GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON

BACKGROUND

George Smith Patton, Jr. was an American general born in 1885, in San Gabriel, California. As a child, Patton was taught how to hunt, fish, and live off the land. His father, George Smith Patton, read him the Bible and the works of Homer, and Shakespeare. Patton's mother, Ruth, was an excellent horsewoman and taught her son how to ride. Although taught a variety of skills from his parents, Patton�s formal education did not begin until he was eleven years old. Some believe this was because Patton was dyslexic, impairing his ability to read. Patton often recited long stories to avoid having to read out loud. Patton was educated at Dr. Stephen Cotter Clark's Classical School for Boys in Pasadena, California, and later went on to Pasadena High School. After his graduation, Patton was accepted into the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), which he attended for one year, before being transferred to the prestigious West Point Military Academy. While there, Patton became thoroughly involved in athletics. Patton's exceptional athletic skills allowed him to participate in the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden. He placed fifth in the pentathlon, due to a poor score in shooting. He graduated from West Point five years later, longer than most of his classmates, due to his struggle in the subjects of French and mathematics.

EARLY MILITARY CAREER

In 1916, Patton aided General John Joseph Pershing in the pursuit of the Mexican bandit leader Francisco "Pancho" Villa, who raided Columbus, New Mexico and killed sixteen Americans. Lieutenant Patton single handedly killed three of Villa's followers. Pershing was heard saying, "We have a bandit in our ranks, this Patton boy! He's a real fighter!" Shortly afterward, the United States entered World War I. Pershing was appointed head of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), and took along Captain Patton as a junior aide. When Patton later showed dissatisfaction with Pershing, he was given the choice of commanding an infantry battalion or being assigned to a Tank Corp. Patton reported to the Armored Force Commander, Brigadier General Samuel D. Rockenbach, and became his Chief of Staff. He took notes on the capabilities of tanks, and with technical information provided by France, allowed US companies to begin tank production. In 1918, Patton was promoted to the rank of Major, and created a tank training school in Langres, France. After many soldiers signed up, twenty tanks were sent to Patton, forming the 304th Tank Brigade. His men were trained extremely hard, and Patton was eager to fight. On September 12, 1918, an artillery offensive barrage began. His tanks did not arrive until after the barrage began. Heavy rains disabled the ability for his tanks to fight effectively and precisely. General Rockenbach became extremely displeased and threatened to relieve Patton of his command. The next day, his tanks conducted an unauthorized mission through the German Hindemburg Line. Only three tanks broke through the line, but the enemy was stunned and scared. A few weeks later, the 304th fought to overtake a machine gun nest. During the attack, Patton was wounded, but his efforts throughout the war earned the Distinguished Service Cross and Medal, and the Purple Heart.

PROMOTION TO GENERAL

After World War I, Brigadier General Patton attended a staff conference and was heard saying that an armored division needed "blood and brains" Newspapers misquoted him as saying "blood and guts," giving Patton the lifelong nickname, "Old Blood and Guts." In 1940, Patton joined the Second Armored Division in Fort Benning, Georgia. He was named commanding general, leading to his promotion to Major-General. When the US entered World War II, it had already been lingering on in Europe, Africa, and several other countries. In Africa, Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, in command of the German Afrika Corps, began pushing towards Egypt, threatening the Suez Canal. Great Britain was set to attack Rommel, but the US had no experience in desert warfare. Lt. General Lesly J. McNair named Patton as the new commander of a Desert Training Center to prepare the US for warfare in a desert climate. Using 18,000 square miles of California and Arizona desert, Patton effectively trained his men to become acclimated to the hot desert climate. Conditions in the training center were harsh and often called, "The place God forgot." There was no electricity or sheets for beds. Patton would always respond to complaints by saying, "We have no time to do anything except learn to fight."

