"FAMOUq CHESTS" - MILITARY DECORATIONS A~D AWA-RDS OF

GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON, JR.

hy Haske!l D Richardson, 0MSA#593

Probably one of the most well-kno~m generals of the Second World ’~ar was General George S. Patton, Jr. Practically everything he did or said, whether right or ~ong, was publicized to ~he fullest. "Patton’s Third Army" became almost a household word.

When I originally got the idea to do "famous chests", my ultimate goal was to do those generals under whom I served in Worl~ ~ r II. Since my outfit was the 2~d Armored "Hell on Wheels" Divisi0 this immediately indicated SHA~F Commander Eisenhower, 12th Army roup Commander ~radley, 21st Army Group Commander Montgomery, I~ Army Commander Hedges, 9th Army Commander Simpson, and of co~rse nd Armored Division commanders, several of whom later commanded armies of their own.

The most famous commander of the 2nd Armored was Gene~ It was, in fact, his last divisional command which he Septem~’.er I~+O u~til he assumed command of the IS~ Ar~o~ on 19 January 1942. The 66th Armored Regiment, 2nd~ which I was a Sherman tank cretan, had its 1st Provisional ~rigade, Tank Corps. On 12 September~< unit was led into the very first tank battle i~ Ame~i~ by a little-kno~,m Lt. Colonel named George S. Pattoh~[ before as a lieutenant of cavalry he had filled tbU~i~g I~ soldiers and routed a party of Pancho Vil] stronghold during the Mexican Punitive Exped~ that Patton ’b!ooded’ himself by shooting a ~

The Armored was in action with PattOn in 1942, and later overran Sicily as a part < After the Sicilian C~npaign and subsequent ’~ ~apging~i~ almost faded into obscurity, but General ~IS~ ~h~e~l~t~ Patton and °ave h~m hl~ Thlrd Army . The r~ ,t,~s~ fami~ as wel! as his tragic death in a t~affic~.m~S~ ~p O~rm~ December 1 945. "

In 1962 I ~ote to Patton’s son, Major GeO~ ~ ~t~ i~ew England permanent residence. ! requested ~ ~a] list of his~mauy decorations and awards. Lt. COI0nel~G~ Patton answered me from Viet N~m where he wa~ ~S~fi~ tours of ’l~am’. He promised on his return sJ me. Mean~.~hile he wo~Id ask his wife to send i~ h6to~ she graciously did.

It was not until April 1973 that I sent a i6 ~qh~ n~,~ Brigadier Genera! Patton. ! enclosed a a~d awards which I had compiled by reading, ~s~arCh an~ and asked him to correct and/or ~ntmend it. ~ y fr~ and full color portrait of his father c~me " ~@~Shogtl~

guess work ndly letter after.

14 May 1973

Mr. Haskell D. Richardson 5899 Wilshire Drive Nashville, Tennessee 37215

Dear Mr. Richardson:

Thank you for your interesting letter of 25 April. I’ve checked over the list of awards and the blue medal ribbon to which you refer is, in fact, the Treasury Department Life Saving medal. All of the other medals you list are correct except for the Luxembourg Military Medal, the Tunisian Order of Nichan Iftikan, the Order of the British Empire and the US Army Occupation medal. An award of which you may not be aware is the posthumously awarded Navy Distinguished Service medal.

Enclosed is a picture of General G. S. Patton, Jr. wearing many of the medals he was awarded. Additional copies may be obtained from the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor located here at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Best wishes.

Inclosure

Sincerely,

Brigadier General, USA Assistant Commandant