General George S. Patton

Note: It has been brought to my attention that some of the physical and biographical information in this entry is inaccurate. Now, I don't write these; players do. But in the interest of accuracy, the comments I've received are included in italics. - Alan

Description

Medium height and build, dark, thick hair kept close-cropped, in good shape, piercing eyes. Patton's hair was neither thick nor dark, and it was kept no more closely cropped than was the style of the times. In fact, the early thinning and graying of his light blond hair caused him great chagrin, as he put tremendous stock in a youthful appearance. Your description more closely applies to Civil War General Phillip Sheridan than Patton. Additionally, Patton was not of medium height and build. He was over six feet tall, lean and muscular--a physique he maintained through lifelong exercise and activity.

Biography

Born: Nov 11, 1885, California, USA
Died: Dec 21, 1945, Heidelberg, Germany

A 1909 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and a descendant of a Virginia family with a long military tradition, Patton became a keen student of the American Civil War (1861-65), especially its great cavalry leaders, an interest that likely contributed to the strategy of bold, highly mobile operations associated with his name. After serving with the U.S. Tank Corps in World War I, Patton became a vigorous proponent of tank warfare. Having taken part in the North African campaign (1942), he commanded the U.S. 7th Army in Sicily, employing his armour in a rapid drive that captured Palermo (1943).

The apogee of his career came with the dramatic sweep of his 3rd Army across northern France in the summer of 1944 in a campaign marked by great initiative, ruthless drive, and disregard of classic military rules. Patton's armoured units, operational since August 1, had by the end of the month captured Mayenne, Laval, Le Mans, Reims, and Chalons. In December his forces played a strategic role in defending Bastogne in the massive Battle of the Bulge. 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.

Patton's military achievements caused authorities to overlook strong civilian criticism of some of his methods, including his widely reported striking of a hospitalized, shell-shocked soldier in August 1943. (Patton publicly apologized for the incident.) His public criticisms of the Allied postwar denazification policy in Germany led to his removal from the command of the 3rd Army in October 1945.

The controversial general died in a Heidelberg hospital after an automobile accident near Mannheim. His memoirs, War As I Knew It, appeared posthumously in 1947.

Skills

Leadership, basical mechanical abilities, excellent historian.

Personality Questions

Would your character prefer a game of chess or a game of football?: Chess
If your character found a wallet in the street, would they return it?: Yes
Would your character be more likely to be the life of the party or to quietly observe the goings-on?: life of the party
Would your character be found on the top of a pyramid of people or on the bottom?: physically, in the middle, emotionally, leadership wise, near the top.
Pretending to be your character, rank the following statements in order of truth. Leave out statements that are false about your character.: d. I notice my surroundings
e. I love to read
f. I always tell the truth
b. I am physically above-average
a. Other people listen to what I say
c. I am clever with my hands

Patton was an Olympic athlete in 1912 (military pentathlon), a master fencing instructor and a gifted horseman throughout his life. He played polo with a vigor unmatched by his teammates and opponents. He built his own yacht and sailed to Hawaii and back after teaching himself navigation. To put him other than at the top of the pyramid physically and say he'd rather play chess than football is inaccurate.

Patton was a showman. He spoke bluntly and dressed flamboyantly to attract attention. Number one on his list of responses would be that people listen to what he has to say. He used to watch peoples' faces for their response, just to insure what he said had registered.