American General, George S. Patton Jr. - A Brief History...
George Smith Patton Jr., born on November 11, 1885, in San Gabriel, California, was a renowned general in the United States Army¹. He attended the Virginia Military Institute and the United States Military Academy at West Point¹. Patton was an exceptional student of military history, particularly the American Civil War².
In 1910, Patton married Beatrice Banning Ayer, the daughter of a Boston industrial tycoon². He represented the United States in the modern pentathlon at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden¹².
Patton's military career began with leading cavalry troops against Mexican forces. He became the first officer assigned to the new U.S. Army Tank Corps during World War I⁴. He commanded the U.S. tank school in France and led tanks into combat, getting wounded near the end of the war¹.
During the inter-war years, Patton held various major assignments and was promoted through the ranks. He was known for his strict discipline, toughness, and self-sacrifice, which elicited exceptional pride within his ranks². His men colorfully referred to him as "Old Blood-and-Guts"².
In World War II, Patton commanded the Seventh Army in the Mediterranean Theater and the Third Army in France and Germany after the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944¹. He was instrumental in leading the Allies to victory in the invasion of Sicily and was key to the liberation of Germany from the Nazis³.
Patton's brash actions and mercurial temper led to numerous controversies during his career². Despite this, he is considered one of the most successful combat generals in U.S. history³.
Patton died on December 21, 1945, in Heidelberg, Germany¹². His legacy continues to influence military strategy and tactics.
Source:
(1) George S. Patton - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_S._Patton.
(2) George Patton | Facts, Biography, Quotes, World War II, & Death. https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Smith-Patton.
(3) George S. Patton - Death, WWII & Education - HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/george-smith-patton.
(4) George Patton - Death, WW2 & Military Career - Biography. https://www.biography.com/military-figures/george-patton.
(5) George S. Patton summary | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/summary/George-Smith-Patton.
(6) George S. Patton - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_S._Patton.
