for the Army and most importantly, their responsibility to the nation. Was General George S. Patton Assassinated Sixty-Five Years Ago Today? In the aftermath of the Battle of Kasserine Pass, US II Corps passed to the command of General Harold Alexanders 18th Army Group. My dad was a classmate of Pattons son. Was General George S. Patton, America's most famous WWII general, murdered in December 1945? Jean Gordon's father died at an early age and her mother, Beatrice Patton wife's half-sister, was an invalid. However, the dismissive paragraph regarding the Generals demise is lacking. He died Dec. 21, and was buried in a military cemetery in Luxembourg. My record on that is clear and unchallengeable. They should have cut him loose with the Third army and the 7th and there would have never been an East Berlin! I enjoyed reading about the times from the end of the war in Europe to Pattons tragic accident and death. He was a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy during World War II, when his father, General George S . During that time the Third Army suffered roughly 137,000 casualties, but it had inflicted more than 10 times that on the enemy. https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Smith-Patton, Jewish Virtual Library - Biography of George Patton. For the years that are left to me I am determined to be free to live as I want and say what I want. This inevitably worried Gay, who surmised, almost certainly correctly, that Patton planned to speak out against Eisenhowers handling of the campaign in Europe and against other senior officers, like Bedell Smith, Hodges, and even Bradley. In December 1944 the Germans launched a massive surprise counterattack in the Ardennes Forest, encircling the U.S. 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne, Belgium. She was the wife of Brig. Beatrice is said to have declared, I can hardly speak, Im so overcome. By the time the gap between Falaise and Argentan was closed on August 20, some 20,00040,000 Germans had escaped. George Smith Patton Jr. was born on November 11, 1885, in the Los Angeles suburb of San Gabriel, California, to George Smith Patton Sr. and his wife, Ruth Wilson, the daughter of Benjamin Davis Wilson, the second Mayor of Los Angeles. For example, he closed one letter to his wife with these words: "I cannot send you any kisses this evening because we had onions for dinner." A military genius, a legend, an American folk hero, George S. Patton, Jr., captured the imagination of the world. He was a hero. Pattons body, draped with his personal four-star flag, lay in state for two days in the Villa Reiner, a 19th-century mansion overlooking Heidelberg and the Neckar River. In 1943, he used daring assault and defense tactics to lead the 7th U.S. army to victory at the invasion of Sicily. They had a daughter, Maria de Jesus (called Sue) and a son John, before she . Very Warm story. There he will have an honored place. If its a choice between them and the Russians, I prefer the Germans., Worse was to follow. I will ALWAYS say and think that he was the greatest General that the 20th century ever seen and I wished they could have unleashed him because the world would look quite different if they did. His obituary revealed that he had died just a few weeks after he'd ushered in his 50 th wedding anniversary. Patton had wanted to push on to Berlin, but Eisenhower rejected the idea, deeming the cost too high for a city already allotted to the Soviets by the terms of the Yalta agreement. Gen Patton's Clear Vision - Why He Was Murdered But Gordon had reappeared in Europe during the war, alarming Beatrice. For the next 12 days, Patton lay in traction, at times with painful fishhooks implanted into his cheeks on either side of his upper jaw, attached to weights to stabilize his neck. 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. I then said that I should be allowed to continue the command of the Third Army and the government of Bavaria, remembered Patton. America could use a great leader like him today! (I doubt it would have been possible standing up to that juggernaut, even with our Air Force, to push them back to their borders, though. General Hobart Hap Gay, a loyal friend and his chief of staff, and other members of the staff noticed that he became withdrawn, often taking long drives by himself, having little to say during meals and going home early. Wikipedia Advertisement 11. A jeep driven by Technical Sergeant Joe Spruce followed, carrying the guns and a gun dog. The US would have been defeated if it had gone to war with the Soviet Union in 1945. and just how would the US have succumbed to the Russians? So, how much is George S. Patton worth at the age of 60 years old? The more I see of people, the more I regret I survived the war. He even accused the U.S. Treasury Secretary of Semitic revenge against Germany., On July 16, the Potsdam Conference convened, and Patton, resplendent with 20 stars and ivory-handled pistols, was in Berlin to see Truman preside over the raising of the American flag in the U.S. sector of the divided former German capital. Presidential Ties On May 13, 1945, he reportedly entertained and decorated the commander of the Soviet Fourth Guards Army at a luncheon in Linz, Austria. Gordon turned gray, and Ayer ran from the room. He was one of several notable personalities I briefly crossed paths. He is the author of Pattons Photographs: War As He Saw Itand Patton: Legendary World War II Commander(with Martin Blumenson). 