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Patton's Troubleshooters Book                        Patton's Troubleshooters DVD

General George S. Patton, Jr., was born on November 11, 1885 in San Gabriel, California.  He was appointed to the United States Military Academy from California; and upon graduation, on June 11, 1909, he was commissioned a second lieutenant of cavalry.  His military career was one of the most colorful of all 20th century military leaders.  He participated in the Pentathlon of the Stockholm Olympics in 1912 and placed fifth overall in the event.  Later, he served as a member of General John J. Pershing's staff both during the punitive expedition to Mexico and in World War I.  Following this assignment, he joined the newly formed Tank Corps where he served until the corps was abolished in 1920 at Fort Meade, Maryland.  After W.W. I, he held a variety of staff jobs in Hawaii and Washington, D.C. and took part in the mechanized maneuvers in Georgia and Louisiana, which tested the entire mechanized concept of the army.  With the formation of the Armored Force in 1940 at Fort Knox, he transferred to the 2d Armored Division at Fort Benning, Georgia; and was named the Commanding General, 2nd Armored Division, on April 19, 1941.  On November 8, 1942, when American forces landed in North Africa, Patton was in charge of the units landing on the west coast.  He was designated Commanding General of the Western Task Force in February 1943 and subsequently assumed command of all American forces in the Tunisia Combat Area.  He commanded the Seventh Army during the invasion of Sicily in July 1943 and served in this capacity until March 1944 when he was given command of the Third Army which became operational in France in August 1944.  When American forces broke through the German defenses, Patton's Third Army dashed across Europe and exploited German weaknesses with phenomenal success.  In October 1945, he assumed command of the Fifteenth Army in American-occupied Germany; and on December 21, 1945, he died in Germany as a result of an automobile accident.  His decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Distinguished Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and numerous other US and foreign decorations.