INVASION OF MOROCCO

After training at the desert center for only four months, Patton was called to Washington and informed of his involvement in Operation Torch, the invasion of Morocco. He was to be part of the Western Task Force and land on the beaches of French Morocco. When Patton arrived at the beaches on November 8, 1942, he met French resistance. Attempts to gain a peaceful resolution did not persuade the French to stop fighting. Patton was later ordered to attack Casablanca, but French forces stopped resisting, allowing him to stop the attack. In 1943, General Dwight Eisenhower transferred Patton, giving him control of the American II Corps. His tank unit fought along with General Bernard Montgomery. During an attack, Patton saw an opportunity to break through the German lines, and cut off Rommel�s supply lines, but was stopped by the 10th German Panzer Division. Montgomery ordered him to stick to flank attacks and let him break through the lines. Patton obeyed him, and everything went as planned.

INVASION OF SICILY

Patton was reassigned to work on Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. Meanwhile, Rommel�s Afrika Corps was pushed out of Africa, putting it in control of the Allies. Patton was now in command of the US Seventh Army. He was required, once again, to work with General Montgomery while planning the invasion. They often quarreled about decisions, leading to a lifelong dislike between the two generals. On July 20, 1943, Allied forces started landing on Sicily�s southern coast. The bloody invasion lasted for thirty-nine days. Patton�s tanks were advancing, but Montgomery was having difficulty pushing north. In an effort to help the British, General Omar Nelson Bradley�s II Corps was pulled back. Patton started to fight for Palermo, in Northern Sicily, resulting in 6,000 German casualties and 44,000 prisoners.

About ten days after Patton captured Palermo, he visited wounded soldiers at the 15th Evacuation Hospital. As the general was talking and boosting the morale of the wounded, he came across Private Charles H. Kuhl, who appeared to be fine. Patton asked the soldier what was wrong with him. The Private replied, "I guess I just can�t take it." Kuhl watched as Patton became furious and struck him with his glove. He was later diagnosed with dysentery and malaria. Seven days later, Patton visited another hospital, the 93rd Evacuation Hospital, and once again saw another soldier who appeared healthy. He approached Private Paul G. Bennet and asked him, "What is wrong?" The shaky soldier answered, "It�s my nerves." As he began to cry, Patton said, "What did you say?" This time the soldier replied, "It�s my nerves, I can�t stand the shelling anymore." Again, Patton became infuriated, called the soldier a coward, and hit him. He believed it was a soldier�s duty to overcome his fears of battle to fulfill their duties. Many generals criticized these actions of brutality. General Eisenhower ordered Patton to personally apologize for the two "slapping incidents," as they were later called. However, these incidents are believed to have given him command of the US Third Army. On August 17, 1943, Operation Husky came to an end when Messina fell into the hands of the Allies, and Sicily was taken.

INVASION OF NORMANDY

On New Years Eve, 1943, the Third Army was on active duty. They travelled to England on three ocean liners: the Ile de France, the Queen Mary, and the Queen Elizabeth. One day before the Allied invasion of Europe, Patton gave a historic speech, stating what he expected out of every soldier. His speech was, in some respects, rude and colorful, but his troops understood it more easily this way. Patton told his troops not to tell anyone of his presence. He said it was to be a "surprise" for the Germans.

On June 6, 1944, the invasion of Normandy began. Patton�s Third Army did not become operationally involved in the invasion until fifty-seven days later, on August 1, 1944. He began moving quickly through France, while General Montgomery was moving more slowly. The Third Army went all the way to Argentan, a city near Falaise. Patton remarkably advanced 250 miles in seventeen days, while Montgomery only moved twenty miles in 72 days. The Third Army could have cut off the German Seventh Army escape route, but headquarters ordered Patton to halt. Montgomery was supposed to take Falaise, but he had failed. Its capture would have made the war shorter. Patton continued to be on the move, chasing Germans toward the Seine River. Many German casualties were taken, and they began to run out of supplies. Meanwhile, Patton had pushed so far he was able to take Paris, but again was turned down by headquarters. This was to be accomplished by the French General Jauques LeClerc�s Second Armored Division, along with the help of the US First Army.

