Difference between revisions of "George S. Patton, Jr."

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*Patton's son, George S. Patton IV, also an Army officer, served near the conclusion of World War II. He also served in Korea and Vietnam, and attained the rank of major general. Toward the end of his career, he was given command of the 2nd Armored Division, the same unit his father had commanded at the beginning of [[World War II]], making father and son the first Army officers to command the same Army division. Patton retired from active service in 1980.  
 
*Patton's son, George S. Patton IV, also an Army officer, served near the conclusion of World War II. He also served in Korea and Vietnam, and attained the rank of major general. Toward the end of his career, he was given command of the 2nd Armored Division, the same unit his father had commanded at the beginning of [[World War II]], making father and son the first Army officers to command the same Army division. Patton retired from active service in 1980.  
  
* The younger cousin of Patton was Cong. [[Larry McDonald]]. Lawrence Patton McDonald, a conservative Democrat from the state of Georgia, was aboard [[Korean Airlines Flight 007]], a Boeing 747 carrying 269 people, when it was shot down by the Soviets just west of Sakhalin Island on September 1, 1983. McDonald was considering a run fro the Presidency, was the second chairman of the John Birch Society, and was considered one of the most outspoken opponents of both Communism and what he considered to be a conspiracy among governmental and business leaders to further Socialism in the U.S.
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* The younger cousin of Patton was Cong. [[Larry McDonald]]. Lawrence Patton McDonald, a conservative Democrat from the state of Georgia, was aboard [[Korean Airlines Flight 007]], a Boeing 747 carrying 269 people, when it was shot down by the Soviets just west of Sakhalin Island on September 1, 1983. McDonald was considering a run for the Presidency, was the second chairman of the [[John Birch Society]], and was considered one of the most outspoken opponents of both Communism and what he considered to be a conspiracy among governmental and business leaders to further Socialism in the U.S.

Revision as of 15:24, May 12, 2008

Patton.jpg
George Patton
Born November 11, 1885
Died December 21, 1945

American General George Patton was born on a ranch in San Gabriel, California. Patton believed in reincarnation and that he himself had been the hero in many important battles in the ancient world of Rome and Greece. His family had a history of fine military service and his grandfather was a American Civil War hero. George Patton continued this legacy.

Patton also perfected the art of lightning-fast tank maneuvers and unrestrained aggression. He was first given control over the 3rd Cavalry which was transfered into a tank division. Once Patton led his men in war games in Atlanta that were supposed to last for many days. Patton's aggression and the enthusiasm of his men enabled him to win the games in just a day or two. Patton inspired a unique loyalty and spirit in his men that enabled his troops to win quicker and with few casualties than everyone else. A German profile once said he could swear like a stable boy, but be as complimentary as a king. Patton had no part of the D-Day landings because he was in temporary disgrace after slapping a shell-shocked US soldier while visiting a military hospital during the Sicily campaign. Just a year after the war in Europe ended, Patton died in a car crash in Berlin, Germany in 1945 on his way to lunch with a friend.

The 1970 movie

The 1970 movie, Patton, won seven academy awards including "Best Picture." It is a biographical film, based factually on Ladislas Farago's book Patton: Ordeal and Triumph, and General Omar Bradley's A Soldier's Story. It starred George C. Scott, and critic Roger Ebert called it "one of those sublime performances in which the personalities of the actor and the character are fulfilled in one another."

George C. Scott.jpg

The movie conveys many facts about Patton's career, but highlights his colorful personality and his controversial role in the public eye.

The opening of the film has become famous, and is frequently alluded to or parodied. A gigantic American flag fills the screen, and Patton addresses his (unseen) troops with frankness and brutality; the screenplay was inspired by a real speech Patton actually gave. His most famous line in that scene was "I want you to remember that no bastard has ever won a war by dying for his country. We won by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country!" "We will not only kill our enemies, but cut his liver out and shine the tracks of ours tanks with it!".

The movie was originally filmed and presented on 70mm wide-screen film, and had a dimension of spectacle which cannot be fully appreciated in home video. The film was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and originally distributed by 20th Century Fox.

The movie has been interpreted as both anti-war and pro-military; Ebert judges the movie to be "a hard-line glorification of the military ethic, personified by a man whose flaws and eccentricities marginalized him in peacetime, but found the ideal theater in battle."

Legacy

  • Patton's son, George S. Patton IV, also an Army officer, served near the conclusion of World War II. He also served in Korea and Vietnam, and attained the rank of major general. Toward the end of his career, he was given command of the 2nd Armored Division, the same unit his father had commanded at the beginning of World War II, making father and son the first Army officers to command the same Army division. Patton retired from active service in 1980.
  • The younger cousin of Patton was Cong. Larry McDonald. Lawrence Patton McDonald, a conservative Democrat from the state of Georgia, was aboard Korean Airlines Flight 007, a Boeing 747 carrying 269 people, when it was shot down by the Soviets just west of Sakhalin Island on September 1, 1983. McDonald was considering a run for the Presidency, was the second chairman of the John Birch Society, and was considered one of the most outspoken opponents of both Communism and what he considered to be a conspiracy among governmental and business leaders to further Socialism in the U.S.