George Patton was born into a life of privilege. Behind them are Beatrices brother, Frederick Ayer, and Major General Hobart Hap Gay, who was with Patton at the time of his car accident. Michael Reynolds was a retired major general in the British Army, a veteran of the Korean War and the former director of NATOs Military Plans and Policy Division. George S. Patton Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family He acknowledged that he was a terrible politician. The room was empty except for a hospital bed and a few other pieces of standard furniture of that long-ago era. Patton died from his injuries on Dec. 21, 1945. Just like Churchill was a great war leader. Upon arrival in Luxembourg, a light rain fell as the casket was brought to the cemetery on December 24, the day before Christmas. Much has been made in the historical record of the capture of the Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine River at Remagen, Germany in early March of 1945. His tragic death was the end of a great man to which the world owes a debt of gratitude beyond comprehension. 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. I got nothing for Tunisia, nothing for Sicily and nothing for the Bulge. He was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant general in March 1943 and led the U.S. His wife preferred to have him buried along with his men who died in Battle of Bulge. Willie standing by Patton's belongings, 1945. Patton was educated at The Hill School. 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. 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. For decades since General George S. Patton's untimely death in December 1945 there have arisen all manner of conspiracy theories regarding it. Pattons memoirs, War as I Knew It, appeared posthumously in 1947. They did not get it. It is to be found on battlefields from Morocco to Bad Tlz. By Michael E. Ruane April 24, 2017 at 1:15 p.m. EDT Jean Gordon, left, was found dead in a. He graduated with distinction from the Army War College in 1932, and he remained a vigorous proponent of tank warfare throughout the interwar years. Tributes were already beginning to flow in and would eventually include messages from President Truman, British Prime Minister Clement Attlee, and the French National Assembly. They then joined the Seventh Army in sweeping the Saar and the Palatinate, where they took 100,000 prisoners. Gen. Patton's Dog After His Death Unfortunately, he succumbed to his paralysis and breathed his last before the move could be made. She was the same age as Patton's daughters, and in her youth spent most of her holidays with the extended Patton family. Hordes of well-wishers tore up the cemetery grounds making the trek to his grave in the back corner. 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. Two days later, Patton wrote his last letter to his wife telling her that he was coming home for Christmas. 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. Not surprisingly, one of the American officers, a Jew, reported the incident to Eisenhowers headquarters, now housed in the IG Farben building in Frankfurt and known as Headquarters U.S. Would like to buy the book above, since my father Peter Beck surrendered to George Patton, the Russians on his heels. 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. [3] World War II 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. 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. 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. The brief ceremony over, Beatrice exited the tent clasping the tri-folded flag that had covered her husbands casket. If its a choice between them and the Russians, I prefer the Germans., Worse was to follow. As the Third Army approached the German border, the advance was slowed because of supply shortages, but it was not stopped until it met the strong German defenses at Nancy and Metz in November. Close to death from his wounds, Patton had a vision of his death as a Viking raider where a vision appeared to him on the battlefield, offering to take him to the Viking afterlife. Tommy Howard/South Strand. Gen Patton's Clear Vision - Why He Was Murdered Although there was no eulogy, various holy men, including a group of rabbis wearing their concentration camp uniforms, prayed over Pattons grave. I was stationed in Germany in the early 1970s and was hospitalized for several weeks at the US Army Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany. 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. Then, with the formalities over, he was finally able to embrace his wife Beatriceit was their first hug in nearly three years. 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. Ike's Son Remembers George S. Patton Jr..(Sum 12,Vol:62 Issue:2) Maybe because the Americans saved Europe (yes, but that was way before my time, I was born in 1965), maybe because they delivered Bxls and a tank stayed in my Moms courtyard for over a week, or maybe because every time I would visit my Godfather by Spangdahlem, I would pass the base and later on learn English, meet an airman, marry him and be stationed there for 4 yrs then go to Leipheim for 4 yrs? 