George S. Patton

:Please see "Patton" for other definitions

World War I

At the onset of the USA's entry to World War I, General Pershing promoted Patton to the rank of Captain. While in France under the Third Republic, Patton requested that he be given a combat command and Pershing assigned him command within the newly formed U.S. Tank Corps. Depending on the source, he either led the U.S. Tank Corps., led the British, or was an observer at the Battle of Cambrai, the first battle where tanks were used as a significant force. As the U.S. Tank Corps did not take part in this battle and it is extremely unlikely that a U.S. officer would have commanded British troops, the role of observer is the most likely. From his successes (and the organization of a training school for American tankers in Langres, France), Patton was promoted twice to the rank of lieutenant colonel and was placed in charge of the U.S. Tank Corps, which was part of the American Expeditionary Force and then the First U.S. Army. He took part in the St. Mihiel offensive of September 1918 and was wounded by machine gun fire as he sought assistance for tanks that were mired in the mud. The bullet had passed through his upper thigh and for years afterwards, when Patton was at social events drunk, he would drop his pants to show his wound and called himself a "half-assed general."

Related Topics:
World War I - General Pershing - Captain - France under the Third Republic - U.S. Tank Corps - Battle of Cambrai - Tanks - Langres - France - Lieutenant colonel - American Expeditionary Force - St. Mihiel offensive

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For his service in the Meuse-Argonne operations, Patton received a Purple Heart, a Distinguished Service Cross, and was given a battlefield promotion to a full Colonel. While Patton was recuperating from his wounds, hostilities ended.

Related Topics:
Meuse - Argonne - Purple Heart - Distinguished Service Cross

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~