Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-12-21

at a difficult time and by his I'M
doubted powers of leadership was
directly responsible for the success
of these operations. He handled his
command IN a most able manner
and by his personal example set a
standard of loyalty and comradeship
to me as Allied commander ."
For a pastime he wrote poetry
two volumes, which he hoped to
have published posthumously Some
how he managed to find time to
write entertaining letters to his
children back home-"Daddy's Com
muniques." they called them.
His talented wife. the former
Beatrice Aver Of Boston, author of
the historical novel, Blood of the
Sharks" once shyly told interview
ers that she wished the press would
not call him by his Army nickname,
because it really did not fit his
character. She was a typical Army
wife who had seen her husband in
three wars and had changed the
familys home address Is times in
their many years of marriage.
Born on California Ranch.
Gen. Patton was born on a ranch
November IL, 1885, at San Gabriel,
Calf. He attended school at Pasa-
dena and Virginia Military Institute.
His record as student was not par
ticularly good, but he was a good
sailor, winning several champion
ships. Then he entered the mill
tary academy at West Point, where
he was class adjutant. After his
graduation in 1909 he was commits
stoned a second lieutenant in the
cavalry.
He served in Illinois and Virginia,
went to France to study French
saber methods and, on his return,
was master of the sword at the
mounted service school at Fort
Riley, Kansas. He participated in
Pershing's punitive Mexican expe-
dition. There he captured a Mexi-
can bandit and brought him back
to camp strapped to the hood of
battered automobile. With a broad
smile, he recalled later that This
was the first motorized action in
the United States Army.
In the World War he served in
France as a member of Gen. PERISH
ing's staff and was detailed to the
Tank Corps. He was in command
Of the 304th Tank Brigade at the
st. Mihiel offensive and later was
transferred to the bloody Meuse-
Argonne sector There he was
awarded the Distinguished Service
Cross for Conspicuous courage"
while wounded.
When peace was declared he de-
voted his energies to tank warfare
in Maryland. Then he returned to
his first love, the cavalry, heading
the general staff school at Fort
Leavenworth, Kans. He was later
stationed at the First Corps Area at
Boston and in the Hawaiian Islands,
For four years he was in the Office
OF the Chief of Cavalry at Washing
ton. During this period he was aide
to the visiting Prince of Wales, later
the Duke of Windsor. He taught
the young Prince how to shoot
craps" army style.
Before the outbreak of World War
II he was graduated from the Army
War College, was stationed at vari-
GUS forts and also returned to Ha-
wall again. When America stepped
up its war preparations he was made
brigade commander of the I'd
Armored Division at Fort Benning.
Ga. There he distinguished himself
by clearing out the red tape and
getting new tanks for rusty old ones.
Next he was shifted to California,
where he became commander of the
LIST Armored Corps in the desert,
having been promoted to
brigadier general. He developed his
corps to one of the toughest outfits
in the Army He himself was up
every morning at 5 o'clock and
worked to the point of exhaustion
every day, instilling the fighting
spirit in his men.
When the invasion of Africa was
in the planning stage, Gen. Eisen-
hover placed him in command of
the Task Force troops. Typical Of