Biography of George Smith Patton Jr.

Patton was born in San Gabriel, California on November 11 1885. His parents were George Smith Patton and Ruth Wilson. His dad was the district attorney for Los Angeles. His Family was wealthy and his Grandfather had once been the major of Los Angeles. His grandfather also was one of the “biggest Manufactures of wine and brandy in the state.” Patton’s ancestors had fought in the confederate army so he always felt he needed to prove himself to them. Patton had dyslexia so he was tutored at home until he was 12. When he went to school, he went to Pasadena’s Elite Classical School for Boys. Patton to the United States Military Academy in 1903. He failed math one year so that set him a bit behind. He married Beatrice Ayer in 1910. They had two children. They had a daughter named Ruth Ellen and a son named George Smith Patton IV. In 1912, he was in the Olympics. He competed in the Pentathlon in Stockholm. He got 5th place. The Pentathlon had gun shooting, fencing, swimming, horse back riding, and a 500-meter race. WOW! He must have been a very good athlete! In 1912 he was “assigned to Fort Riley Kansas to at its study mounted service school.” He had studied swordsmanship in France at one point in his life. In his late 20s he had a head injury which might have caused him not to be able to control his anger or fears helping him be the man we know today. Patton was one of the first people to realize how useful tanks can be in battle. When I asked my Grandparents about him, the first thing that came to their mind about him was Tanks. Patton did many things in his life he fought in Mexico in 1916, Morocco in 1918, Sicily in 1940, Germany and France in 1944 and 1945. I will elaborate more on these in my first influence of why he is one of the most famous Americans in our history. Patton often got in trouble with his superiors and the press for things he said and did. I also will talk about this more later. Patton earned the nickname “Old blood and guts” because of his behavior and how he fought. After all the battles he had fought in Patton died after a car crash broke his neck and killed him 12 days later in Germany after the war. He died on December 21 1945.

Works Cited
Ambrose, Stephen E. "Patton, George Smith Jr." Student Resource Center-Gold. Gale, 1998. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.
"Patton George S." Gale. 2003. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.
"Patton S George." Biography Resource Center. 2010. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.
Stokesburg, James. "Patton, George Smith Jr." World Book Student. 2010. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.

Picture from world book online Patton, George Smith Jr By James l Stokesbury

2010 3-3-2010

1st Influence

One reasons George s Patton is one of the greatest Americans is because he fought with amazing agility and never gave up. “Attack- Push forward attack again until the end” George S Patton. Patton first showed his bravery in 1916 when he helped John J Pershing fight Poncho Villa in Mexico. Villa attacked a train and killed the 15 Americans on board that train in January 1916. Patton killed three of Villas bodyguards. Patton was one of the first people to discover who useful tanks can be in battle. He was one of the best tank “experts” in America at the time. In 1940 Patton was in such control of his seventh army in Sicily, that they accomplished taking the city Palermo and reaching Messina. He was one of the best “Senior battle Generals” by the end of that time period. Patton showed his talent to preserver in World War II when he fought through Germany AND France clearing defeating most of the Nazi army. Patton first started out in France with the control of the third army in 1944. In a short time, he had reached Germany. That March of 1945 he attacked the enemy and took 10,000 miles of their land after crossing the Rhine River before the British General Montgomery, which was something, he was not told to do. He fought through Germany ending up in Austria by the end of the war. Patton was a brave person with very little fears. He always seemed to get in some sort of trouble with the press and his superiors. After all the battles he had been in, he died after a car crash breaking his neck and causing him to die 12 days later which is ironic because he had been in so many battles and only got wounded once in all that time.

Works Cited
Ambrose, Stephen E. "Patton, George Smith Jr." Student Resource Center-Gold. Gale, 1998. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.
"Patton George S. "Student Resource Center-Gold” Gale. 2003. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.
"Patton S George." Biography Resource Center. 2010. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.
Stokesburg, James. "Patton, George Smith Jr." World Book Student. 2010. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.

pictures from Patton, George S. Photograph. Current Biography by The H. W. Wilson Company.

Patton George S. 2006. Photograph. DAV Magazine. By Gale.

2nd Influence

The second reason that Patton is one of the most famous Americans is because he basically had no fear and had a hard time with his anger pushing him to be as successful but it also got him in some trouble with the press and his superiors. One of the most famous problems he had was when he smacked two soldiers in the hospital with battle fatigue. He smacked the soldiers and called them cowards. This caused him to be removed from being in charge of the seventh army. He had ended up in Sicily after rude comments to a superior British officer in Morocco. At the end of World War II he got in trouble with the press when he “Compared the Nazi to a loser in a American Political election.” This got him removed of him command of the third army and put in charge of the 15th army, which was supposed to capture German Generals and get information for the history of the war. This was the last time he was moved around because he died December 21 1945. The reason he might have been so fearless and had problems with his anger might have been that he had a head injure in his 20s, which might have caused him not be able to control his anger and fears. Patton’s soldiers gave him the nickname “Old blood and guts” because he was so ruff and “reckless.” He would wake up in the middle of the night because he was worried he would not get to fight before the fight was over in 1918.

Works Cited
Ambrose, Stephen E. "Patton, George Smith Jr." Student Resource Center-Gold. Gale, 1998. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.
"Patton George S. "Student Resource Center-Gold” Gale. 2003. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.
"Patton S George." Biography Resource Center. 2010. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.
Stokesburg, James. "Patton, George Smith Jr." World Book Student. 2010. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.

Picture from Patton, George S. Photograph. Current Biography by The H. W. Wilson Company.

Fun facts!!!!
George S Patton had two pearl handled pistols
He once broke the world record for pistol shooting when practicing for his pentathlon
Played water polo
Spoke French
Taught fencing
Wrote poetry
Was a ballroom dancer

Works Cited
Ambrose, Stephen E. "Patton, George Smith Jr." Student Resource Center-Gold. Gale, 1998. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.
"Patton George S. "Student Resource Center-Gold” Gale. 2003. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.
"Patton S George." Biography Resource Center. 2010. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.
Stokesburg, James. "Patton, George Smith Jr." World Book Student. 2010. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.

Patton, George S. Photograph. Current Biography by The H. W. Wilson Company.

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