Very Human story. 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. With blood covering his face and scalp from cuts that had gone through to the bone, he was diagnosed as having a fracture of the third cervical vertebra, with a posterior dislocation of the fourth cervical vertebra. Whether or not the spinal cord had been transected or merely traumatized remained a matter of conjecture. 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. His bitterness is very evident: General Clay [Ikes deputy] and General McNarney have never commanded anything, including their own self-respect. 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.. If I can parse the weird grammar on the Wikipedia page correctly, she wasn't actually related to Patton. Pattons personal residence was a palatial house on nearby Lake Tegernsee. Gen. John K. Waters who is in Korea. On May 26, 1910, he married Beatrice Banning Ayer, the daughter of Boston industrial tycoon Frederick Ayer. During his final minutes before he died, he asked a fellow soldier, Davy Crockett, to deliver his . 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. 3. One can start with O-Reillys book. From now on we will get . In the case of Europe, he was convinced it would soon become Communist, and in the case of the Nazis he saw practical problems. 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. Kevin M. Hymel is a historian for the US Army. 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.. Stories of General George Pattons encounters with the Russians are legendary, and some may well be apocryphal. 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. 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. 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. He often led from the front, and he almost always delivered victory. Patton Museum: Death Car. In 1943, he used daring assault and defense tactics to lead the 7th U.S. army to victory at the invasion of Sicily. A great man should be remembered for ever. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, Stay up to date with all of our latest news, After nearly two weeks in the hospital, Patton died on this day in 1945. If its a choice between them and the Russians, I prefer the Germans., Worse was to follow. He should be reinterred in Arlington National Cemetery, in the country he loved so dearly. Who in hell let him in? A very unique man indeed. He was one of several notable personalities I briefly crossed paths. The fake news that haunted George Washington. He earned a Masters degree in American History from Villanova University and resides in Arlington, Virginia. [4] One news service said pictures of the general were strewn around her. 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. Hitlers mother was the only person he ever genuinely loved. Cancer killed her decades before he became a monster. At the first, in Frankfurt on August 27, he spoke out against the Russians and signed a letter proposing the release of some Nazi internees. This apparently so angered Eisenhower that he is said to have demanded that Patton carry out the denazification program as ordered instead of mollycoddling the goddamn Nazis. But Patton was not going to change; two days later he wrote in his diary, The Germans are the only decent people left in Europe. Pattons final command was to head the Fifteenth U.S. Army in Bad Nauheim, Germany, where he oversaw the writing of a history of the war in Europe, a role Patton described as serving as an undertaker at my own funeral. On December 9, 1945, Patton sustained serious injuries to his head and spine in a low-speed car accident; after 12 days of terrible pain, he died. Tommy Howard/South Strand. 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. Pattons opening words were, Well, you know damn well I didnt ask for this job, dont you?, The headquarters was in an old hotel in Bad Nauheim, and Pattons arrival in the mess for lunch was greeted by some 100 officers standing to attention. [3] World War II At the beginning of June came the news that Patton had been dreading. Only two months earlier he had told Ike, I cannot eat at the same table with Beetle Smith, and before he died he told Beatrice that he did not want either of them to attend his funeral. Patton accepted with enthusiasm. Why does General Patton still lay in Europe? LIMITED TIME OFFER $2 / Month Subscribe now for only $3.99 $2 a month! They arrived first. 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. Walter T. Patton met his end during the infamous ill-fated attack known as Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg. Eisenhower returned to Bavaria a week later following reports of bad conditions in some of the DP camps there. What a gripping story and a great General, Its no wonder where Donald trump gets his leadership from. Instead, the museum was temporarily closed, remodeled, and reopened in 2018 with a tighter emphasis on Patton himself. They had a daughter, Maria de Jesus (called Sue) and a son John, before she . 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. Death 6 Oct 1928 (aged 67) San Gabriel, Los Angeles County, California, USA. While there I was taken by wheelchair to a room which was supposedly that of the hospital room where General Patton had died. His early years were marred, however, by difficulties in spelling and reading, which has led some historians to speculate that he suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia. Another embolism had struck his left lung. 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. My dad was a classmate of Pattons son. The crowd along the 25-mile route was estimated at a million; people wept and girls threw flowers. Jean Gordon (February 4, 1915 - January 8, 1946) was an American socialite and a Red Cross worker during World War II. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. I enjoyed reading about the times from the end of the war in Europe to Pattons tragic accident and death. General George Patton once remarked that World War II undoubtedly would have lasted a lot longer were it not for his soldiers and his wife. Patton was just an average general, nothing more. Beatrice spent most of the final afternoon with him but left to have supper when he fell asleep at about 1715 hours. Wonderfully done! When asked why Nazis were being retained in governmental positions in Bavaria, he replied, I despise and abhor Nazis and Hitlerism as much as anyone. 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. I have a months leave but dont intend to go back to Europe. Neither he nor Gordon knew the purpose. The intersection where Patton had his car accident. Forces European Theater (USFET). The room was empty except for a hospital bed and a few other pieces of standard furniture of that long-ago era. Though the mission failed to apprehend Villa, Patton was responsible for leading a raid that killed three of Villas men. For years The Patton Museum in Ft. Knox, Kentucky advertised that it had on display the limousine in which Patton was injured. Patton was a "true leader in every sense of the . The two men did not get on. Waters spoke with members of the Winyah Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution about his famous grandfather. Cavalry reconnaissance vehicles led the way, followed by an Army ambulance and staff cars holding dignitaries. 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. His wife, Beatrice, flew in from Boston to be at his side and read him books and letters from well-wishers. Shortly after Beatrice Patton buried her husband, Gen. George S. Patton Jr., she summoned a woman to her hotel room. 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. https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Smith-Patton, Jewish Virtual Library - Biography of George Patton. Gen. Patton, after a lifetime of military service, and grand achievements in World War II, had suffered a broken neck in a car accident in Germany on Dec. 9, 1945. As far as the test of time goes, there has never, since the death of Charlemagne, been a settled Europe for more than a few decades. We already had atomic weapons and had used them on Japanese cities twice-perhaps some historians have suggested as a demonstration and warning to Moscowbut I am interested in the details of how we would have lost to the Russians, in some detail of course ie our objectives vs theirs and precisely how wed have failed in ours while they suceeded in defeating an American armed forces at the apogee of their war potential and still in Europe prior to Operation Magic Carpet. No one was hurt except Patton, who, despite a nasty gash on his head, immediately realized he had been paralyzed. I HAD JUST WATCHED THE MOVIE OF GENERAL PATTONS HISTORY DURING WORLD WAR 2 AND DECIDED TO DIG A LITTLE FURTHER AS MY HUSBAND WHO IS A HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR SEEMED TO THINK THERE MAY HAVE BEEN FOUL PLAY AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH. Mother of World War II General George S. Patton, Jr. . Josiah Gray finishes April with a flourish as Nats avoid a series sweep. "May the Great Worm gnaw your vitals," Beatrice Patton declared to Jean Gordon. Patton was left paralyzed and died of a heart attack or embolism on December 21, 1945 at the military hospital in Heidelberg. 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. German 10th army escaped to the defensive line and prolonged the war in Italy. Jeter Downs needs to play to develop. She was dead within days. His beloved dog, Willie, was to follow later. Nobody would have thought anything unusual about it, and even would have thought it to be proper. He also breakfasted with Count Bernadotte and was able to enjoy a specially staged ice carnival and hockey game in the Olympic stadium. Patton and Gay left Bad Nauheim at about 0900 hours on December 9 in Pattons 1939 Model 75 Cadillac driven by Pfc. But he was ignored. Today's blog was written by David Langbart, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. When a reporter asked the rabbis why they prayed for an anti-Semite, they explained that Pattons generalship ended the war months earlier than it would have without him, thus saving the lives of thousands of concentration camp victims. The latter then skillfully and ruthlessly demonstrated that the Fritz Schaeffer administration in Bavaria was full of former Nazis. He did his job and did it well. and George. Along with the faux pas committed during his Boston speech, Pattons past indiscretions continued to dog him. Courtesy of The National Archives and Records Administration. The day after his return Patton and his wife flew to Denver and then on to Los Angeles and Pasadena. He was . She was dead within days. Patton opened a drawer, pulled out a pistol, slammed it down on his desk, and raged, Goddamnit! Part of Douglas Southall Freemans introduction to War As I Knew It, which was published in November 1947, reads: He undertook this small book after the close of hostilities and he drew heavily from [his] diary for detail. . Patton obviously saw into the future and what the world would be like in our time with Russia and china. Patton was rushed to the 130th Station Hospital in Heidelberg, 12 miles away. Well, Beatrice's dinner was interrupted when the nurse suddenly noticed that Patton had stopped breathing. He was no fan of the Atomic Bomb -or perhaps that it was largely a creation of Jewish minds His idea of what war was supposed to be was forever changed by atomic weapons.. His attack based agenda worked.. and yes had he been given sufficient resources, the war would have been much shorter and many lives would have been spared as a result The history of Europe since WWII would have been very different. Horace Woodring. He should have been president. His academic performance improved, and, after graduating in June 1909, Patton was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the cavalry. 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. Patton was commanding general of the western task force during the successful U.S. landings at Casablanca in November 1942. At least, I have done my best as God gave me the chance.. 