The Making of a Leader:
The Boyhood of George S. Patton, Jr.

It has often been said “Show me the boy and I’ll show you the man.” What then led to the unique combination of guts, bluster and superior tactical skills that was Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.? Here is a look at the forces that shaped the man who would later shape world history.

George S. Patton Jr. was born on November 11, 1885 in San Gabriel, California, a date that would become important in military history. On November 11, 1918, the Allied powers would sign a cease-fire agreement with Germany at Rethondes, France, to end World War I. That day would be known first as Armistice Day and later as Veterans Day.

Son of George Patton and Ruth Wilson Patton, Patton hailed from ancestors who had fought in the Revolutionary War, the Mexican War and the Civil War. He was raised on stories of his forbearer’s exploits and sought early on to emulate their heroic deeds.

One such adventure got young George in hot water with his mother. A farm wagon rigged with the tops of old wine barrels, behind which George and his cousins did battle, went out of control. The unsuspecting enemy, a flock of turkeys, was overrun by the “armored wagon,” which earned Patton a spanking from his mother.

Georgie at 10 years of age.

As a child, the future General heard first person accounts of the Civil War from soldiers who knew the family, including the infamous Col. John Singleton Mosby, the Confederate guerrilla leader.

In his esteemed book, Patton: A Genius for War, author Carlo D’Este opens his chapter on Patton’s childhood with a quote from Judge Henry T. Lee, former union officer and Patton family acquaintance. Lee observes of young George, “He is a well bred and well brought up fellow . . . (who) has developed a great taste and aptitude for the study of military history and sciences . . . if blood counts for anything, he certainly comes of fighting stock.”

Patton was home schooled until the age of eleven, in part because the family realized he had a problem with reading. Patton suffered from dyslexia, a learning disability that afflicts an estimated 40 million Americans and that is shared by other famous leaders, including Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein.

He learned to read at age eleven and went to Classical School for Boys in Pasadena. While he struggled with his studies and had trouble spelling, Patton worked diligently. He developed a photographic memory and possessed the ability to quote verbatim from the classics.

I love to look at the letters we shared, our family photos, and things that belonged to Georgie. It helps me remember our life together. To the world, he was a war hero. To me, he was my husband of 35 years, and the father of our three children. My husband and I both came from families with strong leaders. We worked together to create strong leadership in our family and pass that example to our children.
Beatrice Ayers Patton

1904 - An official portrait of General Patton
as a VMI Cadet.

His world view was undoubtedly shaped by an education steeped in the classics, which emphasized man’s struggles against destiny and the role of God and character in shaping the outcome of events. Patton’s father read a seven-year-old Patton The Iliad and The Odyssey. Patton listened intently while his Aunt Nannie, his mother’s sister, read Pilgrim’s Progress, Alexander the Great and Plutarch’s Lives. He and his aunt spent hours reading and discussing the stories in the bible.

Themes from these great works would show up later in countless speeches and battlefield talks. His faith would become the foundation from which Patton would make decisions and a source of comfort in trying times.

As a child reciting prayers with his mother, Patton assumed the pictures on the wall were God and Jesus. Imagine his surprise when he discovered the images were of Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee.

1900 - A family shot of George S. Patton, Jr., age 15, Mrs. Ruth Wilson Patton, George S. Patton, Sr., and Anne Wilson Patton, taken at Lake Vineyard, California.

Not only was his grounding in literature solid. Patton was schooled in horses, guns and swords, a soldier’s tools of the trade, from a young age. Patton and his sister played soldier donning blue coats with brass buttons. Nita claimed the title of Major, while George claimed to be a Private, which he thought was the superior rank. The children regularly received a salute from their doting father.

He and his father would hold mock sword fights; George brandishing a toy sword inscribed “Lt. Gen. G. S. Patton.” His first sword was an 1870 French sword bayonet which he used to attack a nearby cactus.

