Remembering Major General George Smith Patton: A Man of Passion and Bravery

Major General George S. Patton, US Army, Retired, died on Sunday, June 27,2004 at his home in Hamilton, MA. We take this opportunity to pay tribute to his life and work.

Grounded in Tradition, Blazing His Own Trail

Born on December 24, 1923 in Boston to General George S. Patton, Jr. and Beatrice Ayer Patton, George Smith Patton lived the life of a military child, including the requisite travel and the idea that there were certain standards to be upheld.

"My husband had the full range of experiences, from the more formal and privileged style that represented his mother's upbringing in Massachusetts to the recreational outdoor sports that his father enjoyed and encouraged," described Joanne Holbrook Patton, his wife of 52 years. His son Robert H. Patton, author of The Pattons, observed that his father, though often separated from his parents due to his father's frequent military travel, was greatly influenced by them.

"His mother's devotion to his father made a lifelong impression, and his father's example of diligence and perseverance was perhaps my father's greatest inheritance from him," said Robert.

His parents fostered an appreciation of history by allowing young George to meet famous personages such as General John "Blackjack" Pershing and T.E. Lawrence. It was a tradition he would continue with his own children. His daughter, Mother Margaret Georgina Patton, OSB, recalled being introduced to the Duke of Luxembourg at the age of five. She spent the week prior practicing her curtsy. When the moment came, she looked the Duke over and stuck out her hand for a handshake. She had expected a crown, and seeing none she surmised he merited a regular greeting.

Determined to be a soldier, Patton attended West Point and graduated in 1946. While he did not see a lot of his father during this period, Brian Sobel, author of The Fighting Pattons, said the two corresponded frequently. "In these letters, his father advised him to work hard and study history with vigor because therein lie the answers to future problems in war," said Sobel. Patton was commissioned as a Lieutenant of Infantry and worked his way up the ranks, always seeking a combat assignment.

"My husband absolutely loved being in the Army. He was sometimes asked why he felt he had to follow his father into the Army career, when there was so much to live up to. I am afraid that not everyone believed him when he said that, truly, his father had not forced him into it (though he was delighted when his son chose the same career line). He never wanted to do anything except be a soldier," said Joanne.

Having a famous father could not have been easy for the young soldier. Robert Patton said his father made a special request to have all references to George S. Patton, Jr. deleted from his own "efficiency reports" and from his official military file.

"Of course his colleagues knew whom he was descended from, but it was of utmost importance to my father that he be judged strictly on his own merits without either a positive or negative connotation drawn from his relationship to the famous general," observed Robert. Robert W. Berry, BG USA (Ret.), who served with Patton in Korea as a Public Information Officer, recalled Captain George S. Patton's desire to be treated like "one of the guys." When asked by Berry how he wanted to be treated, Patton replied, "Lieutenant, my father was a very great man and he earned his greatness. I am just an Army captain and I want to be treated like every other Army captain."

Together, father and son represent 79 years of continuous military service, noted Sobel. Whatever their differences in approach, Sobel said, both father and son were "perfectly suited for the battlefield and relentless in pursuit of the enemy."

Building a Strong Family Base

In 1952, Patton married Joanne Holbrook, the daughter of a distinguished military family with a West Point lineage dating back to 1812. Their enduring partnership was a source of strength for Patton and the foundation for a strong family life. Their first child, Margaret, was born while Patton was serving a tour in Korea. While military service necessitated long absences, Patton stayed in close touch with the family through audio tapes from the front. When at home, Patton was a hands on father teaching his children to play sports, reciting poetry with them and leading family sing-alongs on the guitar.

Between 1952, when they married, and 1980, when they settled in Hamilton, the family occupied 27 different homes. Son Ben Patton said his father's enthusiasm for learning was contagious. Wherever the family was posted, they would visit landmarks and learn as much as they could about the community. While posted at Fort Knox, the family visited Lincoln's cabin in Kentucky.

Their second child, and first son, was born the year after Patton return from the Korean War. Patton cabled his sister, Ruth Ellen Patton Totten, whose husband was stationed with the Army in Turkey at the time. His telegram read: "We have a son. He weighs 8 pounds 12 ounces and we have named him for his grandfather, George S. Patton, Jr." Her responding telegram came back: "Congratulations! Nice enough name, but what if he wants to be a band leader?"