Despite Pattons� disappointment, he sent the Third Army eastward towards the Rhine River. He kept moving and moving, always attacking. He never allowed the enemy to regroup or dig trenches. Patton�s amazingly fast advance was unfortunately brought to a halt in September of 1944. Eisenhower had allowed Montgomery to obtain large proportions of the US�s supplies. This plan (codenamed "Market Garden") eventually drained the Third Army�s supply of gasoline, forcing them to stop. Montgomery�s plan

was again a failure. Many of his supplies were either lost or wasted. Operation Market Garden also ravaged the Netherlands. In fact, Prince Bernard of the Netherlands was quoted saying, "My country can never afford the luxury of another Montgomery success." While Prince Bernard sarcastically viewed Montgomery�s failure, the Germans were able to stabilize their front lines, but this did not stop the Third Army. With the help of artillery, Patton pushed to the Moselle River, even with their shortage of supplies. On November 18, he captured the city of Metz, pushing the Germans back into Germany. Before Patton�s arrival, Metz had not been captured since 451 AD.

BATTLE OF THE BULGE

In December of 1944, the First Army was in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium. Eisenhower had allowed a rest and recuperation (R and R) center to be set up there. Colonel Oscar Koch, a member of the G-2 Intelligence Department in the Third Army, had sent reports of German troops near the R and R area, but headquarters ignored them. Patton was setting up counter-offensive plans just in case of an attack. His intelligence department�s fears came true on December 16, when German troops led by General Von Rundstedt, attacked the First Army in the Ardennes. The US Army feared the German offense would seize supplies, resulting in a prolonged attack. At a special meeting, General of the Army Eisenhower, told his highest ranking officers a maneuver would be made to stop the Germans. The seemingly impossible job was given to Patton. He told other officers his men would be ready within two days, a statement many believed made his task even more difficult. Athough confident, heavy rains prevented the Third Army from receiving air support. Patton called for his Chaplain, Colonel James O�Neill, and requested he write a prayer for good weather. The Colonel asked the general why he wanted a prayer to kill, but still wrote the prayer. He wrote: "Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have to contend. Grant us fair weather for battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies, and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen."

Patton ordered everyone in the Third Army to receive and read a copy of the prayer. When the prayer worked everyone was amazed, including Patton. Colonel O�Neill was given the Bronze Star for his work, because Patton said, "He stands in good with the Lord." Afterward, Patton was watching his men march into the nearby city of Bastogne, Germany, and was heard saying, "No other army in the world could do this. No other soldiers could do what these men are doing. God, I�m proud of them." The Germans directed their last offense towards Bastogne, but failed. The Ardennes Offense, known as the Battle of the Bulge, was over and the Germans were forced back.

Although the Third Army was responsible for the victory, the First Army and Omar Bradley�s 12th Army group were decorated. This did not bother Patton though, because he was planning to seize the town of Trier, in Germany. Remarkably, he took Trier, which was defended by German militia groups, meaning the Germans did not have enough soldiers to fight. Patton pushed on towards the Rhine River, while Montgomery came to help. Together, they planned an attack so large, it was almost as big as D-Day. Meanwhile, Omar Bradley�s 12th Army took a bridge and crossed the Rhine River to help fight. Montgomery�s attack went as planned, and fortunately, met little resistance. In all, only thirty-one casualties were taken. While Montgomery continued to gain fame, Patton was securing bridges with little publicity, but continued to advance quickly, taking city after city. The Third Army met strong resistance at Kassel, but it was taken. By April 10, 1945, Patton advanced to the Mulde River, capturing over eighty miles in five days. Patton could have taken Berlin and ended the war, but was stopped by Eisenhower. The Russians were to have the duty of taking Berlin, along with most of Eastern Europe, which would later become communist. Communist dominion in Eastern Europe could have been prevented by the steadfast Third Army.