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. His bitterness is very evident: General Clay [Ikes deputy] and General McNarney have never commanded anything, including their own self-respect. She was then given a choice of three large U.S. military cemeteries in Europe and chose the one at Hamm, three miles east of Luxembourg City. Even so, he took little serious interest in the work other than to ensure, according to Eisenhowers son John, a lieutenant on the Fifteenth Army staff, that Pattons Army was mentioned about three times as often as any othereven though John Eisenhower himself felt that the First Army had contributed more to victory than had the Third. Few unbiased military historians would disagree with that view. On March 1 those forces took Trier, precipitating one of the most famous exchanges of the war. The previous afternoon it had been necessary to give him oxygen to restore his breathing and X-rays revealed that a small pulmonary embolism had obstructed his upper right lung. Hustonville, Lincoln, Kentucky: Immediate Family: Daughter of John Carpenter Wife of James B Patton Mother of Priscilla Patton . My soldiers are fighting men and if I dismiss the sewer cleaners and the clerks my soldiers will have to take over those jobs, he reasoned. George S. Patton (1885-1945) was a high-ranking WWII general, who led the U.S. 7th Army in its invasion of Sicily and northern France in the summer of 1944. PDF Patton Faked his Death I think it is amusing that no one tries to get any [medals] for me. It had a swimming pool, bowling alley, and two boats, and had once been owned by Max Amann, the publisher of Hitlers Mein Kampf. What exactly he meant is unclear, but needless to say this remark enraged those who had lost relatives in the war and telegrams and letters soon began to flood into the War Department demanding an apology. Kevin M. Hymel is a historian for the US Army. George Patton elevated the field of adolescent health, bringing the needs of adolescents to the world's attention and identifying interventions that could improve their lives. There are a number of sources available to consult and the reader can decide for themselves. Thank you for the long article. During the demobilization that followed World War I, Patton reverted to the permanent rank of captain. WAS HE MURDERED? Patton, too, seems to have known that his injuries were irreversible, if not terminal. George C Patton - The Lancet 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. General Patton's Car Accident Remains Controversial Today - Motorious My chief interest in establishing order in Germany was to prevent Germany from going communistic. I admit I am guilty of this practice, although at the moment I have no appropriate weapon.. A plane was sent to London to fetch them, and after they arrived on the morning of the 10th, they advised some changes that turned out to be equally painful. Dont let any more Russian bastards into this headquarters.. She was 30. George Patton - Death, WW2 & Military Career - Biography Willie standing by Patton's belongings, 1945. Bradley shouldve been relieved of command. Josiah Gray finishes April with a flourish as Nats avoid a series sweep. Now, more than half the Germans were Nazis and we would be in a hell of a fix if we removed all Nazi party members from office. 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. He did both quite well. Patton (1970), a film biography directed by Franklin Schaffner and starring George C. Scott in the title role, won seven Academy Awards, including one for best picture. Pattons morale, however, got a lift when his aircraft was given a fighter escort for its flight to Bavaria and troops and tanks lined the route from the airfield to Bad Tlz. Genealogy for Mary "Polly" Patton (Carpenter) (1782 - 1871) family tree on Geni, with over 245 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. 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. He announced that he intended to return to the States by March 1946 at the latest and that he expected all the necessary reports about the European campaign to be finished by then. I dont know if you ever visit Luxemburg or did see part of Germany and retraced his voyage, but I wish I could because I always loved your Grandma tremendously and cant read or see a film or documentary without crying After the German surrender, Patton campaigned vigorously for a command in the Pacific theatre in the ongoing war against Japan. I especially liked the excerpts from his diary which shows Patton NOT to be the person that many have said, to have had too many bumps to the head, but a man of common sense who was derailed by political academists. Best of regards, Sam Virzi, Hemet, CA. His career climaxed with World War II, where he led corps and armies from North Africa, to Sicily, to the continent of Europe. Of course, she declared, he should be buried here. The route from Luxembourg City station to the U.S. cemetery was lined by troops from the United States, Belgium, France, and Luxembourg, and the cortge was followed by Prince Felix of Luxembourg, two French, one Italian, and numerous American generals, including Gay and Truscott. It is also of interest that Gestapo chief Heinrich Himmlers wife had lived in another house on the lake, as had the wife of the infamous Waffen SS Kampfgruppe commander Jochen Peiper. The bugler played the soft, sad notes of Taps.. The commander of the U.S. Third Army, General George Patton, Jr., took no great pleasure in the end of the war in Europe; he already knew that despite his lobbying of many influential figures in Washington, D.C., he had no hope of being reassigned to the Pacific Theater to command combat troops there. She was dead within days. Gay counseled Patton to consult Beatrice and other family members before taking such a drastic step, but it seems his mind was made up. The investigation into the Golden State Killer was just a cover-up to throw off Patton. 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. Historians doubt Patton's claims that he was involved with his wife's niece. George Patton IV - Wikipedia
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