"We all laughed at that, but never dreamed that this little boy with a famous name might grow up unable to become a band leader or even to serve as a private in his country's army because he is mentally- challenged," said Joanne. "Even though this was a devastating thing to discover, as we did over time, and required - because facilities were not existent in many of the places where we lived - that our son be stabilized in a residential living and learning situation for a number or years, my husband made sure that the boy came home to the family for stretches at least twice a year and was fully integrated into all our activities, friends, travel, and sports. He was never "hidden away," but always returned home, as a college student or boarding school youngster might, rejoining the family and making the circle complete."

George came home to live with the family permanently when Major General Patton retired. Patton encouraged his son's participation in Special Olympics and other interests.

"As a result, my son is a fully-realized achiever. Although he cannot read, write, or speak in a "normal" way, he is computer literate, is happily employed, is a recognized and selling watercolor artist, and has a houseful of ribbons and trophies testifying to his expertise as a competitive western rider, even beyond Special Olympics!" said Joanne.

She recalled a trip to South Bend, Indiana to watch their son compete in the International Special Olympics, where he won both a gold and silver medal for horsemanship. "My husband said proudly, 'I used to worry that this kid wouldn't be able to enjoy the things the others did, but look at this, he's the only one of our kids to make the Olympics!'"

Serving with Distinction

Patton's military career was marked by many points of distinction and bravery. He commanded Company A, 140th Tank Battalion in the X Corps sector of Korea where he earned a Silver Star for valor and his company was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation.

He also served with great distinction in Vietnam. "My husband was most proud of having been able to command two very outstanding military units and proud of the troops that served him so loyally and so well. He would say that commanding the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in combat was the highlight, because being where the action was most important, but it was the people he was privileged to serve with that made it a success," noted Joanne.

Colonel Patton took command of the 11th in July 1968. The regiment saw heavy action and much success, including a well known operation against the 7th North Vietnamese Army Division in the Michelin rubber plantation in March, 1969. Patton was awarded two Distinguished Services Crosses, a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Distinguished Flying Cross and a Purple Heart.

"His command of the 11th ACR took all he had learned from family, school and his experience in Korea to create a highly mobile regiment that inflicted maximum damage to the enemy," said Sobel.

Patton was promoted to Brigadier General in 1970 and Major General in 1973. He was also honored to command the Second Armored Division, "Hell on Wheels", at Fort Hood, Texas from 1975 to 1977. It was the Division his father had commanded at its inception and he had a top-notch team, with outstanding esprit, top to bottom, explained Joanne.

Patton retired in 1980 after 34 years of service. Sobel said one hallmark of Patton's career was the great amount of time he spent with the troops, making sure they were well fed, got their mail and had proper medical care.

The Final Chapter

When Major General Patton retired, the family moved to his parents' home, bought by George S. Patton, Jr. and Beatrice in 1927. Patton was resolved to turn the 1786 farmhouse surrounded by 250 acres of land into a working farm. Life on the farm mirrored life in the military in some respects. Patton was both leader and part of the team, out nearly every day working in the fields alongside his team. "My father saw organic farming, in the unconducive soils of New England especially, as a challenge worth meeting," observed Robert Patton.

Jamie Totten, his nephew, recalled a bit of family lore regarding Major General Patton's retirement to Green Meadows, the family farm in South Hamilton, Massachusetts.

"He began raising vegetables and one of his first forays into the market was to sell them at a stand at the Topsfield Fair, the oldest county fair in the U.S. held every fall at Topsfield, Massachusetts. One Monday, after the fair, he received a phone call from an old friend who was the Commanding General at Fort Devons, Massachusetts, 50 or 60 miles down the road. The general said that one of his officers had come back from an afternoon at the fair on Sunday and told him there was some crazy old coot at the Topsfield Fair who was telling everyone he was General Patton," said Totten. Patton responded to the story with laughter. Over the years, the farm expanded its varieties of produce now providing nearly 200 different items to the surrounding community. In 2004, the farm earned full USDA organic certification. "We felt that it was a tribute to my husband, who had worked so hard to make our Green Meadows Farm an example of the very best use of the land, for the good of the people," said Joanne, who helps administer the farm, which is a limited family partnership. The farm also maintains a Community Supported Agriculture program, which allows families to trade labor on the farm for produce.

