George Smith Patton IV (December 24, 1923 – June 27, 2004) was a major general in the United States Army and the son of World War II General George S. Patton Jr. He served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Career

thumb|left|Patton as a United States Military Academy cadet 1946

Patton was educated at The Hill School. Patton entered West Point in 1942 and graduated four years later in 1946 as an infantry officer. While serving at West Point, his father died, and the younger Patton dropped the Roman numeral from his name. Technically the fourth 'George Smith Patton', he is sometimes remembered as 'George Patton III' as his father was called Patton Jr.

Korean War

Patton served in the Korean War from February 1953, commanding "A" Company of the 140th Tank Battalion, 40th Infantry Division. He received his first Silver Star and the Purple Heart in Korea.

Vietnam War

Patton served a total of three tours of duty in South Vietnam, the first from April 1962 to April 1963 at Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, during which he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He then took command of the 2nd Battalion, 81st Armor of the 1st Armored Division at Fort Hood Texas, before his second tour in 1967, this one lasting only three months. During Patton's final and most intense tour, lasting from January 1968 to January 1969, he was awarded two Distinguished Service Crosses for his actions on the battlefield. During this final tour, he was initially assigned as Chief of Operations and Plans at Headquarters, United States Army Vietnam. However, after his promotion to colonel in April 1968, he was given command of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, which he led from July 1968 to April 1969. During his three tours in Vietnam, Patton, who frequently used helicopters as a mobile command post, was shot down three times and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and a second Silver Star.

Post-war

After Vietnam, Patton was promoted to brigadier general in June 1970 before becoming the commanding general of the 2nd Armored Division, in 1975, as a major general. This was a unit his father had commanded just before the United States had entered World War II, making this the first time in United States Army history that a father and a son had both commanded the same division. The sons of the two former adversaries entered a much publicized friendship, which continued until Patton's death in 2004. From 5 August 1975 to 3 November 1977, he commanded the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas.

Later life and death

thumb|Patton as a colonel in South Vietnam

In the years after his retirement in 1980, Patton turned an estate owned by his father located in Essex County, Massachusetts, into the Green Meadows Farm, where he named the fields after soldiers who died under his command in Vietnam.

Patton befriended the mayor of Stuttgart, Manfred Rommel, the son of his father's wartime opposing general Erwin Rommel.

His youngest son Benjamin Patton has written a family biography entitled Growing Up Patton: Reflections on Heroes, History, and Family Wisdom, which reflected on his grandfather and father's careers. Benjamin, a filmmaker, also recorded tapes of his father's memories of his own and his grandfather's experiences, and those tapes formed the basis of the book The Fighting Pattons by Brian M. Sobel.

Awards and decorations

Patton's military awards include:

;Badges

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|145px Basic Army Aircrew Badge

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|100px Parachutist Badge

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;Decorations

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|Distinguished Service Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster

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|Silver Star with bronze oak leaf cluster

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|Legion of Merit with two bronze oak leaf clusters

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|Distinguished Flying Cross

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|Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device and bronze oak leaf cluster

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|Purple Heart

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|Meritorious Service Medal

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|Air Medal with award numeral 27

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|Army Commendation Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters

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;Unit Award

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|Army Presidential Unit Citation

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;Service Medals

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|American Campaign Medal

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|World War II Victory Medal

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|Army of Occupation Medal with 'Germany' clasp

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|National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star

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|Korean Service Medal with two bronze campaign stars

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|Vietnam Service Medal with silver and two bronze stars

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;Foreign Awards

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|Republic of Vietnam Army Distinguished Service Order (2nd Class)

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|Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Silver and two Bronze Stars

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|Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal, 1st Class

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|Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation

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|Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation

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|United Nations Korea Medal

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|Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

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|Republic of Korea War Service Medal

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Robert Duvall partially based his performance of Lieutenant Colonel William "Bill" Kilgore from the film Apocalypse Now on George S. Patton IV.

References

  • Arlington National Cemetery
  • Webcast presentation by Patton's son, Benjamin, at the Pritzker Military Library on October 18, 2012, regarding his book Growing Up Patton: Reflections on Heroes, History and Family Wisdom