The Wilmington morning star., 1945-12-22
Gen, PATTON DIES;
BURIAL ABROAD
CONTINUED from Page One)


paralysis. The clot -deVelopeo
early today.
The specialist explained that the
clot clogged up the vessels IN Fat
toms lungs, and that though ne
recovered from the initial shock
that morning, his lungs filled up
with mucus.
All efforts to stop the increase
in the flow of mucus were futile
Squirting said, and early this morn
ing Patton showed signs of heart
failure.
Late this afternoon Patton was
in a very critical condition, y
Squirting said. )
Doctors had hoped to fly Pat
ton home within the next week or
10 days and the General was en-
tthusiastic, Squirting said, adding:
"He had all the courage in the
world and was confident he would
pull through"
Squirting revealed that Patton
had suffered two embolisms sew
eral years ago when he broke his
LEG, but had survived them.
Patton had been sleeping since 4
o. M, until the moment he died.
when I talked to him just be-
fore he went to sleep he was bright
and alert" Squirting said. He
said he felt better and very COM
Portable"
McNarney told reporters:
''It is my painful duty to an
nounce the death of a great fight
er and a great man.
"Gen. Patton died this evening
at the 13Oth hospital in Heidelberg.
His injuries were grave, but
his fight to overcome them was
gallant. He went down fighting.
Patton would have died in no other
way.
And now, for US over here and
all who applauded his bravery,
there is a sudden empty feeling.
'He brought to us large part
of our magnificent victory and this,
too we'll known to need description,
belongs to history"
Earlier in the day the 13cth Sta
ton hospital issued bulletin say
ing Patton's condition was con-
s1dered serious, and Maj. Gen. Al
bert W. Kenner, chief Army sur
geon in Europe, was rushed to his
bedside.
The lung condition which wea@
ened him was described as having
been complicated by partial
paralysis of the diaphragm, direct
ly due to injury to the general
SPINAL cord.
A week ago last Sunday. shortly
before noon, the Generals sedan
collided with an Army truck on
the superhighway on the outskirts
of Mannheim. Patton was found
shattered with blood from cuts
about his face, reclining in the
back seat of the wrecked vehicle.
An ambulance rushed him the 2C
miles to Heidelberg In rs min
utes.
Brig. Hugh Carnes, neurosurgi
cal consultant to the British Army
sped to Heidelberg from England
while Mrs. Patton and neurosur
gical specialist. Col. R. G. Spur
ling of Louisville, KY, boarded {
plane at Washington to rush tt
the Generals side.
After several days of observation
the General was placed in trac
ton apparatus to realign thu verte
brae, and his condition improved
steadily. Early this week he wa!
removed from the traction and {
cast was applied, covering hi!
neck and upper chest. He sat ur
to eat and read, and doctors called
the speed Of apparent recovery
amazing"
Then he took turn for the worse
from bronchial secretioins, which
led to congestion of the lungs.
AS Patton neared death, Mrs
Patton was down the hospital cor
ridor in the special room which
was provided for her. A lieutenan
ran from Patton's bedroom to dis
!. close that her husband was dy
: ing.
Mrs. Patton rushed to her hus
bands bed and was by his sid
when he drew his last breath. Sh'
later told Squirting she was "thor
ough1y satisfied" that everything
possible had been done to save hi
life.
She decided her husband woul;
be buried over "here," meaning
in northwest Europe. an Arm.
spokesman said. The grave prob
ably will be in one of the battle
fields on which the Third Arm.
fought. in France. =
1t. Gen. Lucian K. Truscott, VIII
succeeded Patton as commando
of the Third Army, ordered flag
flown at half staff and instructed
ell military installations to hol
memorial services.
''We personally lost great frien
and the country great citizen an
soldier, his family a true and de
voted husband and father" Trus