Although Patton was disturbed by the Russians, he delightedly celebrated the end of World War II, one minute after midnight on May 4, 1945. This famous day became known as Victory in Europe, or VE day. Throughout the war, 21, 441 soldiers were killed, 99,224 were wounded, and 16,200 were listed as missing in action in the Third Army. This large number seemed small when compared to the enemy�s considerable number of 1,486,700 soldiers either killed, wounded, or missing in action. Now that the war was over, Europe began recovering. Patton made sure that civilians had supplies to last through the winter of 1945.

AFTER WORLD WAR II

Unfortunately, Patton was relieved of his command of the Third Army, due to his uncontrollable temper and comments concerning allied countries and leaders. On December 7, 1945, four star general Patton handed the Third Army to his friend General Lucien K. Truscott. A short, but effective ceremony was performed, in which Patton expressed appreciation for his men�s high quality work, he expected them to continue under General Truscott. Later that day, he was almost killed in a collision with an oxcart. He was heard saying, "After all I�ve been through, think of being killed on the road by a team of oxen." Patton�s luck did not hold out, for on December 9, 1945, while riding in his limousine, he collided with a truck. He had injuries all over his body. The most severe injury was to his neck, leaving him paralyzed. Patton was having difficulty breathing, but looked as though he might survive. On December 19, 1945, complications began. Increasing pressure on his spinal cord and continuous respiratory problems resulted in acute heart failure. Patton died on December 21, 1945. He had earlier told his brother, "This is an odd way for a soldier to die." Patton was buried in the military cemetery in Hamm, Luxembourg, because it was said he wanted to be near all of his men who fought and died in the war. Delegates from Britain, France, Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Soviet Union attended the general's funeral, along with important army commanders.

CONCLUSION

George Patton is one of the most controversial, interesting, and courageous generals in history. His quick professional style drove him to victory in battle. He was a commander who could be trusted for getting a task accomplished effectively. He will be admired for years to come by soldiers and civilians alike.



