George S. Patton
1885–1945 · Hard-driving American tank general of World War II.
George Smith Patton Jr. was born in San Gabriel, California, into a family with a long military tradition. He struggled with reading as a boy but graduated from West Point in 1909. In 1916 he served under Pershing in Mexico, and in World War I he organized and led the new American tank force in France, where he was wounded. In World War II he commanded troops in North Africa and led the Seventh Army in the invasion of Sicily in 1943, racing to Palermo and Messina. His career nearly ended after he slapped two soldiers suffering from battle fatigue in field hospitals. After D-Day his Third Army broke out of Normandy in August 1944 and swept across France. In December 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, he swung his army north in a few days to relieve the surrounded town of Bastogne. His forces then crossed the Rhine and advanced into Germany and Czechoslovakia. Known for profanity and showmanship, he was admired for speed and aggression. He died in December 1945 after a car accident in Germany.
Faith: An Episcopalian. Source: Wikipedia
Key dates
- 1909 Graduates from West Point
- 1918 Leads American tanks in France
- 1943 Leads the Seventh Army in Sicily
- 1944 Third Army sweeps across France; relieves Bastogne
- 1945 Dies after a car accident in Germany
Fun facts
- As a child he had trouble learning to read and write, but he grew up to be a keen reader. (Source: George S. Patton (Wikipedia))
Record-breaker
Firsts and records, worded as the sources give them ("first known", "at the time").
- The first American tank designed after the Second World War, the M46, was named the Patton. (Source: George S. Patton (Wikipedia))