"[196] Unhappy with his position and depressed by his belief that he would never fight in another war, Patton's behavior and statements became increasingly erratic. [140], On December 26, 1944, the first spearhead units of the Third Army's 4th Armored Division reached Bastogne, opening a corridor for relief and resupply of the besieged forces. Beatrice Smith Waters (Patton) (1911 - 1952) - Genealogy [67], On November 10, 1917, Patton was assigned to establish the AEF Light Tank School. [9] He was an initiate of the Beta Commission of Kappa Alpha Order. He exercised unique leadership by his ability to obtain the utmostsome would say more than the maximumresponse from American combat troops. So I went back and made some Americans hiding in the trenches dig a passage. He named Patton commander of the 2nd Armored Brigade, part of the 2nd Armored Division. [218] Historian Terry Brighton concluded that Patton was "arrogant, publicity-seeking and personally flawed, but among the greatest generals of the war". Associated Press, "Patton Fails To Get Task in Orient". She was born Beatrice Banning Ayer in Haverhill, Massachusetts the daughter of Frederick Ayer an industrialist who owned a woolen mill. Patton later stated that, though he found the duty "most distasteful", he also felt that putting the marchers down prevented an insurrection and saved lives and property. Eisenhower called a meeting of all senior Allied commanders on the Western Front at a headquarters near Verdun on the morning of December 19 to plan strategy and a response to the German assault. [102], Patton had a personal schooner named When and If. [37] Patton placed twenty-first on the pistol range, seventh in swimming, fourth in fencing, sixth in the equestrian competition, and third in the footrace, finishing fifth overall and first among the non-Swedish competitors.[38]. Jr., married Beatrice Banning Ayer. Overview Plans and . She had blue eyes, blonde hair, and a little dimple in her chin just like her mother. [7] Frederick Ayer (1888-1969) [8] [9] Mary Katherine "Kay" Ayer (1890-1981). [153] As a result of Operation Fortitude, the German 15th Army remained at the Pas de Calais to defend against Patton's supposed attack. [107] Patton earned a pilot's license and, during these maneuvers, observed the movements of his vehicles from the air to find ways to deploy them effectively in combat. [224] His attitudes were likely cultivated from his upbringing and family roots in the Confederate South. Both of them had a kind of second sight in regard to this type of warfare. [199] D'Este agrees that Patton's "behavior suggests that in both 1936 [in Hawaii] and 194445, the presence of the young and attractive Jean was a means of assuaging the anxieties of a middle-aged man troubled over his virility and a fear of aging. The General George S. Patton, Jr. Their friendship resulted in marriage on May 26, 1910, in Beverly . Patton's chief of staff, Major General Hobart Gay, invited him on a December 9, 1945 pheasant hunting trip near Speyer to lift his spirits. Among the opinions of Patton's abilities. [53][54] Patton modeled much of his leadership style after Pershing, who favored strong, decisive actions and commanding from the front. Once located, the armored infantry would attack using tanks as infantry support. Patton then drove to Hatch Memorial Shell and spoke to some 20,000, including a crowd of 400 wounded Third Army veterans. Edit your search or learn more Public Member Photos & Scanned Documents Pictures In an incident on July 22, while a U.S. armored column was under attack from German aircraft, he shot and killed a pair of mules that had stopped while pulling a cart across a bridge. [239], In spite of his views, Patton called heavily on the black troops under his command. "[208] According to Anthony Cave Brown in Bodyguard of Lies, Patton "Patton was relieved of command of the 3rd Army by Eisenhower just after the end of the war for stating publicly that America had been fighting the wrong enemy - Germany instead of Russia". [203] Patton decided to keep the Jews detained, according to his diary, because he thought releasing them could lead to violence and re-arrests. Addressing the 761st Tank Battalion Patton also said, Men, you are the first Negro tankers ever to fight in the American Army. [124][125], For Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, Patton was to command the Seventh United States Army, dubbed the Western Task Force, in landings at Gela, Scoglitti and Licata to support landings by General Sir Bernard Montgomery's British Eighth Army. He studied fencing and designed the M1913 Cavalry Saber, more commonly known as the "Patton Saber". There, he met Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall, who was so impressed with him that Marshall considered Patton a prime candidate for promotion to general. Contact - Stars Behavioral Health Group Beatrice Banning Ayer Patton (1886-1953) - Find a He pushed them hard, and sought to reward them well for their accomplishments. Patton was given temporary duty in Washington D.C. that year to serve on a committee writing a manual on tank operations. [173] With supplies low and priority given to Montgomery until the port of Antwerp could be opened, Patton remained frustrated at the lack of progress of his forces. Some city and towns records are also