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. 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. But any satisfaction Patton might have derived from this report was to be short-lived. He led a series of wildly successful offensive operations in Europe during World War II, but his controversial and erratic behaviour off the battlefield damaged his reputation and hampered his own career advancement. Ruth Wilson Patton (1861-1928) - Find a Grave Memorial His last diary entry, dated December 3, describes a luncheon hosted by Bedell Smith for Eisenhowers successor, McNarney. Pattons forces continued to push the Germans back, and by the end of January 1945, the Third Army had reached the German frontier. Death: October 01, 1871 (89) Lincoln County, Kentucky, USA . His father was a successful lawyer who served as the Los Angeles County district attorney, and his mother was the daughter of Benjamin D. Wilson, the first elected mayor of Los Angeles and a wealthy landowner. 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. Patton as a four-star general. A doctor summoned her at about 1800 hours, but it was too late. 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. 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. At one stage the officer responsible for USFET Civil Affairs, Clarence Adcock, was summoned and he brought Professor Dorn into the room with him. Courtesy of The National Archives and Records Administration. When Patton was a young adult, he was kicked by a horse, who broke his leg in three places. Why didnt I think of it? After nine days of agony, traction was maintained and the pain eased by encasing Pattons neck and shoulders in a special plaster jacket. The real hero is the man who fights even though he is scared." 7. When she returned, her husband had already died. A jeep driven by Technical Sergeant Joe Spruce followed, carrying the guns and a gun dog. He agreed with Patton that the Russians were the enemy, and said the men on his troop ship heading home were willing to return to Europe and fight the Russians. Jean Gordon (Red Cross) | Military Wiki | Fandom That limousine we know from pictures and records was a 1938 Series 75 Cadillac sedan, a rare type. 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. Pallbearer Master Sergeant George Meeks, Pattons long-serving enlisted aide, could not hide his grief at losing his commander and friend. This suspicion is reinforced by a comment in a letter to Beatrice dated November 24: I finally after a fight of three years got the DSM for all my people, ten in all. 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. The Funeral of General George S. Patton, Jr. - The Text Message After nearly two weeks in the hospital, Patton died on this day in 1945. Over the next months he organized, trained, and even designed the uniforms for the new tank units; he was also promoted to lieutenant colonel. They are a scurvy race and simply savages. 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. Patton enjoyed military history in particular, especially books about the American Civil War, a conflict in which his grandfather and great-uncle had been killed while fighting for the Confederacy. Biographer Martin Blumenson has suggested that his frequent head injuries may have contributed to the erratic behaviour attributed to him in his later years. Virginia Tech was not the worst school massacre in U.S. history. 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. In the past three years I did my utmost to kill as many of them as possible. On D . He did both quite well. Allen wrote later: The relieved staff roared with surprised delight. His wife, Beatrice, flew in from Boston to be at his side and read him books and letters from well-wishers. On the afternoon of the 23rd, Pattons coffin was taken on an Army half-track to the Protestant Christ Church in Heidelberg for a short Episcopalian service conducted by two Army chaplains during which there were no eulogies. Family Name The ASSASSINATION of GENERAL GEORGE PATTON by Dr. Peter Hammond During his final minutes before he died, he asked a fellow soldier, Davy Crockett, to deliver his . MY THEORY WOULD BE THAT THE GENERAL WAS NOT OF SOUND MIND AND HIS DEATH COULD BE A BLESSING IN DISGUISE FOR MANY POLITICIANS AND LEADERS. My high school civics teacher (in 1960) told us a few stories about his WWII infantry service in Europe. Helen Patton stepped into Maj. Gen. Frank Muth's quarters Feb. 26, and stepped back in time. The 60-year-old general had led a life of adventure, fighting in almost every major American twentieth century conflict. George Patton's Widow Put a Deadly Hawaiian Curse on his Mistress Showing a few signs of recovery, his doctors put him in a body cast to prepare him for a flight home to the United States. At the beginning of June came the news that Patton had been dreading. George S. Patton - Death, WWII & Education - History Patton's granddaughter revisits father's time as armor commander 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. (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. Fortunately, Pattons condition began to stabilize. His death resulted from complications with his injuries and congestive heart failure. Patton made a respectable showing, coming in fifth out of 42 contestants. 