George Patton

            General George Patton was born in San Gabriel, California; 1885.
             graduated from West Point in the year of 1909. He was an aide to General.
             Pershing in a journey to Mexico in 1916 and again traveled with him to France in .
             1917. In France, Patton learned from French and British soldiers how to use a new .
             weapon, the tank. Patton told the U.S. about the tanks and how they are the .
             weapons of the future. He was awarded commander of the Second Armored .
             Division in April 1941. By January 1942, Patton was commanding general of I .
             Armored Corps. October 1942, he led amphibious landings near Casablanca and the .
             campaign across North Africa. By July 1943, he was in command of the U.S. .
             Seventh Army in the Allied invasion of Sicily, Italy. Patton was very successful .
             militarily there with a bold campaign that beat the British into Palmero. A well .
             known incident in which he verbally abused two ailing soldiers, one of the soldiers .
             Patton slapped which almost cost him his career. After a long period of time, he .
             was assigned to lead the Third Army. This led the breakout from Normandy in .
             July to September 1944. Patton left Normandy to relieve the Americans trapped .
             in the Battle of the Bulge, then he crossed the Rhine to advance through the heart .
             of Germany into Czechoslovakia. After the Germans surrendered, Patton argued .
             for a combined Allied-German campaign against Russia. He was removed of .
             command of the Third Army for arguing to keep former Nazis in administrative and .
             other positions. Patton was severely injured in an automobile accident on .
             December 9, 1945; he died 12 days later. General George S. Patton was the most .
             admired and controversial generals of his time. He carried ivory handled pistols, .
             spoke boldly, and had harsh manners; but, Patton was also regarded as one of the .
             most successful American field commanders of any war.