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George Smith Patton, Jr. BACKGROUND George Smith Patton, Jr. was an American general born in 1885, in San Gabriel, California. As a child, Patton was taught how to hunt, fish, and live off the land. His father, George Smith Patton, read him the Bible and the works of Homer, and Shakespeare. Patton's mother, Ruth, was an excellent horsewoman and taught her son how to ride. Although taught a variety of skills from his parents, Patton�s formal education did not begin until he was eleven years old. Some believe this was because Patton was dyslexic, impairing his ability to read. Patton often recited long stories to avoid having to read out loud. Patton was educated at Dr. Stephen Cotter Clark's Classical School for Boys in Pasadena, California, and later went on to Pasadena High School. After his graduation, Patton was accepted into the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), which he attended for one year, before being transferred to the prestigious West Point Military Academy. While there, Patton became thoroughly involved in athletics. Patton's exceptional athletic skills allowed him to participate in the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden. He placed fifth in the pentathlon, due to a poor score in shooting. He graduated from West Point five years later, longer than most of his classmates, due to his struggle in the subjects of French and mathematics. EARLY MILITARY CAREER In 1916, Patton aided General John Joseph Pershing in the pursuit of the Mexican bandit leader Francisco "Pancho" Villa, who raided Columbus, New Mexico and killed sixteen Americans. Lieutenant Patton single handedly killed three of Villa's followers. Pershing was heard saying, "We have a bandit in our ranks, this Patton boy! He's a real fighter!" Shortly afterward, the United States entered World War I. Pershing was appointed head of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), and took along Captain Patton as a junior aide. When Patton later showed dissatisfaction with Pershing, he was given the choice of commanding an infantry battalion or being assigned to a Tank Corp. Patton reported to the Armored Force Commander, Brigadier General Samuel D. Rockenbach, and became his Chief of Staff. He took notes on the capabilities of tanks, and with technical information provided by France, allowed US companies to begin tank production. In 1918, Patton was promoted to the rank of Major, and created a tank training school in Langres, France. After many soldiers signed up, twenty tanks were sent to Patton, forming the 304th Tank Brigade. His men were trained extremely hard, and Patton was eager to fight. On September 12, 1918, an artillery offensive barrage began. His tanks did not arrive until after the barrage began. Heavy rains disabled the ability for his tanks to fight effectively and precisely. General Rockenbach became extremely displeased and threatened to relieve Patton of his command. The next day, his tanks conducted an unauthorized mission through the German Hindemburg Line. Only three tanks broke through the line, but the enemy was stunned and scared. A few weeks later, the 304th fought to overtake a machine gun nest. During the attack, Patton was wounded, but his efforts throughout the war earned the Distinguished Service Cross and Medal, and the Purple Heart. PROMOTION TO GENERAL After World War I, Brigadier General Patton attended a staff conference and was heard saying that an armored division needed "blood and brains" Newspapers misquoted him as saying "blood and guts," giving Patton the lifelong nickname, "Old Blood and Guts." In 1940, Patton joined the Second Armored Division in Fort Benning, Georgia. He was named commanding general, leading to his promotion to Major-General. When the US entered World War II, it had already been lingering on in Europe, Africa, and several other countries. In Africa, Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, in command of the German Afrika Corps, began pushing towards Egypt, threatening the Suez Canal. Great Britain was set to attack Rommel, but the US had no experience in desert warfare. Lt. General Lesly J. McNair named Patton as the new commander of a Desert Training Center to prepare the US for warfare in a desert climate. Using 18,000 square miles of California and Arizona desert, Patton effectively trained his men to become acclimated to the hot desert climate. Conditions in the training center were harsh and often called, "The place God forgot." There was no electricity or sheets for beds. Patton would always respond to complaints by saying, "We have no time to do anything except learn to fight." INVASION OF MOROCCO After training at the desert center for only four months, Patton was called to Washington and informed of his involvement in Operation Torch, the invasion of Morocco. He was to be part of the Western Task Force and land on the beaches of French Morocco. When Patton arrived at the beaches on November 8, 1942, he met French resistance. Attempts to gain a peaceful resolution did not persuade the French to stop fighting. Patton was later ordered to attack Casablanca, but French forces stopped resisting, allowing him to stop the attack. In 1943, General Dwight Eisenhower transferred Patton, giving him control of the American II Corps. His tank unit fought along with General Bernard Montgomery. During an attack, Patton saw an opportunity to break through the German lines, and cut off Rommel�s supply lines, but was