He proved to be an able marksman as well. Young George wowed his family by shooting an orange off of a fence with his .22 caliber rifle. He was given a sixteen-gauge hammer shotgun at the age of ten and two years later received a twelve-gauge Le Favre.

George S. Patton, Sr. with his son, George, Jr. at their home in San Gabriel, California.

Following a long family tradition, the future cavalryman proved to be an avid horseman as a boy. The saddle he rode on was a McClellan owned by his Confederate grandfather, who was mortally wounded during a sword fight at Winchester while on the same saddle. Patton imagined the stain on the pommel was his forbearer’s blood that had been spilled in battle. Years later, the reality of war would temper the romantic notions of the curious boy who wanted so desperately to serve his country. The summer before Patton departed for the Virginia Military Institute, family gathered on Catalina Island for one last golden summer together. With all the pomp and circumstance befitting a future general, an old ferry was filled with fireworks and the spectacular show lasted for hours.

But destiny waits for no one. Patton attended the Virginia Military Institute and went on to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point on June 11, 1909. He was then commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the 15th Cavalry Regiment. The rest, as they say, is history.

1892 - Georgie, age 7, with his sister, Nita, and their mother, Ruth Wilson Patton.

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A New Year, A Bold Plan:
Our Shared Legacy Brought to Life for a New Generation

As we greet 2007, the Patton Museum family, of which you are a part, looks forward proudly to big changes for the Patton Museum.

Our work has a larger mission. As Americans, we hunger to connect with soldiers past and present—to thank them for their service and the freedoms we enjoy. Army values resonate with us. Stories about our neighbors becoming heroes inspire us. New technologies captivate us. We seek meaning in something greater than ourselves.

These elements of story and technology will come together in the new Patton Museum. The museum will include a diverse mix of guest experiences, including exhibits, multimedia theatres, live demonstrations, simulators, outdoor activities, special events, dining and shopping all geared to preserving the legacy of the American soldier. As General Patton himself knew, change takes time, determination and audacious leadership. We are proud to partner with you as we help transform the museum into a state-of-the art facility that honors the leadership Patton embodied, his family legacy and the Army values that make our nation great.

It will be a long journey, but worth the wait. Take our hand as we offer you a glimpse of what the future holds for the new facility:

Our Stories
Our stories are the stories of heroes. Museum guests will learn of leadership in battle and also at home. They will come away with inside knowledge of military organization and battlefield systems. They will learn about sophisticated technology, and the science and math of tanks. The will hear about the role of women and the importance of the family life of a soldier.

The museum will have three primary stories to tell…

	…the story of General Patton, his military career and family life. Guests will learn how his military career began with horses and paralleled the rise of modern armor. The Patton story will feature his greatest accomplishments during WWII. Guests will see how a lifetime of preparation made his leadership possible, and how he will influence future thinking. Patton’s brand of audacious leadership will serve as the model for others. Guests will also learn about Patton’s home life, sophistication and education.
	…the story of Cavalry and Armor will show the progression from horses to modern tanks. Exhibits will showcase the unique traditions of cavalry, technological innovations, and the people that serve our country. Guests can see how three tanks–Renault, Sherman, and Abrams–represent the evolution of armor.
	…the story of Army Values will show how the American Soldier serves with honor and purpose with a sense of teamwork. The example of the mounted soldier extols general Army values and a spirit of audacity. Guests will see the American soldier with a new level of respect and appreciation.

