Editing George S. Patton (section)

== World War I ==
[[File:111-SC-6375 - Inspection of troops by Gen Pershing - NARA - 55173656 (cropped) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Major General John J. Pershing, accompanied by Captain George S. Patton, inspecting men of Patton's headquarters troop at [[American Expeditionary Forces]] (AEF) headquarters, [[Chaumont, Haute-Marne|Chaumont]], France, 1917]]

After the Villa Expedition, Patton was detailed to [[Front Royal, Virginia]], to oversee horse procurement for the army, but Pershing intervened on his behalf.{{sfn|Axelrod|2006|p=46}} After the [[American entry into World War I|United States entered World War I]], in April 1917, and Pershing was named commander of the [[American Expeditionary Forces]] (AEF) on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]], Patton requested to join his staff.{{sfn|Zaloga|2010|p=10}} Patton was promoted to [[Captain (United States O-3)|captain]] on 15 May 1917, and left for Europe, among the 180 men of Pershing's advance party which departed 28 May and arrived in [[Liverpool]], England, on 8 June.{{sfn|Axelrod|2006|p=47}} Taken as Pershing's personal aide, Patton oversaw the training of American troops in [[Paris]] until September, then moved to [[Chaumont, Haute-Marne|Chaumont]] and was assigned as a post adjutant, commanding the [[headquarters company]] overseeing the base. Patton was dissatisfied with the post and began to take an interest in [[tank]]s, as Pershing sought to give him command of an infantry battalion.{{sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=47–48}} While in a hospital for [[jaundice]], Patton met [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]] [[Fox Conner]], who encouraged him to work with tanks instead of infantry.{{sfn|Axelrod|2006|p=49}}

On 10 November 1917, Patton was assigned to establish the AEF Light Tank School.{{sfn|Zaloga|2010|p=10}} He left Paris and reported to the [[French Army in World War I|French Army]]'s tank training school at Champlieu near [[Orrouy]], where he drove a [[Renault FT]] [[light tank]]. On 20 November, the [[British Army during the First World War|British]] [[Battle of Cambrai (1917)|launched an offensive]] towards the important rail center of [[Cambrai]], using an unprecedented number of tanks.{{sfn|D'Este|1995|pp=204–208}} At the conclusion of his tour on 1 December, Patton went to [[Albert, Somme|Albert]], {{convert|30|mi|km}} from Cambrai, to be briefed on the results of this attack by the chief of staff of the British [[Royal Tank Regiment|Tank Corps]], [[Colonel (United Kingdom)|Colonel]] [[J. F. C. Fuller]].{{sfn|Blumenson|1972|pp=480–483}} On the way back to Paris, he visited the [[Renault]] factory to observe French tanks being manufactured. Patton was promoted to [[Major (United States)|major]] on 26 January 1918.{{sfn|Axelrod|2006|p=49}} He received the first ten tanks on 23 March 1918, at the tank school at [[Bourg, Haute-Marne|Bourg]], a small village close to [[Langres]], Haute-Marne département. The only US soldier with tank-driving experience, Patton personally backed seven of the tanks off the train.{{sfn|Blumenson|1972|pp=552–553}} In the post, Patton trained tank crews to operate in support of infantry, and promoted its acceptance among reluctant infantry officers.{{sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=50–52}} He was promoted to [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|lieutenant colonel]] on 3 April 1918, and attended the [[United States Army Command and General Staff College|Command and General Staff College]] in Langres.{{sfn|Axelrod|2006|p=53}}

[[File:111-SC-17592 - NARA - 55195274 (cropped) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Patton at [[Bourg, Haute-Marne|Bourg]] in France in 1918 with a [[Renault FT]] light tank]]

In August 1918, he was placed in charge of the U.S. 1st Provisional Tank Brigade (redesignated the [[Tank Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces|304th Tank Brigade]] on 6 November 1918). Patton's Light Tank Brigade was part of Colonel [[Samuel Rockenbach]]'s Tank Corps, part of the [[First United States Army|American First Army]].{{sfn|Blumenson|1972|pp=661–670}} Personally overseeing the [[Military logistics|logistics]] of the tanks in their first combat use by U.S. forces, and reconnoitering the target area for their first attack himself, Patton ordered that no U.S. tank be surrendered.{{sfn|Axelrod|2006|p=53}}{{sfn|Brighton|2009|p=38}} Patton commanded American-crewed Renault FT tanks at the [[Battle of Saint-Mihiel]],{{sfn|Blumenson|1972|pp=706–708}} leading the tanks from the front for much of their attack, which began on 12 September. He walked in front of the tanks into the German-held village of [[Essey-et-Maizerais|Essey]], and rode on top of a tank during the attack into [[Pannes, Meurthe-et-Moselle|Pannes]], seeking to inspire his men.{{sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=54–55}}

While outside the village of Essey he had his first chance meeting with Brigadier General [[Douglas MacArthur]], then commanding a brigade of the [[42nd Infantry Division (United States)|42nd "Rainbow" Division]], who, at just thirty-eight, was already one of the most highly decorated officers in the AEF, and with whom Patton would serve later in his career.{{sfn|Zabecki|Mastriano|2020|p=286}}

