Connor Reese

General George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 December 21, 1945)
was a senior officer of the United States Army, who commanded the United
States Seventh Army in the Mediterranean and European theaters of World
War II, but is best known for his leadership of the United States Third Army in
France and Germany following the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944.
Born in 1885 to a family with an extensive military background (with
members serving in the United States Army and Confederate States Army),
Patton attended the Virginia Military Institute, and later the U.S. Military
Academy at West Point. He participated in the 1912 Olympic modern
pentathlon, where he placed fifth. After the Olympics Patton studied fencing
in France, and designed the M1913 Cavalry Saber, more commonly known as
the "Patton Sword." The War Department ordered 20,000 of them in 1913.
Later the same year Patton was assigned as a student and "Master of the
Sword," the top instructor in a new course in swordsmanship, at the Mounted
Service School in Fort Riley, Kansas. It was here he wrote "Saber Exercise
1914," using easy-to-follow steps accompanied by detailed illustrations.[1]
The following year he wrote a more informal guide, "Diary of the Instructor in
Swordsmanship," at the request of his students who wanted more detailed
training guidance.[2] Patton first saw combat during the Pancho Villa
Expedition in 1916, taking part in America's first military action using motor
vehicles. He later joined the newly formed United States Tank Corps of the
American Expeditionary Force (AEF) and saw action in World War I,
commanding the U.S. tank school in France before being wounded while
leading tanks into combat near the end of the war. In the interwar period,
Patton remained a central figure in the development of armored warfare
doctrine in the U.S. Army, serving in numerous staff positions throughout the
country. Rising through the ranks, he commanded the 2nd Armored Division
at the time of the American entry into World War II.
Patton led U.S. troops into the Mediterranean theater with an invasion of
Casablanca during Operation Torch in 1942, where he later established
himself as an effective commander through his rapid rehabilitation of the
demoralized U.S. II Corps. He commanded the U.S. Seventh Army during the
Allied invasion of Sicily, where he was the first Allied commander to reach
Messina. There he was embroiled in controversy after he slapped two shellshocked soldiers under his command, and was temporarily removed from
battlefield command for other duties such as participating in Operation

Fortitude's disinformation campaign for Operation Overlord. Patton returned

to command the Third Army following the invasion of Normandy in June
1944, where he led a highly successful rapid armored drive across France. He
led the relief of beleaguered American troops at Bastogne during the Battle
of the Bulge, and advanced his Third Army into Nazi Germany by the end of
the war.
After the war, Patton became the military governor of Bavaria, but he was
relieved of this post because of his statements on denazification. He
commanded the United States Fifteenth Army for slightly more than two
months. Patton died in Germany on December 21, 1945, as a result of
injuries from an automobile accident twelve days earlier.
Patton's colorful image, hard-driving personality and success as a
commander were at times overshadowed by his controversial public
statements, including private racist and antisemitic remarks. His philosophy
of leading from the front and his ability to inspire troops with vulgarity-ridden
speeches, such as a famous address to the Third Army, attracted favorable
attention. His strong emphasis on rapid and aggressive offensive action
proved effective. While Allied leaders held sharply differing opinions on
Patton, he was regarded highly by his opponents in the German High
Command. A popular, award-winning biographical film released in 1970
helped transform Patton into an American folk hero.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_S._Patton)