Patton, George Smith

Extract

Patton, George Smith (11 November 1885–21 December 1945), military officer, was born in San Gabriel, California, the son of George Smith Patton II, an attorney who served for a time as a district attorney, and Ruth Wilson, the daughter of a prominent rancher, military hero, and politician in southern California. Patton’s paternal grandfather had served as a Confederate colonel and died of wounds received in combat. Patton spent his boyhood on his maternal grandfather’s ranch. Although he had no formal schooling until he was twelve years old, Patton loved to read, especially accounts of military heroism. He spent one year at Virginia Military Institute before entering the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1904. At the academy, Patton had special difficulty with mathematics and did not graduate until 1909, 46th in a class of 103. One year after graduating he married Beatrice Ayer; the couple had three children....