U.S. General George S. Patton, 1943-45

Born in 1885, George Smith Patton Jr. attended the Virginia Military Institute and the United States Military Academy at West Point. He studied fencing and designed the M1913 Cavalry Saber, more commonly known as the “Patton Saber.” As an athlete he competed in modern pentathlon in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. He served, and was wounded, commanding the fledgling tank corps in World War I. In WWII he obtained the rank of general and commanded the United States 7th Army in the Mediterranean theater. Following the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944, he led the United States 3rd Army in France and Germany. Patton’s colorful image, hard driving personality, and success as a battlefield commander cements his reputation as one of America’s most iconic generals.