More detail on this person: Maj. Gen. George S. Patton, WW II general's son, dies Texarkana Gazette (TX) - Thursday, July 1, 2004 The Associated Press BOSTOx-Maj. Gen. George Smith Patton, son of the famed World War II general of the same name, died at his home in Hamilton, his wife said Wednesday. He was 80. Patton suffered a variation of Parkinson's disease and had endured a series of surgeries and three hip replacements before dying on Sunday, Joanne Patton said. Although Patton followed in his father's footsteps, seeing his own combat duty in Korea and Vietnam, relatives say he was his own man. A 1946 West Point graduate, Patton came from a long line of Georges, including his great-grandfather, a Confederate soldier, his grandfather, a lawyer, and his father, who led U.S. troops in Africa and Europe during World War II. Maj. Gen. George S. Patton was born George IV, but he legally changed his name by dropping the Roman numeral. Patton and his father both commanded the Second Armored Division-the younger taking command at Fort Hood, Texas, in 1975. The younger Patton was wounded during the Vietnam War and received a Purple Heart. Relatives said he had an easy manner, which made him approachable for his soldiers. "His personality was very informal and very comfortable," Robert Patton said. Even after Patton's retirement in 1980, he remained active, founding Green Meadows Farm in Hamilton, where he named the fields after Vietnam soldiers who died under his command. The farm grows a variety of produce, including blueberries and strawberries. Joanne Patton said husband also enjoyed sailing, traveling and played "a wicked country guitar." But his nation always came first. "He used to say 'if (the military) would take 75-year-olds in uniform, I would go,"' she said. He is survived by three sons, George, of Hamilton; Robert; and Benjamin, of New York; his daughters, Mother Margaret Patton, a nun in Bethlehem, Conn., and Helen Plusczyk of Saarbrucken, Germany; six grandchildren; and a great-grandson. A funeral for family and friends is scheduled for July 7 at St. John's Episcopal Church in Beverly Farms Patton's wife said he always wanted to be buried near his soldiers. He'll be laid to rest Aug. 27 at Arlington National Cemetery.
Burial information: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA
This information was last updated 03/20/2020
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association