Patton was commissioned in the
Cavalry after his 1909 graduation from the US Military Academy. He gained
a reputation for
his ability, energy, marksmanship,
and superb horsemanship early in his career. Patton was a pioneer in many
areas. In 1912,
he was the first American to
compete in the Modern Pentathlon, an event stressing horsemanship, in the
Olympic Games held in
Stockholm, Sweden.
Patton was promoted to captain
in 1917, after participating in GEN John J. Pershing's Punitive Expedition
into Mexico.
Following his promotion, he
joined Pershing's staff in the American Expeditionary Force and was sent
to France. He became
the first member of the Tank
Corps and organized the First American Tank Training Center at Langres,
France. Patton
organized and commanded the
304th Tank Brigade during the St. Mihiel and the Meuse Argonne offensive.
He received the
Distinguished Service Cross
and the Purple Heart during the Meuse Offensive.
In the early years of World War
II, Patton played a major role in the North Africa and Sicily Campaigns.
But, he is best
remembered for his command of
the Third Army during its drive across France. The Third pushed through
the German
defenses and captured thousands
of prisoners before being forced to stop, due to a lack of logistical support,
at the Seine and
Meuse Rivers.
Patton accomplished one of the
most remarkable feats in military history in December 1944, when he quickly
turned the Third
Army northward to reinforce
the Allied southern flank against the German attack in the Battle of the
Bulge. The Third Army's
4th Armored Division, spearheaded
by LTC Creighton Abrams' 37th Tank Battalion, rescued and relieved the
"Battered
Bastards of Bastogne," the 101st
Airborne Division. By the end of January 1945 Patton's forces had
reached the German frontier; on
March 1 they took Trier,
and in the next 10 days they cleared the entire region north of the Moselle
River, trapping thousands of Germans. They then joined the 7th Army in
sweeping the Saar and the Palatinate, taking 100,000 prisoners.
The General's doctrines for aggressive
employment of massive Armor forces continue to prove themselves in combat
areas
around the world.