May God bless you and your family the way HE has blesses your Grandpa! From then on it was as wholeheartedly for him as the Third Army staff had been. But Patton was not really interested in an Army without weapons or a combat mission and consisting mainly of historians and an administrative staff. At the beginning of June came the news that Patton had been dreading. He was an exceptional warrior and leader. Modern mechanized armies need a robust logistics chain to provide fuel, ammunition, and other sinews of war to sustain combat operations. 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. Kevin M. Hymel is a historian for the US Army. I am inclined to think he over-cooperated.. Her family connections included well-known surnames Pico, Sepulveda, and Alvarado. Updates? My chief interest in establishing order in Germany was to prevent Germany from going communistic. Woodring was unable to stop in time, and the two vehicles collided at a 90-degree angle, with the right front bumper of the truck smashing the radiator and bumper of the Cadillac. 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? Many historians have written about the famous Buffalo Soldiers of the all-Black 92nd Infantry Division, who fought with distinction during World War II. Model, Manstein, Guderian, Rommel, Kesselring and von Bock were the greatest generals of World War II. Benjamin W. Patton stands with his father, Gen. George Patton in 1978 at the North Africa American Cemetery in Tunisia. For years The Patton Museum in Ft. Knox, Kentucky advertised that it had on display the limousine in which Patton was injured. Who Is George S. Patton's Wife? Beatrice is said to have declared, I can hardly speak, Im so overcome. VERY CONVENIENT ACCIDENT SO I SUPPOSE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOME DOUBT IN SOME MINDS!!!!!! He was, indeed, the consummate warrior, steeped in military and well trained for the terrible combat which followed. Death: October 01, 1871 (89) Lincoln County, Kentucky, USA . At 5:55 p.m. on December 21, 1945, General George S. Patton, Jr. passed away in his sleep. 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. 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. This article is part of a series commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II made possible by the Department of Defense. As a result of Dorns discoveries and the PW Camp 8 incident, he and Adcock, presumably with Bedell Smiths agreement, arranged for a psychiatrist, disguised as a supply officer, to be posted to Pattons headquarters to study his behaviorand, unbelievably, for Pattons phones to be tapped and his residence bugged. funny. We had no alternative but to turn to the people who knew what to do and how to do it. How could the deaths of so many more American solders made to day any better? If ever dog was suited to master this one was. Now we are using them for lack of anyone better until we can get better people.. He was 60 years old.. The incident nearly destroyed the Pattons marriage, left Beatrice crushed and the general stricken with remorse. 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. George Patton died peacefully at 1755 hours on December 21, 1945. Patton, too, seems to have known that his injuries were irreversible, if not terminal. The result . 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. Advance elements of the Third Army reached Bastognes tenacious defenders on December 26, and additional reinforcements followed over subsequent days. This came after a prolonged struggle with Alzheimer's. A chef and cookbook author, Brenda Gantt, with her late husband, George Patton Gantt. 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. 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. A doctor summoned her at about 1800 hours, but it was too late. In August this year, I was at American cemetery in Luxembourg where General Patton is buried. General William H. Simpson, commander of Ninth Army, has received little attention in the historiography of World War II. General George S Patton's wife is pictured . Seems that just days after Patton's untimely death after a car accident in 1945, his widow asked for a meeting with Jean Gordon, Patton's alleged mistress. He died from his injuries on December 21, 1945. The war was over and a different type of leadership was needed. Hustonville, Lincoln, Kentucky: Immediate Family: Daughter of John Carpenter Wife of James B Patton Mother of Priscilla Patton . The USSR is gone to the dust bin of history and so many of us would never been born if our fathers had died in that war[mine was a USAAF bomber pilot] and today no one can say for sure what would have become from another war. 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. Cavalry reconnaissance vehicles led the way, followed by an Army ambulance and staff cars holding dignitaries. Upon arrival in Luxembourg, a light rain fell as the casket was brought to the cemetery on December 24, the day before Christmas. Despite Pattons indiscretions and lack of interest in his overall duties, in August 1945 Bavaria was judged by Secretary of War Stimson to be the best-governed area in the whole U.S. European Theater of Operations (ETO), an opinion apparently shared by his deputy. The bugler played the soft, sad notes of Taps.. By: Martin Blumenson (author of: The Patton Papers). 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. Greg Wehner. His wife, Beatrice, flew in from Boston to be at his side and read him books and letters from well-wishers. George Patton was born into a life of privilege. Patton Oswalt killed his wife, because she was about to reveal his closeted homosexuality to the world. Extremely captivating story and well written with plenty of facts to back up the story. A first-generation American of Lebanese descent, James Jabara was intent on being a fighter pilot. 