"The farm is home to festivals, educational programs, and even birthday parties. This tells me that his vision was "right on". We intend to keep it leading us forward!" said Joanne.

Soldier, husband, father, farmer, whatever the role, George Smith Patton approached it with gusto. "His legacy is his concern for people; particularly those who were serving under him. Underneath his "up front and out there" personality, which sometimes got him in trouble (as it had his father) was a genuinely kind and caring heart. The best evidence I have of this may be the over 1000 letters of condolence I have received since his death mostly from soldiers who had served with him, telling of something he had done for them that no one had known or heard about," observed Joanne. The letters tell the story of tired troops that got hot meals in tough times and a busy commander who took the time to counsel young recruits.

"My father was a front-line soldier. The trappings that came with his eventual flag rank of Major General were nothing in comparison to the time he spent with other soldiers of all ranks. Sometimes I think of him as Master-Sergeant who happened to have stars on his shoulder," said Robert Patton.

Sobel observed that George Smith Patton understood and loved history and tried to find his place in it. Perhaps Patton's son Ben said it best: "My father gave us quotes to live by. One of his favorites was from Ecclesiastes (chapter 9, verse 10). 'Whatsoever your hand findith itself to do, do it with thy might.'"

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The Abrams Tank: Origins of a Modern Fighting Machine

George Psihas, past president of General Dynamics Land Systems and a member of the Patton Museum's advisory board, recently sat down with The Patton Saber to offer a behind the scenes look at the birth and evolution of the mighty Abrams Tank.

The superior performance of the Abrams tank on the battlefields of Iraq is well documented. Entered into service in 1980, the tanks were largely untested for over ten years. When tested on the harsh dessert terrain in the Gulf War in 1991, the Abrams tank proved vastly superior to the Soviet produced T-72, T-62 and T-55 tanks fielded by the Iraqis, with no Abrams crew member being lost to hostile fire during the battle.

As author Robert J. Sunell observed: At the conclusion of the ground war in the Persian Gulf on 26 February 1991, the 3,113 Abrams tanks in the region maintained a readiness rate of 90 percent or higher. We won Dessert Storm in one week. General Franks 200 mile sweep was a classic Patton left hook to the enemy, observed Psihas. The tanks have proved equally adept in Operation Iraqi Freedom, with no Abrams tank ever having been destroyed as a result of fire from an enemy tank.

While many people know about the tank's superior performance, fewer people know what led to the development of the tank and the innovations that rank it among the top in terms of survivability. As Sunell documents, the Abrams tank emerged from the failure of two earlier attempts to replace the Patton tank series, the MBT70 and the XM803.

With Soviet tank production on the rise, the Main Battle Tank Task Force was convened in 1972 at Fort Knox under the chairmanship of Armor Center Commander Major General William R. Desobry. Interestingly, one of its members was George S. Patton, dedicated soldier, commander, and son of legendary commander George S. Patton Jr.

Citing their main priorities as crew survivability and surveillance and target acquisition performance, the finished product more than met their expectations. The tank manifest three major breakthroughs in the tank development, said Psihas. Those were:

• The use of composite armor (similar to British Chobham armor) formed by multiple layers of steel and ceramics, which enhanced the ability to deflect threats from conventional and chemical weapons.
• The use of a 105mm German gun to improve firepower, which later evolved to a 120mm smoothbore gun.
• The use of a turbine engine, previously used mainly in helicopters.

The turbine engine had few moving parts, ran quieter and didn't give off a smoke signature like a diesel engine. These tanks had an availability rate of 92 to 94 percent, while the M60 had an availability rate of 86 percent, noted Psihas.

While Chrysler began production of the tanks, as it had every tank since World War II, financial problems and production setbacks forced the company to sell its Defense Division. It was purchased by General Dynamics and became General Dynamics Land Systems. Without General Dynamics and the leadership of (then President) Oliver C. Boileau there would have been no tank program, said Psihas. Within a year the assembled team transformed an ailing tank program to one that was delivering zero defect tanks.

