George Smith Patton (Jr.)

George Smith Patton Jr. was born in 1885 on his family’s ranch in San Gabriel, California. Patton attended the Virginia Military Institute and West Point, eventually joining the U.S. Tank Corps and seeing action in WWI. Patton rose through the ranks, becoming commander of the U.S. 2nd Armored Division when the U.S. entered WWII. Patton proved himself an effective commander in Casablanca, Sicily, the Invasion of Normandy, and the Battle of the Bulge. He served as the military governor of Bavaria following the war. Patton died as the result of an automobile accident in 1945. The 1970 film Patton helped established Patton’s reputation as an American hero.