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 was met by the officer temporarily holding the fortMaj. From now on we will get . Patton Museum: Death Car. Hunting down runaway slaves: The cruel ads of Andrew Jackson and the master class, Gen. George S. Patton Jr. died on Dec. 23, 1945, after suffering a broken neck in a car accident days earlier. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his paralysis and breathed his last before the move could be made. His admiration for Germans was indeed troubling.. Wikipedia admits it, with footnotes. 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. Eisenhower, Bradley and the like had never been to a battlefield until after the battle. Patton did not remain in his plot for long. On April 4, 1941, he was promoted to temporary major general, and a week later he was made commander of the 2nd Armored Division. In the aftermath of the Battle of Kasserine Pass, US II Corps passed to the command of General Harold Alexanders 18th Army Group. Bradleys reputation is always polished by Ernie Pyle. Shortly after Beatrice Patton buried her husband, Gen. George S. Patton Jr., on Christmas Eve 1945, she summoned a woman named Jean Gordon to her hotel room in Boston. 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. 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! He was obviously in a post which he was unsuited by temperament, training or experience to fill. George passed away on the 23 rd of September 2018, aged 72. Lieutenant General Geoffrey Keyes escorts Mrs. Beatrice Patton to her husbands funeral in Hamm, Luxembourg. One staff officer wrote later: It was obvious he was undergoing deep and gnawing turmoil.. Then he vanished. Patton was offered command of the Fifteenth Army an army in name only since its sole mission was to prepare a history of the war in Europe! My high school civics teacher (in 1960) told us a few stories about his WWII infantry service in Europe. He was buried in Luxembourg. Most of his time, however, was spent preparing his book War As I Knew It. It was in Camp 8 near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 60 miles south of Munich, on September 8, 1945, that an incident occurred which was to have severe implications for Pattons future career. By now Bedell Smith, Adcock, and others had come to the conclusion that Patton was mentally unbalanced. Pall bearers, including Master Sergeant George Meeks, carry Pattons casket on its last leg of the journey to his burial spot in the American cemetery in Hamm, Luxembourg. George Patton was a brilliant but hot-tempered U.S. Army general who was arguably the Allies most gifted tank commander. Although George Pattons formal education did not begin until after his 11th birthday, he was an eager student of history. No comparison to Ike or Bradley. I was stationed in Germany in the early 1970s and was hospitalized for several weeks at the US Army Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany. Photo Credit: A million people lined the 25-mile parade route leading to the Hatch Memorial Shell in Boston, where General Patton delivered a war bonds speech. George S. Patton (son) George S. Patton (grandson) Colonel George Patton Sr. (June 26, 1833 - September 25, 1864) was a Confederate colonel during the American Civil War. Those who knew the Pattons were aware of the vital role Beatrice played in his reaching his destiny, but few others . Mark . His career climaxed with World War II, where he led corps and armies from North Africa, to Sicily, to the continent of Europe. Now all that is left is to sit around and await the arrival of the undertaker and posthumous immortality.. And so it went on throughout his leaveadulation from family, friends, and the vast majority of the public. Just like Churchill was a great war leader. Two days later, Patton wrote his last letter to his wife telling her that he was coming home for Christmas. His last diary entry, dated December 3, describes a luncheon hosted by Bedell Smith for Eisenhowers successor, McNarney. 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. Gen. George Patton's wife put a Hawaiian curse on his ex-mistress. Patton had taken so little interest in the new administration that he did not even recall meeting its Minister President, a Dr. Fritz Schaeffer. When Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa led an attack on the border town of Columbus, New Mexico, in 1916, Patton joined the staff of Brig. Dont disagree with the sentiment Robert, but rearming the Germans would have caused a revolt in the US and would have amounted to political suicide for Truman if he let it happen. He also breakfasted with Count Bernadotte and was able to enjoy a specially staged ice carnival and hockey game in the Olympic stadium. However, such accusations tend to rely on circumstantial evidence, and no definitive proof of any conspiracy has emerged. Top Image:General George S. Patton, Jr., one of Americas greatest battlefield commanders died on December 21, 1945, in an Army hospital in Heidelberg, Germany. Patton saw his first combat soon after leaving Fort Riley. 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.. James Patton was killed in 1813 after he was wounded in the Creek Indian War. 