included. [109] Patton had a preoccupation with bravery,[8] wearing his rank insignia conspicuously in combat, and at one point during World War II, he rode atop a tank into a German-controlled village seeking to inspire courage in his men. When Coningham dispatched three officers to Patton's headquarters to persuade him that the British were providing ample air support, they came under German air attack mid-meeting, and part of the ceiling of Patton's office collapsed around them. Patton then returned to Saumur to learn advanced techniques before bringing his skills to the Mounted Service School at Fort Riley, Kansas, where he would be both a student and a fencing instructor. [172] The German commander of Metz, General Hermann Balck, also noted that a more direct attack would have resulted in a more decisive Allied victory in the city. Under his decisive leadership, the Third Army took the lead in relieving beleaguered American troops at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, after which his forces drove deep into Nazi Germany by the end of the war. Mrs. Beatrice Ayer Patton Waters, 41, daughter of the late Gen. George S. Patton Jr., died yesterday of a heart attack in her home in nearby Highland Falls. Notwithstanding Eisenhower's estimation of Patton's abilities as a strategic planner, his overall view of Patton's military value in achieving Allied victory in Europe is revealed in his refusal to even consider sending Patton home after the slapping incidents of 1943, after which he privately remarked, "Patton is indispensable to the war effortone of the guarantors of our victory. Patton's rapid drive to Lorraine demonstrated his keen appreciation for the technological advantages of the U.S. Army. Patton then set his sights on Messina. [41] The judges' ruling was upheld. [106] His exploits earned him a spot on the cover of Life magazine. "[186], The Third Army began crossing the Rhine River after constructing a pontoon bridge on March 22, two weeks after the First Army crossed it at Remagen, and Patton slipped a division across the river that evening. Patton spent time in Boston before visiting and speaking in Denver and visiting Los Angeles, where he spoke to a crowd of 100,000 at the Memorial Coliseum. Its losses were 2,102 killed, 7,954 wounded, and 1,591 missing. While he was at VMI, Senator Thomas R. Bard nominated him for West Point. [210], Patton's final assignment was to command the U.S. 15th Army, based in Bad Nauheim. [50] Patton remained in Mexico until the end of the year. "[228], As media scrutiny on Patton increased, his bluntness stirred controversy. [64] After the United States entered World War I, in April 1917, and Pershing was named commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the Western Front, Patton requested to join his staff. He died in his sleep of pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure at about 6:00pm on December 21, 1945, at the age of 60. "[178] Patton then clarified that he had already worked up an operational order for a counterattack by three full divisions on December 21, then only 48 hours away. Each column was protected by a standing patrol of three to four P-47 and P-51 fighter-bombers as a combat air patrol (CAP). On December 9, 1945, Patton sustained serious injuries to his head and spine in a low-speed car accident; after 12 days of terrible pain, he died. [103], Following the German Army's invasion of Poland and the outbreak of World War II in Europe in September 1939, the U.S. military entered a period of mobilization, and Colonel Patton sought to build up the power of U.S. armored forces. Instead he tried out for the sword team and track and field and specialized in the modern pentathlon. [95] He used profanity heavily in his speech, which generally was enjoyed by troops under his command, but it offended other generals, including Bradley. [224] Historian Hugh Cole notes that Patton was the first to integrate black and white soldiers into the same rifle companies. The next day news accounts misquoted Patton by leaving off the Russians. In peacetime, though, he would remain a colonel to remain eligible to command a regiment. HISTORY | Ayer Mansion [127], Initially ordered to protect the British forces' left flank, Patton was granted permission by Alexander to take Palermo after Montgomery's forces became bogged down on the road to Messina. He began traveling, visiting Paris, Rennes, Chartres, Brussels, Metz, Reims, Luxembourg, and Verdun. The U.S. Army had more trucks, more reliable tanks, and better radio communications, all of which contributed to a superior ability to operate at a rapid offensive pace. He handed them to Beatrice demanding that she open one of the crates she had worked on so long and hard, and re-pack it with the new acquisitions. Patton led U.S. troops into the Mediterranean theater with an invasion of Casablanca during Operation Torch in 1942, and soon established himself as an effective commander by rapidly rehabilitating the demoralized II Corps. Official date of rank of September 1, 1943. Historical Society Dedicated to the Life, Career, and Achievements of General George S. Patton, Jr. George S. Patton Papers: Diaries, 19101945, Newspaper clippings about George S. Patton, Five Famous Locals Who Were Veterans: Gen. George S. 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