OLD BLOOD AND GUTS
General Patton was a devoted student of history, a poet, a humble man who was very unsure of his own abilities, a man who could bust into tears at any given moment, and could be charming or quite insulting all in the same hour. His reckless, outspoken manner gained him friends and enemies of equal determination. General Patton was not only extrovert of public perception but he also had an intensely private side. He was a man who trained himself for greatness with a determination matched by no other Allied General of World War Two. During the war, Patton led U.S. troops in Morocco, Tunisia, and Sicily, then took command of the Third Army, leading the troops through the German lines at Normandy to traverse France and eventually into the heart of Germany. His toughness on enemies as well as his own forces earned him the name “Old Blood and Guts.” General George Smith Patton’s leadership and tactics were the best of any Allied general of World War Two.
Old Blood and Guts was born in 1885 in San Gabriel, California. He was a man who from a very early age knew he was destine for a life in the military as one can read in his journal “ When I was a little boy at home I used to wear a wooden sword and say to myself: ‘George S. Patton, Jr., Lieutenant General’.”1 He followed his dreams and gained an educated at Virginia Military Institute and the U.S. Military Academy. On his graduation in 1909 Patton was commissioned a second lieutenant; he advanced in rank to full General by 1945.
George Patton served as aide-de-camp to the American General John Joseph Pershing on Pershing’s expedition to Mexico in 1917. As a young lieutenant Patton was asked by General Pershing why he should be chosen to go on a dangerous mission The young, cocky Patton replied, “I want to go more than anyone else.”2 After making a name for himself early in his career, Patton earned a promotion; beginning the practice of many promotions to come. His experiences in Mexico prepared him for the soon to come war in Europe.
In France during World War One Patton was offered a position as a tank core commander. In his journals, he wrote, “I will have to grow and grow a lot. But I will. Here is my chance.”3 soldier’s testimonies added to his reputation of being a tough commander.
After a battle, he was quoted by some soldiers as saying “You are not bea...
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... of solace, and the basis of practically every thing he did. Patton’s nephew wrote “The Bible was his companion and the church his refuge.”11 It was not uncommon to see General Patton weeping at the side of a dead or dying solider during his Army career.
General George Smith Patton was a great American leader. His victories for America in Mexico, in World War One, and in World War Two proved his amazing leadership skills to the world. His bold, new tactics in France during World War Two are the basis of the modern military. Throughout his career, General Patton earned the respect of his men, his superiors, and the enemy. General George Smith Patton's leadership and tactics were the best of any Allied general of World War Two.
WORKS CITED
Blumenson Martin. Patton the man behind the legend. New York.:Berkly Publishing Company, 1984.
Desto Carlo. Patton a genius for war. New York.: Harper Collins Company, 1995.
Ladisias Fargo. Patton: Ordeal and Triumph. Chicago.: Ivan Obolengres company, 1981.
Wallace Brenton. Patton and his Third Army. New York.: Battery Press, 1981.
Blumenson Martin. The Patton Papers 1940-1945. Boston.: Houghton Muffin Company, 1974.
Sanderson, Jefferey. "GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON, JR.” Last modified may 22, 1997. Accessed January 4, 2014. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a331356.pdf&ei=tYbHUtv3HcGs2gX2u4HAAQ&usg=AFQjCNFU5EzdWjKlt81w8gh_Bj2UEttaZw&sig2=aAz3jIZg7U6peDzL_i8w9w.
Fugate, D. (1999). The Lorraine campaign: Patton's bloodiest test. Armor, 108(4), 57. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/205377317?accountid=8289
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