personality profile 69

General George Smith Patton by Nicholas Han

INTRODUCTION placing him overall fifth and also the top non-swedish finisher.9 noted by the german high patton then headed to saumur, command as the “most modern france and improved his fencing general” and the “best commander techniques under the guidance of a of armored and infantry troops,” french “master of arms,” adjutant general george smith patton Jr. charles clery.10 With his newly was widely known for commanding gained knowledge, he designed the seventh united states army a new sword, the model 1913 and the third united states army. calvary saber, and redesigned the first officer assigned to the saber combat doctrine for the us tank corps in World War i (WWi), cavalry.11 he became the firstarmy patton and his army liberated officer to receive the title “master france, Belgium, luxembourg, of the sword” for being the top germany, Bavaria, austria and instructor in the school where he czechoslovakia.1 was both a student and a teacher, the mounted service school in EARLY LIFE Kansas.12 george smith patton Jr. was born on 11 november 1885 in san patton graduated in June 1915. gabriel, california.2 he suffered his next task was to follow the from dyslexia as a child, thus his 15th calvary to the philippines, parents tutored him until he was 11 however he believed it would years old.3 his family background stifle his career, hence he went to contained many ancestors who Washington, d.c. and persuaded had fought in the revolutionary influential friends to reassign War, the mexican War and the civil him to the 8th calvary at fort War.4 he was determined to follow Bliss, texas, predicting that the in his their footsteps, attending instability in mexico would lead to the Virginia military institute in a civil war.13 patton was chosen for 1904 after high school and then the 1916 summer olympics, but it the united states (us) military was cancelled due to WWi.14 academy at West point, graduating th on 11 June 1909.5 he received a With the 8 calvary based in commission in the 15th calvary sierra Blanca, patton decided to regiment.6 in 1910, patton married wear his colt .45 pistol in his belt his childhood friend Beatrice ayer.7 instead of a holster. suffering an accidental discharge one night in patton participated in the a saloon, he changed it to a single first ever modern pentathlon at action army revolver with an ivory the 1912 stockholm olympics.8 he handle.15 managed to achieve third place in the footrace and fourth place in in his interview to aid fencing, skills which allowed him expedition commander general to be selected for the pentathlon, John J. pershing, he was asked,

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“many other boys want to go. Why tanks in a renault factory. he took and later the purple heart after it should i choose you?” patton’s in the first ten tanks at the tank was created in 1932.32 response was “Because i’m better school at langres, haute-marne than those other boys.”16 With department, driving seven of the WORLD WAR II the 13th calvary regiment, patton ten out of the train.25 in 1918 By 1938, patton was promoted helped in the hunt for pancho patton was promoted to major to colonel in the regular army, Villa and his men. his first combat early in January and lieutenant eligible for command of a 33 experience was on 14 may 1916. colonel in april, attending the regiment. the us military was mobilised after the outbreak he and his team caught Villa’s course in the army general staff of World War ii (WWii), and men off guard during a foraging college in langres.26 he did his part as an umpire expedition, killing Julio cardenas in maneuvers in 1940 until he 17 patton was tasked the logistics and two of his guards. patton met adna r. chafee, Jr., where of us first provisional tank Brigade gained pershing’s appreciation and they discussed the formation became known to the media as a in august 1918, that being part of of an armored force.34 chaffee “bandit killer.”18 he was promoted colonel samuel rockenbach’s tank became commander of the force to first lieutenant on 23 may corps of the first united states and formed the us first armored 27 1916,19 and stayed in mexico for army. he also commanded the ft division, us second armored division and the first combined the year, returning permanently in tanks at the Battle of saint-mihiel arms doctrine.35 patton became february 1917.20 on 12 september 1918, leading from the front for most of their commander in charge of training for the second armored Brigade, WORLD WAR I advance. patton walked ahead of second armored division.36 the tanks into essey village while at onset of WWi, pershing patton was promoted to brigadier it was still under german control, became commander of the general on 2 october 1940, major and rode on top of the tank during american expeditionary force general on 4 april 1941 and made the advance into pannes in hopes (aef) and patton was able to join division commander of the second of inspiring his men.28 armored division.37 Becoming him in europe with a promotion to the most prominent figure in us captain.21 patton took charge of the tank brigade was shifted armor doctrine by staging a mass supervising the american soldiers to support the meuse-argonne exercise in december 1940, he also in paris until september where he offensive on 26 september 1918, qualified for a pilot’s license in was assigned as post adjutant in personally led by patton in bad order to oversee vehicle movement 38 headquarters.22 visibility as they went 5 miles into with a bird’s eye view. german lines.29 he was injured in patton’s interest in tanks led in 1943, patton used the left thigh while leading an commendable offensive and to him being tasked to form the attack near the town of cheppy,30 aef light tank school in november defensive strategy to lead the saved by private first class Joe seventh us army to victory during 1917. 23 he went to the french angelo, who was later awarded the invasion of sicily.39 on d-day army’s tank training school at 31 the distinguished service cross. in 1944, after normandy was champlieu near orrouy, where he While recovering, patton was invaded, president eisenhower took the renault ft char d’assaut promoted to colonel in the tank granted him command of the light tank for a test run.24 While corps of the us national army and third us army.40 patton’s natural there, patton also invested time to awarded the distinguished service predisposition for offensive understand the manufacturing of cross, distinguished service medal advancement was characterized

