Are there any General Patton Experts on the forum?
Looking for an expert on Patton. If you are one post here.
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An expert vs a question is a huge difference. Could we get just a question? 0 -
NO question. I have a long write up about him I want to know if it's accurate. 0 -
go ahead and post it, you will find more ex-spurts than you could ever think possible on this forum. 0 -
I know my father served under him in WW 2 and didn't think much of him. 0 -
And my father didn't serve under Patton and was very glad of it!
This being said, George was, indeed, an outstanding General. He was respected and feared by his enemies. Same goes for many of those serving under him. A very complicated man. One with many attributes and as many faults.
Nothing written that I'm aware of will totally cover Patton. There's a documented history of course. Then opinions both pro and con written during his lifetime and after his death. The movie which covers only a part of WW2 and is most definitely pro Patton. Maybe not totally balanced.
The one thing I'm reasonably sure of is that should Patton have been involved in Afghanistan or Iraq he'd either have long ago been fired or we'd have quickly ended a successful war. Same for whatever will happen with Iran. George had a very clear vision of war and he expected to win.0 -
it took bush / obama 10 yrs to get bid laden if patton been around it would have took him 1 week 0 -
And as a side benefit the Middle East problems would have been solved and we'd have come to a permanent understanding with Russia and China... That is, of course, if any of us remained alive to enjoy the results.[;)] 0 -
from what i have read about him it seems his goal was to win and do it as quick as possible...fascinating that he was at the right place at the right time when that was needed and he seemed to know that...don't see that has happened now in our military who are floundering in the throes of political correctness, a self defeating doctrine..just my 2 cts 0 -
I know a little about him, i have a few things that belonged to him and have talked to a few people that served with him,my Dad incl.most people who served under him didnt like him but were very proud to have been in 'Pattons Army' . 0 -
Some of that luck of being in the right place at the right time was due to him having a great G2 officer in Oscar Koch.quote:Originally posted by spasmcreek
from what i have read about him it seems his goal was to win and do it as quick as possible...fascinating that he was at the right place at the right time when that was needed and he seemed to know that...don't see that has happened now in our military who are floundering in the throes of political correctness, a self defeating doctrine..just my 2 cts0 -
As mentioned, Patton was a very unusual and complicated person. Competed in the Olympics and should have gotten a Silver but he put one round through the same hole as another round and the judges scored it as a complete miss of the entire target according to what I have read.
Also not mentioned in many articles and the movie, he was one of the most if not the wealthiest Army Officer at the time, his family owned vast tracts of land in what is now Los Angeles. George S. Patton Army Reserve Center is on land once owned by him.
He and his wife ALWAYS dressed formally for dinner.
He believed in Reincarnation and actually thought he had been a General in Alexander the Great's army. Among others.
In a lot of ways he was like Douglas McArthur; egotistical but a genius in many ways.
Definitely a man who polarized people, very few who met him were indifferent to him; they either loved him or hated him.
Had he not been killed in a car accident when he did he might have become a political force in the 50's and 60's. Or he might have just faded away as did McArthur following WWII and Smedly Butler in the 1930's.
Dan R0 -
There were a number of incidents which illustrated Patton's relationships with his troops. One was during a field inspection, which was conducted in ankle-deep mud. Patton told an NCO that sergeant's stripes didn't look too good on somebody whose boots were as muddy as those the sergeant was wearing. Patton said it with a straight face. The sergeant replied, also with a straight face, "If you think they'd look better on you, you take them." Patton evil-eyed the NCO for a few seconds, then broke into laughter, and slogged away. Apparently one of the things Patton admired most, was nerve. 0 -
There are two Patton Museums. One at Fort Knox http://www.generalpatton.org, and one at Chriaco Summit in the Ca desert. http://www.generalpattonmuseum.com
I bet these folks can give you the straight poop on him.
(My only brush with Patton stuff: I used to work in the City of San Marino. Patton was the City's first mayor, and his former mansion is on Patton Way)
Good luck!0 -
Ny uncle Charlie was a courier on a harley for "Our blood, His guts". 0
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