George Patton

He married Beatrice Banning Ayer in May 1910, in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts. They had two daughters named Beatrice Smith and Ruth Ellen and a son named Patton IV.

There was a time between World War I and World War II, when he suffered from depression and took to drinking. It is said that he even had an affair with his niece, which almost ruined his marriage. It is believed that after World War II, he went into a second bout of depression and erratic behavior.

He was fond of polo and sailing. He was once kicked by a horse and developed phlebitis, which almost forced him out of the army.

George Smith Patton Jr. was born on November 11, 1885, in San Gabriel, California, US, to George Smith Patton Sr. and Ruth Wilson. He had a younger sister named Anne. His family was of Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and English descent, with a military background dating back to the ‘Confederate States Army.’ His father graduated from the ‘Virginia Military Institute’ and became a lawyer who rose to be the district attorney of Los Angeles County.

Patton was initially a slow learner but later got over his shortcomings to become an avid reader. He was home-tutored till the age of 11, after which he joined ‘Stephen Clark’s School for Boys’ and excelled in his studies.

He developed a passion for military history during his youth and also picked up horse riding. His mind was set on joining the army. Soon, he joined the ‘Virginia Military Institute,’ from where he was selected for the ‘US Military Academy’ at West Point in 1904.

His academic performance at West Point was below average, due to which he had to repeat his first year. However, he excelled in military subjects and became an ace sword fencer. He was the cadet adjutant in his senior year and got commissioned as a second lieutenant in the cavalry branch.

On his first assignment with the ‘15th Cavalry’ at ‘Fort Sheridan’ in Illinois, he established himself as a dedicated and dashing junior leader. In 1911, he moved to ‘Fort Myer’ in Virginia, where he served as an aide to Secretary of War Henry L Stimson.

He served a short tenure at the office of the ‘Army Chief of Staff’ (CSA) in 1913 and later joined the ‘Mounted Service School’ at ‘Fort Riley,’ where he was a student and a fencing instructor. He was the first army officer to be designated with the title “Master of the Sword” for his swordsmanship.

During the Pancho Villa Expedition launched in Mexico in 1916, Patton was initially an aide to John J Pershing. Patton imbibed Pershing’s qualities of being bold and decisive and of leading from the front. He was assigned a troop of the ‘13th Cavalry,’ with which he successfully killed the infamous Mexican bandit Julio Cárdenas.

When World War I broke out, Patton initially went to Europe as an aide to Pershing. He trained on tanks and was promoted to the rank of captain in May 1917. He became a major in January 1918 and was given the command of the first ten tanks at the ‘Tank School’ in Bourg, where he was instrumental in improving the tactics of the infantry operating with tanks.

He became a lieutenant colonel in April 1918 and attended the ‘Command and General Staff College’ in Langres. After the course, he was put in charge of the ‘US 1st Provisional Tank Brigade,’ which he led from the front against the Germans in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and the Meuse–Argonne Offensive. He was wounded during an attack near the town of Cheppy but continued to command his troops for an hour before being evacuated.

General Patton received the ‘Distinguished Service Cross’ twice, the ‘Distinguished Service Medal’ thrice, the ‘Silver Star’ twice, the ‘Legion of Merit,’ the ‘Bronze Star,’ and the ‘Purple Heart,’ besides various other campaign medals.