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in a 1944 press conference, where polished helmet, riding pants, high 18. Zaloga, George S. Patton, 10. he responded to a question on cavalry boots and a flashy ivory- 19. axelrod, Patton: A Biography, 36. whether the third army’s rapid handled smith & Wesson model 27 20. ibid., 46. offensive across france should be .357 magnum was a deliberate one, 21. Zaloga, George S. Patton, 10. slowed to reduce the number of us aimed at inspiring his troops with casualties. his reply was “whenever his personality and charisma.48  22. axelrod, Patton: A Biography, 47-48. you slow anything down, you 23. Zaloga, George S. Patton, 10. 41 waste human lives.” he gained ENDNOTES 24. ibid. nicknames such as “old Blood and 1. General George S. Patton, 20 25. martin Blumenson, The Patton guts” and “the old man.”42 august 2013, http://web.archive. Papers: 1885–1940 (Boston, org/web/20070628163408/http:// massachusetts : houghton mifflin, in 1945, patton’s third army www.pattonuncovered.com/index. 1972), 552-553. htm. were able to cross the rhine and 26. axelrod, Patton: A Biography, 49, 53. attack the heart of germany, 2. “george patton Biography,” 27. Bluemenson, The Patton Papers, gaining 10,000 miles of enemy Biography.com, 5 august 2013, 661-670 territory in the span of ten http://www.biography.com/ people/george-patton-9434904. 28. axelrod, Patton: A Biography, 54-55. days, liberating germany from the nazis.43 appalled at the 3. alan axelrod, Patton: A Biography 29. Blumenson, The Patton Papers, (london: palgrave macmillan, 706-708. holocaust, patton personally 2006), 11-12. made german civilians and troops 30. axelrod, patton: A Biography, 56-57. 4. official Website of General George visit concentration camps such as S. Patton, Jr., 19 august 2013, 31. Blumenson, The Patton Papers, 764- Buchenwald.44 http://www.generalpatton.com/ 766. biography/index.html. 32. axelrod, patton: A Biography, 62. POSTWAR 5. “george patton Biography.” 33. ibid., 73-74. patton returned to the us 6. “general s. patton Biography,” 34. ibid., 75-76. in glory. however in a fatal Biography Online, 12 august 2013, http://www.biographyonline.net/ 35. ibid. motor accident near mannheim, military/general-patton.html. 36. terry Brighton, Patton, germany, he fractured his neck 7. “george patton Biography.” Montgomery, Rommel: Masters of on 9 december 1945 and died at War (new York: crown publishing the hospital in heidelberg 12 days 8. steven Zaloga, George S. Patton: group, 2009), 82-83. later.45 Leadership, Strategy, Conflict (oxford: osprey publishing, 2010), 37. axelrod, patton: A Biography, 75-76. 8. 38. “george patton Biography.” although possessing great personality, motivational 9. axelrod, Patton: A Biography, 30. 39. ibid. leadership and success as a 10. carlo d’este, Patton: A Genius for 40. ibid. commander, patton had made War, (new York: harper collins, 1995), 140-142. 41. Blumenson, The Patton Papers, 542 diplomatic missteps, creating 11. ibid. 42. Brighton, Patton, Montgomery, a controversial image. a key Rommel, 84. aspect of his ability to inspire 12. axelrod, Patton: A Biography, 31- 43. “george patton Biography.” his troops was through his verbal 32. skills.46 historian terry Brighton 13. ibid., 35. 44. “general s. patton Biography.” concluded that patton was 14. d’este, Patton: A Genius for War, 45. ibid. “arrogant, publicity-seeking and 148. 46. axelrod, Patton: A Biography, ix. personally flawed, but … among 15. ibid., 158-159. 47. Brighton, Patton, Montgomery, 47 the greatest generals of the war.” 16. General George S. Patton. Rommel, xv. his cultivated image of a highly 17. axelrod, Patton: A Biography, 41-42. 48. ibid., xvi.

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