stopped by the 10th German Panzer Division. Montgomery ordered him to stick to flank attacks and let him break through the lines. Patton obeyed him, and everything went as planned. INVASION OF SICILY Patton was reassigned to work on Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. Meanwhile, Rommel�s Afrika Corps was pushed out of Africa, putting it in control of the Allies. Patton was now in command of the US Seventh Army. He was required, once again, to work with General Montgomery while planning the invasion. They often quarreled about decisions, leading to a lifelong dislike between the two generals. On July 20, 1943, Allied forces started landing on Sicily�s southern coast. The bloody invasion lasted for thirty-nine days. Patton�s tanks were advancing, but Montgomery was having difficulty pushing north. In an effort to help the British, General Omar Nelson Bradley�s II Corps was pulled back. Patton started to fight for Palermo, in Northern Sicily, resulting in 6,000 German casualties and 44,000 prisoners. About ten days after Patton captured Palermo, he visited wounded soldiers at the 15th Evacuation Hospital. As the general was talking and boosting the morale of the wounded, he came across Private Charles H. Kuhl, who appeared to be fine. Patton asked the soldier what was wrong with him. The Private replied, "I guess I just can�t take it." Kuhl watched as Patton became furious and struck him with his glove. He was later diagnosed with dysentery and malaria. Seven days later, Patton visited another hospital, the 93rd Evacuation Hospital, and once again saw another soldier who appeared healthy. He approached Private Paul G. Bennet and asked him, "What is wrong?" The shaky soldier answered, "It�s my nerves." As he began to cry, Patton said, "What did you say?" This time the soldier replied, "It�s my nerves, I can�t stand the shelling anymore." Again, Patton became infuriated, called the soldier a coward, and hit him. He believed it was a soldier�s duty to overcome his fears of battle to fulfill their duties. Many generals criticized these actions of brutality. General Eisenhower ordered Patton to personally apologize for the two "slapping incidents," as they were later called. However, these incidents are believed to have given him command of the US Third Army. On August 17, 1943, Operation Husky came to an end when Messina fell into the hands of the Allies, and Sicily was taken. INVASION OF NORMANDY On New Years Eve, 1943, the Third Army was on active duty. They travelled to England on three ocean liners: the Ile de France, the Queen Mary, and the Queen Elizabeth. One day before the Allied invasion of Europe, Patton gave a historic speech, stating what he expected out of every soldier. His speech was, in some respects, rude and colorful, but his troops understood it more easily this way. Patton told his troops not to tell anyone of his presence. He said it was to be a "surprise" for the Germans. On June 6, 1944, the invasion of Normandy began. Patton�s Third Army did not become operationally involved in the invasion until fifty-seven days later, on August 1, 1944. He began moving quickly through France, while General Montgomery was moving more slowly. The Third Army went all the way to Argentan, a city near Falaise. Patton remarkably advanced 250 miles in seventeen days, while Montgomery only moved twenty miles in 72 days. The Third Army could have cut off the German Seventh Army escape route, but headquarters ordered Patton to halt. Montgomery was supposed to take Falaise, but he had failed. Its capture would have made the war shorter. Patton continued to be on the move, chasing Germans toward the Seine River. Many German casualties were taken, and they began to run out of supplies. Meanwhile, Patton had pushed so far he was able to take Paris, but again was turned down by headquarters. This was to be accomplished by the French General Jauques LeClerc�s Second Armored Division, along with the help of the US First Army. Despite Pattons� disappointment, he sent the Third Army eastward towards the Rhine River. He kept moving and moving, always attacking. He never allowed the enemy to regroup or dig trenches. Patton�s amazingly fast advance was unfortunately brought to a halt in September of 1944. Eisenhower had allowed Montgomery to obtain large proportions of the US�s supplies. This plan (codenamed "Market Garden") eventually drained the Third Army�s supply of gasoline, forcing them to stop. Montgomery�s plan was again a failure. Many of his supplies were either lost or wasted. Operation Market Garden also ravaged the Netherlands. In fact, Prince Bernard of the Netherlands was quoted saying, "My country can never afford the luxury of another Montgomery success." While Prince Bernard sarcastically viewed Montgomery�s failure, the Germans were able to stabilize their front lines, but this did not stop the Third Army. With the help of artillery, Patton pushed to the Moselle River, even with their shortage of supplies. On November 18, he captured the city of Metz, pushing the Germans back into Germany. Before Patton�s arrival, Metz had not been captured since 451 AD. BATTLE OF THE BULGE In December of 1944, the First Army was in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium. Eisenhower had allowed a rest and recuperation (R and R) center to be set up there. Colonel Oscar Koch, a member of the G-2 Intelligence Department in the Third Army, had sent reports of German troops near the R and R area, but headquarters ignored them. Patton was