General George S. Patton, Jr.
1885-1945
Note-Although General Patton also served in World
War I, his military exploits are better remembered during the Second World War.
General George Smith Patton, Jr., was born on November 11, 1885 in San
Gabriel, California. His military career was one of the most colorful of all
20th Century military leaders. He participated in the Pentathlon of the
Stockholm Olympics in 1912 and placed fifth overall in the event. Later, he
served as a member of General John J. Pershing’s staff both during the
punitive Expedition to Mexico and in World War I. He joined the newly formed
Tank Corps, where he served until the Corps was abolished in 1920 at Fort Meade,
Maryland. After World War I, he held a variety of staff jobs in Hawaii and
Washington, D.C., and completed his military schooling as the distinguished
graduate of the Army War College. He served as control officer for the
mechanized maneuvers in Georgia and Louisiana, which tested the entire
mechanized concept of the Army.
With the formation of the Armored Force in 1940 at Fort Knox, he transferred
to the 2d Armored Division at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was named the
Commanding General, 2d Armored Division, on April 11, 1941.
On November 8, 1942, Patton commanded the Western Task Force, the only all
American force, landing in North Africa. After the American defeat at Kasserine
Pass, he was given command of all American forces in the Tunisia Combat Area.
He commanded the Seventh army during the invasion of Sicily in July 1943 and
served in this capacity until March 1944, when he was given command of the Third
Army which became operational in France in August 1944. When American forces
broke through the German defenses, Patton's Third Army dashed across Europe and
exploited German weaknesses with remarkable success. In October 1945, he assumed
command of the Fifteenth Army in American-occupied Germany. On December 21,
1945, General Patton died in Germany as a result of an automobile accident. He
is buried among the soldiers who died in the Battle of the Bulge in Hamm,
Luxembourg.
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For
you young pups, this is not General George Patton,
it is George C. Scott, who portrayed him in the movie.
I highly recommend it! Buy
the DVD from Amazon!
Music from the movie
General Patton's speech to the Third Army