An Interactive Experience
The possibilities for hands on involvement are numerous. Here are a few of the things you might see in the new museum:

• Guests will have an opportunity to learn about Patton’s childhood, his military heritage, and the influence of family through family history. Guests will view a state- of-the-art film on Patton, his life and leadership. Young children may experience for themselves the toys and games of Patton’s youth. Guests can also view the photos, letters, and treasured objects of the Patton family, and relate them to the mementos from their own family.
• Guests will experience the intensity and complexity of mounted warfare in a special effects theatre. Lighting, sound, video, and smoke combine with set pieces, props, and real machines to create a powerful simulation of battle. They can take the controls of a real Army tank driving simulator, experience the speed and maneuverability of modern tanks, and learn about armored cavalry tactics. Guests can use radio-control technology to maneuver a tank model over rough terrain and score points against others in team and individual competition.
• Guests can honor a soldier by making a greeting card, using materials provided by the museum. They can enter a modern video studio to view clips of mounted soldiers in action somewhere in the world today and record a message of appreciation or send an e-card.
• The new Patton Museum will make extensive use of outdoor spaces for exhibits, demonstrations, reenactments, special events, and other activities.

There is much work still to be done, but with your help our vision of a new museum will become a reality. The museum will continue the job of honoring the American Soldier, conveying the remarkable heritage of Cavalry and Armor, promoting army values, and preserving the name of General George S. Patton, Jr. and his brand of audacious leadership for our children, their children and their children’s children.

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Education Department Reaches Out to Schools, Vets

Virtual tours, an online archives catalog, school tour programs, and a veteran’s program are just a few of the innovations to come out of the Patton Museum in the last three years.

When Karen Ludbrook Young took the job of curator for education at the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor three years ago she hit the ground running.

“It is exciting. We are telling stories about average, everyday people who went to war and did their job heroically. Cap that off with the story of a man who was trained from birth to be a soldier,” said Young.

Young, whose husband is the Canadian Liaison officer to Fort Knox, knows her way around museums. After all, she’s been touring them regularly since she was six-years-old, when her mother first took her on a visit to the Royal Ontario museum. As a child, her weekends were filled with visits to museums and libraries.

Young has degrees in anthropology and education and has worked in the education departments and as a consultant for numerous museums including the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes and the Military Electronics and Communication Museum, both in Canada.

“Museums have to tell good stories and bring history alive. I bring that kind of hands-on, mentally engaged approach to designing programs for the Patton Museum,” said Young. She has already left her mark. The museum regularly conducts tours with school children, scouts, JROTC, military groups and retirees. There are a number of new tours in place, including tours on U.S. History, Army Culture and Simple Machines.

The museum is currently hosting a visiting exhibit, When Humanity Fails. Focusing on the liberation of the death camps at the culmination of World War II, the exhibit explores the personal and collective experiences of the American liberators who unconsciously stumbled upon these camps and dramatically changed the lives of their inhabitants while also being touched by the survivors themselves.

The exhibit was created by the Afikim Foundation in conjunction with the US Center for Military History with support from the US Holocaust museum. Curator Charles Lemons, Exhibit Designer Henry Penn and Young supplemented the exhibit and designed an activity that deals with bullying.

“It has been useful for talking about bullying to students as this is often a starting point for talking about the violence man visits on man throughout history,” said Young.

Young also created a Veteran’s program complete with an online lesson plan suitable for grades four through eleven. The tour teaches students about the experiences of veterans within the context of history and instructs them how to interview veterans and preserve their stories. Students get a chance to interview veterans and learn first hand about the rigors of battle.

Recently the museum worked in conjunction with the Bullitt County Extension Service to hold a World War II Veterans Appreciation Day. Veterans, Roby Elementary and St. Aloysius students and Patton museum staff and volunteers, some 300 people, came to honor 37 veterans. Young said she would like to see such events held across the state.

The museum remains a popular destination for tours. In 2006, of the 110,000 total visitors, over 10,000 were part of the some 231 tour groups that visited. There were almost 400 hours of guided tours conducted in 2006. In 2005, 204 groups (an estimated 6,638 tour-related visitors) came to the Patton Museum.

Young has big goals for the coming year including:

• Lesson plans that center on leadership
• Online games
• A World War II kit with a lesson plan and video
• More outreach with veterans
• Refining existing content including adding pre-lesson and post-lesson plans

“There are so many ways to spread Patton’s message of leadership. He remains a mythic figure who embodies the idea of leadership,” said Young.

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