In the mid 1970's, before many of your parents had even met, I served under the command of Major General George S. Patton. This was THE General Patton's son. For about 6 months, I served as the General's personal photographer until, depending on which story you believe, either his wife had me fired or the Army told him he wasn't authorized to have a personal photographer. I tend to believe the former.
A few weeks ago, I decided to look up the good General on the internet, to see what he is up to. As it turns out, he had passed away in 2004. I did take the time to write his wife a much belated note of sympathy, not because I thought she might remember me, but because I really admired her husband.
I also found out that General Patton had retired from the Army in 1980. The story was that he was up for command of all Army forces in Europe. This command would have given him his third star. The Russians, knowing the high esteem in which the General's father held them, protested his consideration. Jimmy Carter, POTUS at the time, caved and gave the job to someone else. General Patton retired, in disgust, after 36 years of service to his country.
One of the web sites I found was one of those where people could post their memories of or comments about General Patton. I found one of those stories to be especially humorous and wanted to share it with the rest of the class.
There was a unit of men who were on TDY, somewhere in the northeast part of the country. Maryland, I think. Anyway, this guy told of writing a letter to his wife, telling her of this vegetable stand they had seen on the way in to their field exercise. On their last night in the field, some of them decided to go find this vegetable stand and make everyone a really nice last supper, as it were. So, he told his wife, about 6 of them loaded up in a deuce-and-a-half, and off they went.
He went on to say, when they pulled up to this vegetable stand, some "grouchy old ***," comes out and gets all over their asses for the appearance of their uniforms and the condition of their vehicle. In addition, he wrote his wife, this grouchy old man actually thought he was General Patton. A few years later, when he read General Patton's obituary, he discovered that the Pattons had purchased this 250 acre vegatable farm and ran the associated vegetable stand, after the General retired from the Army. It was only then that he realized that the grouchy old man who thought he was General Patton actually WAS General Patton.
Rest in peace, General Patton. AIRBORNE ALL THE WAY.