Patton's brigade was then moved to support [[I Corps (United States)|I Corps]] for the upcoming [[Meuse–Argonne offensive]], which began on September 26.{{sfn|Blumenson|1972|pp=706–708}} He personally led a troop of tanks through thick fog as they advanced {{convert|5|mi|sigfig=1}} into German lines. Around 09:00, Patton was wounded while leading six men and a tank in an attack on German [[machine gun]]s near the town of [[Cheppy]].{{sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=56–57}}{{sfn|Brighton|2009|p=40}} His orderly, [[Private first class|Private First Class]] [[Joe Angelo]], saved Patton, for which he was later awarded the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]] (DSC).{{sfn|Blumenson|1972|pp=764–766}} Patton commanded the battle from a shell hole for another hour before being evacuated. Although the [[35th Infantry Division (United States)|35th Division]] (of which Patton's tank troop was a component) eventually captured [[Varennes-en-Argonne|Varennes]], it did so with heavy losses.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Last Battle: Endgame on the Western Front, 1918|url=https://archive.org/details/lastbattleendgam0000hart|url-access=limited|last=Hart|first=Peter|publisher=Profile Books|year=2018|isbn=978-1781254820|location=London|pages=[https://archive.org/details/lastbattleendgam0000hart/page/67 67]}}</ref> Trying to move his reserve tanks forward, Patton relates that he might have killed one of his own men, stating: "Some of my reserve [[Renault FT|tanks]] were stuck by some trenches. So I went back and made some Americans hiding in the trenches dig a passage. I think I killed one man here. He would not work so I hit him over the head with a shovel."<ref>{{Cite book|title=Doughboy War: The American Expeditionary Force in WWI|last=Hallas|first=James H.|publisher=Stackpole Books|year=2009|location=Mechanicsburg|pages=245–246}}</ref>

[[File:111-SC-17578 - NARA - 55195246 (cropped) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Tank Corps School near Langres, France, 15 July 1918. Tank crew receiving instruction from officers, from left to right: Captain [[Ranulf Compton]], Chief Instructor, and Lieutenant Colonel George S. Patton (center, with back towards the camera), the Commanding Officer]]

Patton stopped at a rear command post to submit his report before heading to a hospital. [[Sereno E. Brett]], commander of the U.S. 326th Tank Battalion, took command of the brigade in Patton's absence. Patton wrote in a letter to his wife: "The bullet went into the front of my left leg and came out just at the crack of my bottom about two inches to the left of my rectum. It was fired at about {{cvt|50|m|disp=sqbr}} so made a hole about the size of a [silver] dollar where it came out."{{sfn|Blumenson|1974|p=616}}

While recuperating from his wound, Patton was promoted to temporary colonel in the Tank Corps of the U.S. [[History of the United States Army#World War I|National Army]] on 17 October. He returned to duty on 28 October but saw no further action before hostilities ended on his 33rd birthday with the [[armistice of 11 November 1918]].{{sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=58–59}} For his actions in Cheppy, Patton received the [[Silver Star]], later upgraded to the DSC. The citation for the medal read:

{{Blockquote|The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, 9 July 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Colonel (Armor) George Smith Patton, Jr. (ASN: 0-2605), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Tank Corps, A.E.F., near Cheppy, France, 26 September 1918. Colonel Patton displayed conspicuous courage, coolness, energy, and intelligence in directing the advance of his brigade down the valley of the Aire. Later he rallied a force of disorganized infantry and led it forward, behind the tanks, under heavy machine-gun and artillery fire until he was wounded. Unable to advance further, Colonel Patton continued to direct the operations of his unit until all arrangements for turning over the command were completed.<ref name="Valor">{{cite web|title=George Smith Patton|url=https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/15688|publisher=Military Times}}</ref>}}

For his leadership of the tank brigade and tank school, he was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Army Distinguished Service Medal]], the citation for which reads:

{{Blockquote|The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, 9 July 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Colonel (Tank Corps) George Smith Patton, Jr. (ASN: 0-2605), United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. By his energy and sound judgment, Colonel Patton rendered very valuable services in his organization and direction of the Tank Center at the Army schools at Langres, France. In the employment of Tank Corps troops in combat he displayed high military attainments, zeal, and marked adaptability in a form of warfare comparatively new to the American Army.<ref name="Valor"/>}}

In addition, he was also awarded the [[Purple Heart]] for his combat wounds after the decoration was created in 1932.{{sfn|Axelrod|2006|p=62}}

{{Blockquote|On 11 November 1918, World War I ended. In the months and years that followed Patton was haunted by his experience in the Meuse–Argonne. Although he emerged from the war with honours and acclaim, the year 1918 took its toll and the price was indeed high. Contrary to his image as a tough guy, Patton was deeply affected by the horror of war and suffered from post-traumatic stress. What had been a high on the battlefield turned into the giant letdown that is so common to soldiers who have been in combat.{{sfn|Zabecki|Mastriano|2020|pp=287–288}}}}