setting up counter-offensive plans just in case of an attack. His intelligence department�s fears came true on December 16, when German troops led by General Von Rundstedt, attacked the First Army in the Ardennes. The US Army feared the German offense would seize supplies, resulting in a prolonged attack. At a special meeting, General of the Army Eisenhower, told his highest ranking officers a maneuver would be made to stop the Germans. The seemingly impossible job was given to Patton. He told other officers his men would be ready within two days, a statement many believed made his task even more difficult. Athough confident, heavy rains prevented the Third Army from receiving air support. Patton called for his Chaplain, Colonel James O�Neill, and requested he write a prayer for good weather. The Colonel asked the general why he wanted a prayer to kill, but still wrote the prayer. He wrote: "Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have to contend. Grant us fair weather for battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies, and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen." Patton ordered everyone in the Third Army to receive and read a copy of the prayer. When the prayer worked everyone was amazed, including Patton. Colonel O�Neill was given the Bronze Star for his work, because Patton said, "He stands in good with the Lord." Afterward, Patton was watching his men march into the nearby city of Bastogne, Germany, and was heard saying, "No other army in the world could do this. No other soldiers could do what these men are doing. God, I�m proud of them." The Germans directed their last offense towards Bastogne, but failed. The Ardennes Offense, known as the Battle of the Bulge, was over and the Germans were forced back. Although the Third Army was responsible for the victory, the First Army and Omar Bradley�s 12th Army group were decorated. This did not bother Patton though, because he was planning to seize the town of Trier, in Germany. Remarkably, he took Trier, which was defended by German militia groups, meaning the Germans did not have enough soldiers to fight. Patton pushed on towards the Rhine River, while Montgomery came to help. Together, they planned an attack so large, it was almost as big as D-Day. Meanwhile, Omar Bradley�s 12th Army took a bridge and crossed the Rhine River to help fight. Montgomery�s attack went as planned, and fortunately, met little resistance. In all, only thirty-one casualties were taken. While Montgomery continued to gain fame, Patton was securing bridges with little publicity, but continued to advance quickly, taking city after city. The Third Army met strong resistance at Kassel, but it was taken. By April 10, 1945, Patton advanced to the Mulde River, capturing over eighty miles in five days. Patton could have taken Berlin and ended the war, but was stopped by Eisenhower. The Russians were to have the duty of taking Berlin, along with most of Eastern Europe, which would later become communist. Communist dominion in Eastern Europe could have been prevented by the steadfast Third Army. Although Patton was disturbed by the Russians, he delightedly celebrated the end of World War II, one minute after midnight on May 4, 1945. This famous day became known as Victory in Europe, or VE day. Throughout the war, 21, 441 soldiers were killed, 99,224 were wounded, and 16,200 were listed as missing in action in the Third Army. This large number seemed small when compared to the enemy�s considerable number of 1,486,700 soldiers either killed, wounded, or missing in action. Now that the war was over, Europe began recovering. Patton made sure that civilians had supplies to last through the winter of 1945. AFTER WORLD WAR II Unfortunately, Patton was relieved of his command of the Third Army, due to his uncontrollable temper and comments concerning allied countries and leaders. On December 7, 1945, four star general Patton handed the Third Army to his friend General Lucien K. Truscott. A short, but effective ceremony was performed, in which Patton expressed appreciation for his men�s high quality work, he expected them to continue under General Truscott. Later that day, he was almost killed in a collision with an oxcart. He was heard saying, "After all I�ve been through, think of being killed on the road by a team of oxen." Patton�s luck did not hold out, for on December 9, 1945, while riding in his limousine, he collided with a truck. He had injuries all over his body. The most severe injury was to his neck, leaving him paralyzed. Patton was having difficulty breathing, but looked as though he might survive. On December 19, 1945, complications began. Increasing pressure on his spinal cord and continuous respiratory problems resulted in acute heart failure. Patton died on December 21, 1945. He had earlier told his brother, "This is an odd way for a soldier to die." Patton was buried in the military cemetery in Hamm, Luxembourg, because it was said he wanted to be near all of his men who fought and died in the war. Delegates from Britain, France, Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Soviet Union attended the general's funeral, along with important army commanders. CONCLUSION George Patton is one of the most controversial, interesting, and courageous generals in history. His quick professional style drove him to victory in battle. He was a commander who could be trusted for getting a task accomplished effectively. He will be admired for years to come by soldiers and civilians alike.