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. IN DECEMBER 1945 General George S. Patton was executed by his Communist foes. His plane, escorted by a formation of fighters and Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, touched down at an airfield near Boston on June 7, where an honor guard, a 17-gun salute, and the governor of Massachusetts greeted him. These are the 8 reincarnations of General Patton 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. I am extremely proud of our General Patton and Im pretty sure you are too! (Image source: WikiCommons) A Family Affair Jean Gordon. In August this year, I was at American cemetery in Luxembourg where General Patton is buried. George S. Patton - Wikipedia 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. At least, I have done my best as God gave me the chance.. 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. 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. 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. In the case of Europe, he was convinced it would soon become Communist, and in the case of the Nazis he saw practical problems. PDF The Many Faces of George S They had a daughter, Maria de Jesus (called Sue) and a son John, before she . At 5:55 p.m. on December 21, 1945, General George S. Patton, Jr. passed away in his sleep. After a ceremony at the church, pallbearers placed Pattons casket back onto the half-track for the trip to the train station. By the time the gap between Falaise and Argentan was closed on August 20, some 20,00040,000 Germans had escaped. She was dead within days. WAS HE MURDERED? RIP, amen. George Patton was also the great-grandfather of Major General George Patton IV, who died in 2004. 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. George Patton IV - Wikipedia Just Berlin! Theyd have to run the telephone exchanges, the power facilities, the street cars, and thats not what soldiers are for. In short, provided a German had the right qualifications for a particular job, Patton was prepared to ignore his former Nazi background. 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. Patton was a "true leader in every sense of the . A comment now that time has given historians a bit more perspective. Pattons supporters claim that the Cold War may have unfolded differently had the West taken the capital, but this largely ignores the military situation on the ground in eastern Europe. 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. That includes Patton's own wife Beatrice, who believed George and Jean were a couple. 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. Thank you so much for this comprehensive and heartfelt and I would have to say incredibly accurate account of my grandfathers final days. When Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa led an attack on the border town of Columbus, New Mexico, in 1916, Patton joined the staff of Brig. Patton could never forgive Ike for removing him from command of the Third Army. Patton wrote in his diary, I guess there is nothing left for me but the undertaker.. His removal by General Eisenhower was an acknowledgement of that mistake. Patton did not remain in his plot for long. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Washington Post - Shortly after Beatrice Patton buried her | Facebook Patton Oswalt killed his wife, because she was about to reveal his closeted homosexuality to the world. The fake news that haunted George Washington. An M3 half-track bore Pattons flag-draped gunmetal casket, escorted by helmeted soldiers wearing white gloves. Finalist Benjamin Franklin Award (for Biography) - Announcement on May 5, 2023. 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. Camp 24 at Auerbach, 100 miles northeast of Munich, held former members of the 1st Leibstandarte and 12th Hitlerjugend SS Panzer Divisions, and there had already been complaints by the senior German officer of unbearable treatment of seriously disabled comrades.. Who in hell let him in? It would be real fun killing Mongols. RIP, General. 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 guess, he made me love the American Military so much that I decided to become American, get a high school degree, college, and enlisted myself into the military as Satellite and Wideband Communications until I retired from the Air National Guard. 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? He was . In November 1917, Patton, now a major, left Pershings headquarters staff and became the first officer to be appointed to the new U.S. Army Tank Corps. Neither he nor Gordon knew the purpose. On September 22, Patton agreed to answer questions from reporters after his normal morning briefing at Bad Tlz. Out in the rain, an honor guard fired volleys. 