Ol' Blood an' Guts

[Vintage lover]

I was wondering if anyone had any Patton memorabilia or stories. All things Patton welcome!

 

[Tomasso]

Soldier 1: There goes old blood-and-guts.
Soldier 2: Yeah, our blood, his guts.

 

[too much coffee]

I don't have any Patton memorabilia but I can highly recommend the U.S. Army Armor Museum in Ft. Knox, KY and the Patton Desert Training Museum at Chiriaco Summit, Ca.

If I remember correctly, Patton's Colt SAA and S & W 357 Magnum were on display at Ft. Knox along with uniform pieces, his razor, glasses, binos and many other assorted artifacts including one of his staff cars and pull along tactical trailer.

Quite the General........what a guy!

 

[dhermann1]

My late father-in-law was in Paris and Belgium during most of 1944 and 1945, working for a colonel who took care of senoir officers' miscellaneous needs, billeting, etc. This colonel had better digs than most of the generals. Anyway, one night Sam was dispatched to scour Paris for a bottle of whisky for General Patton. I guess it was pretty hard to get your hands on a bottle of real booze back then. Anyhow, apparently he came up with a bottle of brandy, which seemed to fit the bill for George. Sam didn't think much of General Patton.
My father-in-law had lots of interesting adventures during that time. He knew Pablo Picasso for a while. Didn't like him much. But Picasso gave him an original drawing that was unfortunately washed overboard into the Atlantic along with his duffelbag on the trip home.

 

[Vintage lover]

@too much coffee, Was the Colt ivory handled?
@dhermann1, cool story, shame about the Picasso though. Was there a particular reason Sam didn't like Patton?

 

[Diamondback]

My great-uncle was one of Patton's scouts, and once told my mother while she was visiting that while he personally hated the man, he respected him as a tactician and a leader, and would follow his orders because he had confidence in the general to seek the swiftest victory and safest return home for his men that he could.

 

[dhermann1]

Sam didn't like Patton because he had to go on an all night wild goose chase because of him. Picasso he didn't like because he just didn't like him.
My F-I-L was a pretty cool guy. He played pro football as a teenager in the late 20's. He was a drop kicker for the old Frankfort Yellowjackets of the NFL. He also played semi pro baseball. He once told me, "Daniel, the toughest pitcher I ever batted against was Satchel Paige.". Well I guess.
Anyhow, this is all O.T. Sorry.

 

[Vintage lover]

Sam didn't like Patton because he had to go on an all night wild goose chase because of him. Picasso he didn't like because he just didn't like him.
My F-I-L was a pretty cool guy. He played pro football as a teenager in the late 20's. He was a drop kicker for the old Frankfort Yellowjackets of the NFL. He also played semi pro baseball. He once told me, "Daniel, the toughest pitcher I ever batted against was Satchel Paige.". Well I guess.
Anyhow, this is all O.T. Sorry.

O.T, but interesting nonetheless. I'm not surprised he sent aids and subordinates on goose chases for rare goods. From my understanding, Patton had interesting tastes. I can imagine that those tastes would reach their complexity in France, considering his belief that he was Napoleon reincarnate.(Thats what I heard at least)

 

[Stearmen]

I know on several occasions when Patton didn't like the orders to capture a town, he would suddenly have trouble speaking French! He was fluent of course and an ardent Francophile. He was pained when he had to order the firing on french troops. They actually did well against the green Yanks who had to dig in for the night on the beaches. This wasn't in vain, we were better prepared on Normandy, and determined not to dig in this time around! Even though Patton had nothing to do with the planning of D-Day.

 

[Johnnysan]

My dad served in the European theater and fought under Patton's command in Sicily. His unit was eventually transferred to the Fifth Army once they landed on the Italian mainland. To hear him tell it, most of the rank-and-file hated Patton's guts...especially after word got out about the infamous "slapping" incidents.

 

[Tomasso]

To hear him tell it, most of the rank-and-file hated Patton's guts...

That seems to be the consensus. I've sat in on dozens and dozens of candid conversations (sans women) involving WWII vets and Patton was never spoken of highly. Conversely, you never heard anything negative said about Eisenhower or Bradley.

 

[Gijoe]

Navy PT Shorts...

...and Uniform

 

[cooncatbob]

The average GIs in general don't like commanding officers who they believe are more interested in self promotion and glory then the welfare of their troops.
MacArthur was also hated by his troops.
But in the end both Patton and MacArthur had low causality compared to many of their contemporaries.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

For years I would drive by a site in California just past the Arizona border with a sign out front, "Future Site Of The General Patton Museum". Then one time, as I drove by, suddenly, it was there - a museum dedicated to Gen. Patton's Desert Training Center.

It is a great success and great tribute to Patton and the men who fought the North African campaign. If you're driving on I-10 between L.A. and Phoenix, make sure you stop in and spend an hour or so. You won't be dissappointed.

http://www.generalpattonmuseum.com/

-dixon cannon

 

[Atinkerer]

If it takes a train-car load of Dog Tags to do it?

An old friend of mine, Al, was under Patton in the Ardennes. I talked to him about the book of Patton's letters, etc. called The War As I Saw It (or something like that), and Al disputes some of what Patton says.

For instance, Patton says the men got a change of clothing very often, and clean dry socks at least every couple of days.

Al was a little surprised to hear that. Al says you can't wash dirty socks in the snow in the middle of winter. The snow only makes a dirty mud if you try to clean your socks with it. And there's no way to dry the socks, anyway. Everything is always wet or frozen.

One time after wearing wet socks, Al's feet were completely numb from the cold, but he was forced to march across country on his numb feet anyway. At the end of the march, even after his feet warmed up they were still numb. His feet stayed numb and he couldn't move his toes anymore. So, they sent him to a French hospital where he spent days unattended waiting to see a doctor. During this time Al prayed to God to save him and not let them cut off his feet. After a few days a doctor came in the room and told him to try to move his toes. With great difficulty Al moved them a little. So the doctor said he was ok and sent him back to the front.

I told Al that a documentary I saw said that on one (Christmas or Thanksgiving) holiday Patton made sure every soldier got a hot turkey dinner, no matter where they were in the field. When Al heard that, he told me that I had been misinformed. And he told me this in no uncertain terms, and loudly.

Al also said that the men couldn't stand Patton, especially after Patton made a statement saying he would get the U.S. Army to Berlin by a certain date "even if I have to send back a train-car load of Dog Tags to do it". Not what I'd want to hear if I was wearing a dog tag.

Tony

 

[Vintage lover]

hm, it would appear that history has been kind to the late General's reputation. You really don't see allot of negative things on film or books when it comes to Patton. At least I haven't

 

[Aristaeus]

One of the finest commanders we have ever had.

http://www.generalpatton.com/biography.html

 

[Spitfire]

...and an incredible designer of uniforms too:

lol lol

 

[Lone_Ranger]

...and an incredible designer of uniforms too:

lol lol

And poet, too!

Through a Glass, Darkly

Through the travail of the ages,
Midst the pomp and toil of war,
Have I fought and strove and perished
Countless times upon this star

[...]

So as through a glass, and darkly
The age long strife I see
Where I fought in many guises,
Many names, but always me.

[...]

So forever in the future,
Shall I battle as of yore,
Dying to be born a fighter,
But to die again, once more.

 

[The Lonely Navigator]

Yeah that's the one he wrote with regards to reincarnation.