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? Willie standing by Patton's belongings, 1945. Patton began his military career . Prior to the Normandy Invasion, he was publicly placed in command of the First U.S. Army Group (FUSAG), a fictitious army whose supposed marshaling in eastern England helped to deceive German commanders into thinking that the invasion would take place in the Pas-de-Calais region of France. Historians doubt Patton's claims that he was involved with his wife's niece. General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S. Third Army, became military governor of the greater portion of the American occupation zone of Germany. Patton was a field commander in the finest sense. After knowing how our Soldiers were treated in Japanese Prison Camps, old Gutless left our boys to rot. The officers with few exceptions gave the appearance of recently civilized Mongolian bandits., The most notorious incident allegedly happened toward the end of May when an English-speaking Russian brigadier general arrived at Pattons headquarters to demand that some river boats on the Danube that had contained Germans who had surrendered to the Third Army be returned to the Russians. A niece by marriage of General George S. Patton, some writers claim she had a long affair with Patton, [2] allegedly beginning years before the war [3] and continuing behind the front lines of wartime Europe. Patton handed over command of his beloved Third Army to another cavalryman, General Lucian Truscott, on October 7, 1945. It took the form of a gala evening in the ballroom of the Spa Hotel in Bad Nauheim, and Patton found himself once again surrounded by friends and the center of attention. 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. 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. . 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. However, his brash actions and mercurial temper led to numerous controversies during his career. Thirty-year-old Lieutenant Patton managed to build an acquaintance with the general. Patton was left paralyzed and died of a heart attack or embolism on December 21, 1945 at the military hospital in Heidelberg. RIP, General. It is my opinion that this talking cooperation is for the purpose of covering up probable criticism of strategic blunders which he unquestionably committed during the campaign. Lucian truscott had US Army six corps off the beach in Anzio And trapped the German 10th army in the mountains. 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. Been reading a book about Patton and ran across this. He had learned fencing at West Point and continued his study of swordsmanship while in Europe. Just Berlin! So, how did Patton die? When Patterson told him that he did not understand the big picture, but asked Patton what he would do about the Russians, he allegedly replied that he would keep the U.S. Army in Europe intact, delineate the border with the Soviets, and if they did not withdraw behind it, push them back across it. He went on: We did not come over here to acquire jurisdiction over either the people or their countries. Courtesy of The National Archives and Records Administration. 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. "Never tell people how to do things. The treaty that Hitler hated even more than the Treaty of Versailles and one of the most important treaties you have probably never heard of. 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. I have been a student of General George s. Patton for some 40-45 years and this is a well written article, very accurate. Then, with the formalities over, he was finally able to embrace his wife Beatriceit was their first hug in nearly three years. Courtesy of The National Archives and Records Administration. Also Known As: George Smith Patton Jr. Died At Age: 60 Family: Spouse/Ex-: Beatrice Banning Ayer (m. 1910-1945) father: George S. Patton mother: Ruth Wilson children: Beatrice Smith, George Patton IV, Ruth Ellen Born Country: United States Military Leaders American Men Height: 6'2" (188 cm ), 6'2" Males Died on: December 21, 1945 Mother of World War II General George S. Patton, Jr. . Patton wrote in his diary, I guess there is nothing left for me but the undertaker.. Beatrice and an American neurosurgeon, Colonel Geoffrey Spurling, flew in from the States on the 11th. Allied friends and acquaintances walked behind the casket. Following the service, the coffin, accompanied by Beatrice who was supported by Pattons old friend General Geoffrey Keyes, was taken to Heidelberg station along a route lined by some 6,000 U.S. soldiers. My record on that is clear and unchallengeable. 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. Thursday, July 1, 2004. This is a bit off topic but perhaps you might clarify something for me. She was the same age as Patton's daughters, and in her youth spent most of her holidays with the extended Patton family. "May the Great Worm gnaw your vitals," Beatrice Patton declared to Jean Gordon. With hind sight many people think if we would have went to war right away with the Russians things would be different today. For decades since General George S. Patton's untimely death in December 1945 there have arisen all manner of conspiracy theories regarding it. America could use a great leader like him today! washingtonpost.com Gen. George Patton's wife put a curse on his ex-mistress. Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the Third Army to relieve Bastogne, and Patton repositioned his force with astonishing speed. Whether or not these were his own or due to too much cooperation with the British I dont know. Out in the rain, an honor guard fired volleys. If its a choice between them and the Russians, I prefer the Germans., Worse was to follow.
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