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. 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. They were then driven through the suburbs of Boston to a ticker tape reception in the city itself. After a ceremony at the church, pallbearers placed Pattons casket back onto the half-track for the trip to the train station. Patton was 50, and in the midst of a midlife, between-wars crisis. His obituary revealed that he had died just a few weeks after he'd ushered in his 50 th wedding anniversary. Thats what your Grandpa did to me. Girish Thakar (412)901-0039. In the aftermath of the Battle of Kasserine Pass, US II Corps passed to the command of General Harold Alexanders 18th Army Group. Considered one of the most successful combat generals in US history, Gen. George S. Patton died on December 21, 1945, 12 days . He was not allowed to crush the German 10th army but was directed by Mark Clark to the Appian Hills where he got 10,000 GIs killed in a fight west of Rome so that Mark Clark good march into Rome. 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. Patton, too, seems to have known that his injuries were irreversible, if not terminal. 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. Death: October 01, 1871 (89) Lincoln County, Kentucky, USA . It was escorted by a platoon of the 15th Cavalry, the unit in which Patton had begun his career in 1910. 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. YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE. In 1912 Patton was selected to represent the United States at the Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden. On D . Even now, twenty-six years after his death, he can be pictured clearly as the Army This is the offical version of the accident and death. But like he said and probably thought deep in his heart, he was here to do what God wanted him to do, no more, no less! Eisenhauers job was both military and political. One person even stated an admission of responsibility for his purported role in the attack-make of that what you will. A New Jersey husband and wife are behind bars after a routine traffic stop turned into a demolition derby that resulted in charges of attempted murder of a police officer and aggravated assault. 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. And now, with the war over and her famous husband buried, Beatrice wanted to see Gordon. George Smith Patton, the first of his name, died in the Third Battle of Winchester while under the command of Jubal Early. 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. 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. Another was Sean Flynn, Erroll Flynns son, who was a combat photograher at the same time and who almost certainly would have photographed someone as significant as a Patton descendant in combat. Historians doubt Patton's claims that he was involved with his wife's niece. Professor of Adolescent Health at the University of Melbourne and the Director of the CAH, as well as Patton's wife. Over the next 10 years, the marriage was salvaged, and the general went on to become a legendary, if controversial, figure in the defeat of Nazi Germany. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Well, my dear Marshal Zhukov, let me tell you this. This is a bit off topic but perhaps you might clarify something for me. The Augusta had been the flagship of the Western Task Force in the invasion of Morocco. He died Dec. 21, and was buried in a military cemetery in Luxembourg. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. It was a wet day, and the ceremony was held, rather inappropriately, inside a gymnasium. Known for his aggressive nature just as much as his many . Modern mechanized armies need a robust logistics chain to provide fuel, ammunition, and other sinews of war to sustain combat operations. Ive always admired Patton, he was a great leader of fighting men and a natural leader of men. 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. These had, however, been rejected, and when references had been made to the Geneva Convention, the officer had been told: What do you mean Geneva Convention? 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. He was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant general in March 1943 and led the U.S. May God bless you and your family the way HE has blesses your Grandpa! Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration. Simply put: Patton had broken his neck. VERY CONVENIENT ACCIDENT SO I SUPPOSE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOME DOUBT IN SOME MINDS!!!!!! Helen Patton stepped into Maj. Gen. Frank Muth's quarters Feb. 26, and stepped back in time. There are many famous and controversial figures to emerge from World War II, but General S. Patton is arguably one of its most controversial. He was, indeed, the consummate warrior, steeped in military and well trained for the terrible combat which followed. During that time the Third Army suffered roughly 137,000 casualties, but it had inflicted more than 10 times that on the enemy. After the shaken Russian was escorted out, Patton is said to have exclaimed, Sometimes you have to put on an act Thats the last well hear from those bastards. And apparently it was. There, he was x-rayed, revealing two crushed vertebrae. His wife is Beatrice Banning Ayer (26 May 1910 - 21 December 1945) ( his death) ( 3 children) George S. Patton Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023. That includes Patton's own wife Beatrice, who believed George and Jean were a couple. 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. All he did was help defeat the remnants of the Afrika Korps after it had already been defeated by British and Commonwealth forces. Beatrice and an American neurosurgeon, Colonel Geoffrey Spurling, flew in from the States on the 11th. Cartoonist Bill Mauldin describes the moment: "Beside him, lying in a big chair was Willie, the bull terrier.
