Pallbearer Master Sergeant George Meeks, Pattons long-serving enlisted aide, could not hide his grief at losing his commander and friend. 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.. Bless you. Needless to say, the press ran with this story, particularly the Democrat versus Republican analogy. In reality, his wife was compiling mountains of evidence, visiting truck stops, bath houses and fetish clubs in 48 states and interviewing 100s of people! George Patton IV - Wikipedia 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. Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. 43 Facts About General George Patton, The Great American Firebrand Willie standing by Patton's belongings, 1945. He was met by the officer temporarily holding the fortMaj. Patton was educated at The Hill School. Just Berlin! Patton himself seemed resigned to his fate; when he saw his wife, he said to her, "I'm afraid, Bea, this may be the last time we see each other." On December 20, medical staff gave Patton oxygen to restore his breathing; an x-ray revealed a small pulmonary embolism in his upper right lung. He was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant general in March 1943 and led the U.S. Beatrice and an American neurosurgeon, Colonel Geoffrey Spurling, flew in from the States on the 11th. Waters spoke with members of the Winyah Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution about his famous grandfather. None of todays generals could ever come close. 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? He made emotional speeches in all three places, with 100,000 people, including many Hollywood stars, turning out to hear him in the Los Angeles Coliseum. 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. He wrote in his diary, If we let Germany and the German people be completely disintegrated and starved, they will certainly fall for Communism, and the fall of Germany for Communism will write the epitaph of democracy in the United States. Tolbukhin, a Soviet Army Group commander, who tried to get him drunk and whom he described as a very inferior man who sweated profusely. He did admit that the Russian soldiers put on a tremendous show [they] passed in review with a very good imitation of the goose step. One of Pattons last acts before handing over command was to award a Silver Star to his driver of more than four years, Master Sergeant John Mims. Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the Third Army to relieve Bastogne, and Patton repositioned his force with astonishing speed. General Patton MURDERED? Mystery pertaining to the suspicious death of He had just been removed from his command of the Third Army, which was in charge of governing the American sector of Germany . By V-E Day (May 8, 1945), Pattons Third Army had fought for nine months since becoming operational, capturing more than 80,000 square miles (more than 200,000 square km) of territory. He was at his best when commanding his men and was extremely instrumental in the victory of the allies over the Germans. May the Great Worm gnaw your vitals, Beatrice pronounced, uttering what DEste said was a feared curse she had learned in Hawaii years before. Gen. George Pattons wife put a Hawaiian curse on his ex-mistress. Patton made a respectable showing, coming in fifth out of 42 contestants. 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. Patton's wife Beatrice died on September 30, 1953, from a ruptured aneurysm . When Gay did so, Patton barked, Go ahead Hap, work my fingers.. The U.S. joined the Great War 100 years ago. Hordes of well-wishers tore up the cemetery grounds making the trek to his grave in the back corner. He was one of several notable personalities I briefly crossed paths. Too bad he died. It was a mistake to suppose a free-swinging fighter could acquire overnight the capacities of a wise administrator. This failed to materialize, and he was instead made the military governor of Bavaria, a political position for which he was ill-suited by training and temperament. 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. george patton was the living, walking, talking definition of antifa & he had no use or patience for cowards like captain bone spurs. Joe Scruce seemed troubled in the weeks leading up to his death. He complained that some Germans were being interned there as political prisoners without justification. The only jobs in which he was interested were commandant of the Army War College or commanding general of the Army ground forces. Patton was a "true leader in every sense of the . General Patton's Death - Accident or Murder? - YouTube As he put it to his III Corps commander, Maj. Gen. James Van Fleet, There is already a star [MacArthur] in that theater and you can only have one star in a show., Patton was also depressed because he knew there would be a rapid reduction in the strength of the U.S. Army in Europe, and he believed this was inviting disaster. Ike told him they were both already filled. 