Due to both this incident and the preparations for the invasion of France, Patton did not participate in the fighting on mainland Italy, but returned to England. Denied command of the American landing force, Patton still played a critical role in the invasion. The Germans could not believe the main invasion would go forward without the involvement of such an accomplished general as Patton, and kept key formations in the Pas de Calais region even after the D-Day landings.
Patton again returned to combat in August , when the Third Army was activated. After initially clearing the Brittany peninsula, Patton led the Third Army across France, culminating with the capture of the fortress city of Metz in November.
First Army in the Ardennes. Patton quickly issued contingency orders to begin preparation to disengage and pivot north for offensive operations against the southern shoulder of the Bulge. At a conference with Eisenhower and other senior generals on the 19th, Patton shocked the room by announcing that he could begin his counterattack within 48 hours.
By the 26th the lead elements of Third Army had broken through to make contact with the encircled st Airborne Division in Bastogne. Our guide at the cemetery was a very knowledgeable American woman. Overseas cemeteries like this one can be managed only by Americans.
She told us an interesting story about the placement of Patton's grave. At that time, military policy was to show no preference in burial location because of rank. Patton lived a few days after his neck was broken in a car accident in December He asked his wife, who had flown to Germany from America, to be sure that nobody blamed the driver for the accident.
He also asked to be buried with his troops. So Patton was buried in a corner of the cemetery among the other graves. The daily foot traffic around his grave tore up the other graves, and it took considerable work to clean up every night.
So permission was granted to move Patton to the location shown in the photo. Several years later, the cemetery was to be rearranged and plans showed Patton's grave to be moved quite a distance. His wife flew over and made a big ruckus, including getting support from the Luxembourg monarchy.
Upon arrival in Luxembourg, a light rain fell as the casket was brought to the cemetery on December 24, the day before Christmas. Locals removed their hats as the casket passed.
A horse with boots backwards in the stirrups joined the journey to the cemetery. Out in the rain, an honor guard fired volleys. Patton did not remain in his plot for long. Hordes of well-wishers tore up the cemetery grounds making the trek to his grave in the back corner. To remedy the situation, cemetery workers moved his casket to a more central location, but it was hardly the cure, as people still made a path to the grave.
Finally, the general was moved to the front of the entire cemetery, where, today, patio stones protect the ground and a white chain-link barrier preserves the grass around Patton. His cross faces those of the men he led, as if he were leading them again for one last battle. Kevin M. Hymel is a historian for the US Army. In the opening strokes of the Battle of the Bulge, platoon leader Vernon McGarity distinguished himself in combat, inspired his men, and saved lives while delaying the onslaught of German forces.
This article is part of a series commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II made possible by the Department of Defense.
As an adult, Janine Simone Hopkins was encouraged by her family to record her experiences and reflections of her life in Paris during the German occupation. Attached to Canadian and British forces, the first Americans to see ground combat in Europe witnessed disaster at Dieppe. Star Shirley Temple had a special relationship with the Hawaiian Islands. In the prewar years, she made several tours of Hawaii, delighting local and military audiences.
0コメント