Patton

He's been called a number of things, including military genius, a legend, and a son-of-a-bitch. But, almost 50 years after his death,
he's still considered to be the one U.S. Army General epitomizing the fighting soldier of World War II.
Patton was a man of contradictory characteristics. He was a noted horseman and polo player, a well-known champion swordsman,
and a competent sailor and sportsman. He was an amateur poet. Sixteen of his analytical papers were published in military magazines, the
trade journals of the military profession. While he was a rough and tough soldier, he was also a thoughtful and sentimental man. Unpredictable
in his actions, he was always dependable. He was outgoing, yet introverted. History proves him to be a complex and paradoxical
figure.
He's mostly remembered for his unique brand of leadership. It was a role he cultivated and fully exercised. He managed to obtain a
supreme effort from his men. His charisma, symbolized by a flamboyant and well-publicized image, stimulated his troops to an incredible
level. His unflagging efforts generated desire from his soldiers to fight and destroy the enemy.
He personified the offensive spirit, a ruthless drive, and an imperative will to conquer. Being the prominent champion of combat
effectiveness, particularly with respect to the employment of armored forces, Patton elevated the blitzkrieg (lightning war) concept to a
state of scientific precision.
His occasionally brutal methods were, for the most part, approved by his men. Patton's battle hardened soldiers understood and
shrewdly sanctioned his actions. They were fully cognizant of war's demands. They also knew that if anyone could help them to get home
alive, Patton was the one.
Patton understood that war means fighting and fighting means killing. He's the one soldier from the Second World War who stands
apart from the rest, who best personifies that murderous concept, who embodies indispensable warlike virtues, and the will to... [continues]

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