It's funny, but the George C. Scott Movie "
Patton" was most likely one of the worst things to ever happen to Patton's reputation. It's most likely no small surprise that this may be due to the fact that his former subordinate/boss Omar Bradley was the lead technical consultant for the movie. Scott felt that the movie did such a poor job of representing Patton that
he made another follow-up movie that covers the last days of Patton's life and presents him in an altogether different light.
In researching the events related to my Dad's time in the military, I've read a few of Patton's biographys. The best that I've come across so far is
Carlo D'Este's "A Genius for War". D'Este goes into pretty deep detail of the man starting with his family and quotes his diaries and other writings extensively. The picture that emerges isn't the cartoon caricature from the big screen movie, but rather of a man who had a life-long belief in what his life's purpose was. That purpose was to lead a great Army into a decisive battle. From shy, slight and somewhat effeminate young teen Patton lived his life in such a way as to mold himself into what he believed he should be. As a result he would take foolish risks at the firing range and when horse back riding to test his courage. In order to make up for his squeaky voice he made himself into the toughest cadet in his West Point class. He conditioned himself to memorize things because he apparently suffered from dyslexia. Once he became a general he made a conscious point of promoting himself as the toughest SOB around. There's a story of him pulling over after getting strafed and seeing a linemen from the signal corp. up a pole stringing wires. He was very impressed that he kept working right through the attack and asked the solder if he wasn't afraid of the German plane. The solder replied that he wasn't half of afraid of the Germany plane as he was of Patton. That's the response that he wanted from his soldiers.
He wasn't half the self-absorbed as***le that the movie portrays. He had an unswerving belief that the best way to save the lives of his soldiers to prepare them relentlessly and move! Move! MOVE! forward into the enemy's rear as quickly as possible. Rather then duke it out head to head like Bradley often did (echo's of WW1), Patton believed that the best path was to get as deep as possible behind the enemy lines. History has generally proven Patton to be right since both Generals "Stormin" Norman Schwartzkopf and Tommy Franks used the same blueprint to steamroll the Iraqi Army.
While the slapping incident was certainly an issue, according to my Dad and just about everyone else who served under Patton, there was hardly a soldier in the 3rd Army who would not have been honored to march at his funeral.