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. He shortened the war in Europe and saved many lives, civilian and military, while predicting what would happen if the Russians were given free reign. Politician were scared of him because he spoke the truth! My language was not particularly politic, but I have yet to find where politic language produces successful government. Helen Patton stepped into Maj. Gen. Frank Muth's quarters Feb. 26, and stepped back in time. Patton was greeted by the chief of staff of the Army and eight former members of the 1912 Olympic pentathlon team and was later received by the king and the crown prince. During the U.S. occupation of Germany, George Patton was commanding the U.S. Fifteenth Army, a paper army gathering historical information about the war. By now Bedell Smith, Adcock, and others had come to the conclusion that Patton was mentally unbalanced. I was stationed in Germany in the early 1970s and was hospitalized for several weeks at the US Army Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany. Genealogy for Mary "Polly" Patton (Carpenter) (1782 - 1871) family tree on Geni, with over 245 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Marking the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, The National WWII Museum connects two instances of remorse for Nazi criminality by leading German politicians. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." People hate to be micromanaged. After nine days of agony, traction was maintained and the pain eased by encasing Pattons neck and shoulders in a special plaster jacket. When his host pointed out a new, massive, and very advanced Stalin IS-3 tank and mentioned that its cannon had a range of 17,000 meters, Patton is said to have replied, Indeed? Forces European Theater (USFET). 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. Great read. His formal education did not begin until age 11, but, in time, he became a voracious reader and later in life published numerous articles on military subjects. He accepted the job with the Fifteenth Army, explaining this away in his diary by writing that in resigning I would save my self-respect at the expense of my reputation but would become a martyr too soon. He went on in his diary to justify his acceptance of the Fifteenth Army command as follows: I was reluctant, in fact unwilling, to be party to the destruction of Germany under the pretense of denazification. She was dead within days. 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. 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. 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. A 12-man squad raised its rifles, and a three-round volley of salutes echoed into the Luxembourg hills. Was General George S. Patton Assassinated Sixty-Five Years Ago Today? George Smith Patton, the first of his name, died in the Third Battle of Winchester while under the command of Jubal Early. My record on that is clear and unchallengeable. General Patton's Car Accident Remains Controversial Today - Motorious After a ceremony at the church, pallbearers placed Pattons casket back onto the half-track for the trip to the train station. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. George passed away on the 23 rd of September 2018, aged 72. Gen. Clarence Adcock. Historians doubt Patton's claims that he was involved with his wife's niece. Why does General Patton still lay in Europe? 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. On May 13, 1945, he reportedly entertained and decorated the commander of the Soviet Fourth Guards Army at a luncheon in Linz, Austria. He is the author of Pattons Photographs: War As He Saw Itand Patton: Legendary World War II Commander(with Martin Blumenson). The way I see it, this Nazi question is very much like a Democrat and Republican election fight. World War II made George Patton a hero, but the Great War made him a commander. This was, of course, completely contrary to the political direction he had received from Eisenhower for the denazification of the American zone of Germany. With Patton, you always knew where you stood with him, no doubt or grey areas! James Patton was killed in 1813 after he was wounded in the Creek Indian War. "May the Great Worm gnaw your vitals," Beatrice Patton declared to Jean Gordon. The Open Question Of George Patton's Last Days So what did Patton do with his time? To get things done in Bavaria, after the complete disorganization and disruption of four years of war, we had to compromise with the devil a little. . When Alexander took command on February 20, 1943, one of his first tasks was to assess II Corps combat readiness after its setbacks during its early engagements around Kasserine Pass. 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. Patton was rushed to the 130th Station Hospital in Heidelberg, 12 miles away. At the station, the casket was placed on a train for Luxembourg. A comment now that time has given historians a bit more perspective. It was during WWII that Patton hit the high point of his military career. If its a choice between them and the Russians, I prefer the Germans., Worse was to follow. Maj. Gen. George S. Patton, the son and namesake of the World War II armored commander and a veteran of combat in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, died on Sunday at his home in Hamilton, Mass. 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 Even though you dont know me, it is a privilege for me to write to you! The crowd along the 25-mile route was estimated at a million; people wept and girls threw flowers. In the final minute of the ceremony, Master Sergeant William G. Meeks, the man who had served Patton faithfully as his orderly since April 1942, presented Beatrice with the flag that had draped the coffin. A doctor summoned her at about 1800 hours, but it was too late. 