The Legacy and Leadership of General George S. Patton |
Early military career |
"Many soldiers are led to faulty ideas of war by knowing too much about too little." |
EARLY MILITARY CAREER
George Patton seemed to be the least likely of all people to be what he had become. When Patton was a young boy, he dreamed of becoming a great general. He desired to enter the United States Military Academy at West Point. Unfortunately, this seemed like fantasy at the time. Patton suffered from dyslexia and was only able to read and write at the age of eleven. In 1903, Patton was enrolled into the Virginia Military Institute, where he was a model cadet. He was finally accepted into West Point in 1904, and graduated on June 11, 1909; receiving his commission as a second lieutenant in the 15th Cavalry Regiment.
Patton went on to represent the United States at the Stockholm Olympics in 1912 for the first modern Pentathlon. He finished ranking at fifth, although his ranking was controversial. During the shooting segment, Patton chose to fire a .38 revolver instead of the more common .22 revolver, saying that it was a more appropriate weapon for such an event. He was marked for missing a target, but Patton claimed that he was such a good marksman that the missing bullet simply went right through a hole caused by previous bullets. In 1913, Patton was transferred to Fort Riley, Kansas to be the commandant of the Mounted Service School. He became the school's first Master of the Sword and designed and taught his own swordsmanship course as a student. During the Punitive Expedition, Patton served as General Pershing's aid in the hunt for Pancho Villa. In 1917, United States involvement in the First World War had begun, and Patton become the first member of the U.S. Tank Corps. The beginning of Patton's long line of successes had begun.
Patton went on to represent the United States at the Stockholm Olympics in 1912 for the first modern Pentathlon. He finished ranking at fifth, although his ranking was controversial. During the shooting segment, Patton chose to fire a .38 revolver instead of the more common .22 revolver, saying that it was a more appropriate weapon for such an event. He was marked for missing a target, but Patton claimed that he was such a good marksman that the missing bullet simply went right through a hole caused by previous bullets. In 1913, Patton was transferred to Fort Riley, Kansas to be the commandant of the Mounted Service School. He became the school's first Master of the Sword and designed and taught his own swordsmanship course as a student. During the Punitive Expedition, Patton served as General Pershing's aid in the hunt for Pancho Villa. In 1917, United States involvement in the First World War had begun, and Patton become the first member of the U.S. Tank Corps. The beginning of Patton's long line of successes had begun.