Further advancements would follow as General Dynamics rolled out the M1A2 which included a commander's independent thermal viewer, an improved commander's weapon station, position navigation equipment, a distributed data and power architecture, an embedded diagnostic system and improved fire control systems. The M1A2 System Enhancement Program (SEP) added second-generation thermal sensors and a thermal management system. Upgrades to processors/memory now enable the M1A2 to use the army's common command and control software, making the rapid transfer of key logistical information possible. This is the first digital tank in the world. Instead of the commander having to get out of the tank with a map and tell people where to go, he sits inside with the hatch down and looks at a display in color. He can see where his tanks are and where the enemy tanks are, said Psihas.

In keeping with the initial criteria of survivability, the tanks in Iraq are standing up to strong firepower. Peter M. McVey, Vice President for Tanks and Artillery for General Dynamics Land Systems relayed the story of a tank that withstood 86 hits from RPGs and was unscathed. When it was time to turn in the vehicle, the crew was understandably reluctant to part with it.

The latest evolution of the Abrams tank is the development of a Tank Urban Survivability Kit (TUSK), which will include reactive armor tiles for the sides of the tank, increased armor inside the turret, a thermal viewer to enhance night vision, a commanders remote 50 caliber weapon system on top and a phone. TUSK does not require the tank to go through a production line and can be applied on the tanks in country. The kits are made, but have not yet been procured by the army.

One of the things General Dynamics is most proud of is the survivability afforded the U.S. soldier when he is in an Abrams tank, observed Charles Hall, President of General Dynamics Land Systems.

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Patton in Morocco: Building a Legacy

After securing the surrender of the French in Casablanca, George S. Patton, Jr. settled into the seemingly unlikely role of diplomat and goodwill ambassador. By all accounts, it was a role he excelled at.

As author Carlo D’Este wrote in his book, Patton: A Genius for War. Once military operations against the French ended, it was Pattons task to ensure that not only the French but the Moroccan leaders cooperated with the allies. From invasion commander, Patton now became a proconsul. As the senior American in Morocco, he was the United States.

Patton’s knowledge of the French language and social grace would become invaluable tools in the quest described by biographer Martin Blumenson as bringing French Morocco under Allied control without disturbing the French control of a restless native population.

Restless though they may have been, Moroccans embraced Patton enthusiastically. During his formal visit to the sultans palace on November 16, Patton was greeted by a battalion of Moroccan cavalrymen in full dress and four hundred troops dressed in red coats and white gaiters at full attention.

In a palace resplendent with gold chairs and elaborate rugs, Patton stood up to deliver an unmistakable message to the sultan, that with Gods help they would achieve certain victory against our common enemy, the Nazi. Having set the tone for an amicable relationship, Patton was comfortable with Moroccan royalty and would frequently entertain the sultan and other dignitaries.

This affection for Patton spread to the population at large, who showered Patton with gifts, put on shows for him and generally treated him like royalty. As D’Este described: In Rabat, at a splendid, joint Franco-American parade one hundred thousand people cheered him and shouted Vive l Amerique! He was in his element: the child who had listened hour upon hour to tales of ancient warriors, of pomp and circumstance, and of strange exotic lands was now living the dream of a lifetime as a benign conqueror.

In early February, Patton participated in an adventure that would serve to build his legend among the Moroccan populace. Patton accompanied the pasha of Marrakech on a wild animal hunt in the Atlas Mountains. The pasha on a black mule and Patton on a gray stallion were rushed by a wild boar. The pasha shot it to little effect. As the beast headed straight for Patton, he shot it square in the right eye. Before long the story had been embellished to three wild boars shot in succession.

Despite his enjoyment of these adventures, Patton was itching to rejoin the fight. The battlefields of Sicily and the Rhineland waited. There was history to be made.

The Patton Museum Foundation wishes to gratefully acknowledge Joseph L. Goodfriend, formerly of 67th Armored Regiment, for allowing us to use these photographs, which he purchased on the streets of Rabat, French Morocco in January of 1943.

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