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. His tragic death was the end of a great man to which the world owes a debt of gratitude beyond comprehension. The ambulance, which eventually arrived at the scene with two medical officers, took Patton to the 130th Station Hospital in Heidelberg, 15 miles away, where he was admitted at 1245 hours. Who knows? Patton had taken so little interest in the new administration that he did not even recall meeting its Minister President, a Dr. Fritz Schaeffer. And now, with the war over and her famous husband buried, Beatrice wanted to see Gordon. At least, I have done my best as God gave me the chance.. The first American home that I stayed in, back in 1988, was that of General Ben Partin (U.S. Air Force). For years The Patton Museum in Ft. Knox, Kentucky advertised that it had on display the limousine in which Patton was injured. For General Patton's Family, Recovered Ground Ike's Son Remembers George S. Patton Jr..(Sum 12,Vol:62 Issue:2) Courtesy of The National Archives and Records Administration. Modern mechanized armies need a robust logistics chain to provide fuel, ammunition, and other sinews of war to sustain combat operations. His academic performance improved, and, after graduating in June 1909, Patton was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the cavalry. THIS ARTICLE WAS MOST INTERESTING AND BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND IT SEEMS QUITE LIKELY IT WAS A TRAGIC ACCIDENT. 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. The French government, grateful for Pattons role in liberating their country, offered to bury him in Napoleons tomb, where a number of great marshals were laid to rest. But Ive been in Garmish and numerous places where your Grandpa was and it ALWAYS moved me to tears! . Jeter Downs needs to play to develop. The Tragic Death Of General George S. Patton - Grunge I feel they would have fought anyone, even us, as fiercely as they fought the German Heer and the SS.) The reports were true. Tommy Howard/South Strand. But at the recommendation of Major General Geoffrey Keyes, Pattons deputy commander in North Africa and Sicily, Beatrice made up her mind. It was accompanied by a cover letter saying Smith thought Patton was out of control in Bavaria and that Ike ought to come back and take the matter in hand before any further damage was done. Death car at the General George Patton Museum. I am afraid that our foolish and utterly stupid policy will certainly cause them to join the Russians and thereby ensure a communistic state throughout Western Europe. 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. But Gordon had reappeared in Europe during the war, alarming Beatrice. Death: October 01, 1871 (89) Lincoln County, Kentucky, USA . They are a scurvy race and simply savages. Her mother was his wife's half-sister. When they were alone again, Patton suggested that he should be simply relieved, but Ike said he did not intend to do that and had had no pressure from the States to that effect. Then he vanished. The fake news that haunted George Washington. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Robert Brown was an educator, civil rights activist, community leader, elected official, and a WWII combat veteran. 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. Courtesy of The National Archives and Records Administration. His last diary entry, dated December 3, describes a luncheon hosted by Bedell Smith for Eisenhowers successor, McNarney. After knowing how our Soldiers were treated in Japanese Prison Camps, old Gutless left our boys to rot. Very Deep story. 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. While there I was taken by wheelchair to a room which was supposedly that of the hospital room where General Patton had died. Now we are using them for lack of anyone better until we can get better people.. [3] World War II all ears I am for some brilliant military strategy. We examine the circumstances and the theories.Dr. There is information (although perhaps not necessarily reaching the level of evidience, be that as it may) of foul play. 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. We came to give them back the right to govern themselves. Rather than IKE. 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. He was obviously in a post which he was unsuited by temperament, training or experience to fill. On March 1 those forces took Trier, precipitating one of the most famous exchanges of the war. By that time their armor was easily superior to ours, and their soldiers knew how to defeat a well trained enemy while sustaining millions of casualties. He was a hero. The American press had guaranteed him a heros welcome. The day after his return Patton and his wife flew to Denver and then on to Los Angeles and Pasadena. Would like to buy the book above, since my father Peter Beck surrendered to George Patton, the Russians on his heels. His name had been included in a list of six generals submitted by the War Department for consideration by MacArthur, but the Supreme Commander had rejected him out of hand. 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. At 1630 hours it began its journey to Luxembourg where it arrived at 0400 hours on the 24th. 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.

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