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. Along with the faux pas committed during his Boston speech, Pattons past indiscretions continued to dog him. His academic performance improved, and, after graduating in June 1909, Patton was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the cavalry. After the German surrender, Patton campaigned vigorously for a command in the Pacific theatre in the ongoing war against Japan. I cant understand why Patton wasnt brought back to the US for burial at West Point, like his wife wanted. The latter then skillfully and ruthlessly demonstrated that the Fritz Schaeffer administration in Bavaria was full of former Nazis. Then he vanished. all ears I am for some brilliant military strategy. There were tears in Meekss eyes. 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. 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 was one of several notable personalities I briefly crossed paths. 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. Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration. We came to give them back the right to govern themselves. She was 30. 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130info@nationalww2museum.org 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. The day after his return Patton and his wife flew to Denver and then on to Los Angeles and Pasadena. 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. Thursday, July 1, 2004. Presidential Ties They arrived first. Fighting the Allies during the North African campaign of 1942-1943, German Field Marshal Erwin Rommels Afrika Korps (DAK) was resupplied by a concerted air and sea lift effort. But Gordon had reappeared in Europe during the war, alarming Beatrice. Courtesy of The National Archives and Records Administration. His bitterness is very evident: General Clay [Ikes deputy] and General McNarney have never commanded anything, including their own self-respect. 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. . 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. Eisenhowers response is unrecorded. They should have cut him loose with the Third army and the 7th and there would have never been an East Berlin! 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. Today's blog was written by David Langbart, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. LIMITED TIME OFFER $2 / Month Subscribe now for only $3.99 $2 a month! 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. 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. His personal ambitions, however, had not been achieved. I admit I am guilty of this practice, although at the moment I have no appropriate weapon.. 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. Two days later he repeated his concern when he wrote his wife: "If we have to fight them, now is the time. On May 13, 1945, he reportedly entertained and decorated the commander of the Soviet Fourth Guards Army at a luncheon in Linz, Austria. Been reading a book about Patton and ran across this. Wife of David Crockett: Spouse(s) James Patton (d. 1813), David Crockett (1815-1836) Children: George Patton, Margaret Ann Patton, Robert Patton, . Patton was a field commander in the finest sense. The first American home that I stayed in, back in 1988, was that of General Ben Partin (U.S. Air Force). And so it went on throughout his leaveadulation from family, friends, and the vast majority of the public. One person even stated an admission of responsibility for his purported role in the attack-make of that what you will. 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. So, how much is George S. Patton worth at the age of 60 years old? Patton's death was followed by deaths of his mistress niece, daughter, wife & others with knowledge of Ike's crimes & the POW's. Beetle was the one person in place with opportunity & under Ike's authority as CIA director to assure each death of Patton's family & friends to protect Ike's presidency. She was the bridesmaid for both the Patton girls. He goes on to say, however, that we shall never know, for after his death Beatrice refused to allow an autopsy on the body despite a request from the Army. 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. Her family connections included well-known surnames Pico, Sepulveda, and Alvarado. 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. 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. r/todayilearned on Reddit: TIL that General Patton had a years long German 10th army escaped to the defensive line and prolonged the war in Italy. Whether or not these were his own or due to too much cooperation with the British I dont know. General Patton MURDERED? Mystery pertaining to the suspicious death of The Real Story of General George Patton, Jr's Death & Final Days Following his campaign in Western Europe, George S. Patton had difficulty adjusting to peacetime and was fatally injured in an automobile accident. 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. Gay counseled Patton to consult Beatrice and other family members before taking such a drastic step, but it seems his mind was made up. He was paralyzed from the neck down and suffering from severe traumatic shock; his pulse rate was 45, and he had a blood pressure reading of 86/60. We, as a nation and an Ally, were fortunate to have him on our side. As a grieving widower, he was keeping proper company with Patton's older sister, Nita. Patton was just an average general, nothing more.