Growing Up Patton

"I have seen war on land and sea.

I have seen blood running from the wounded. ...

I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed. ...

I have seen children starving.

I have seen the agony of mothers and wives.

I hate war."  

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1936

This abbreviated quote by the 32nd US President, carved into the granite third 'room' of his Washington DC memorial, is also etched into my mind 12 years after first visiting the site.  It speaks to the pacifist in me.

Poster from the movie "Patton"

It is more than ironic, then, that the movie, Patton,  consistently appears in my personal top three favorite movies of all time. It goes against my 'type' in every way.  Contradictions abound. 

So, when I read that General George S. Patton's (1885-1945) grandson, Ben Patton, was visiting a local bookstore this month to promote and sign his book Growing Up Patton, I was all in. 

I walked into Chester County Book and Music Company expecting to hear some familial anecdotes about the author's famous grandfather.  Ben, author and filmmaker, provided so much more for the audience which was mostly comprised of war veterans and their spouses.

A sense of duty, respect for history, and a deep caring for the troops summarizes the entrenched military legacy of the Patton family.  It's embarrassing to note my ignorance regarding the famous WWII General having an equally infamous son, Major General George S. Patton IV (1923-2004) - a highly decorated Korean War and Vietnam War veteran and Ben's dad.  In fact, the family military history goes back to the Civil War in which Ben's great grandfather, George Smith Patton was a Confederate regimental commander in the Third Battle of Winchester in September of 1864.

Carrying forward this military pedigree could overwhelm even the most intact psyche, but Ben's self-effacing manner and love for his family, especially his dad, comes through within the first minutes of hearing him talk about their relationship.  "My father was the titan in my life," Ben noted. 

Ben's dad was also a persistent correspondent and evidenced by over 100 hours of audio tapes of communication shared between he and his wife and children.  "I learned the value of staying in touch from my father," Ben said, recalling the simple note his father even sent to Ben's newborn sister welcoming her into the world and asking her about being an infant. Personal notes and correspondence in the book provide its warm tone.  This spirit surprised me given the Patton military ancestry. It is clear that Ben's dad took his role as father as seriously as any military commission.  Having only seen his father twice during World War II, Ben's father knew he wanted things to be different for his children - and they were. 

Ben's father maintained a fierce loyalty toward his troops, putting himself in the front lines of war and noted that letting the enemy see him "gave them a target to shoot at." The commanding general believed, "A general should be seen by the enemy and set the example." He added, "Besides I have a certain disdain for the accuracy of their line of fire."   

From FDR Memorial, Washington DC

His dad's all pervasive feelings about strategy and duty were a 24/7 affair as evidenced in his final State of the Division speech given to officers and soldiers of the 2nd Armored Division in 1977: "We gotta think about fighting, we gotta think about attacking, we gotta think about pursuing and exploiting, we gotta think about it all the time."  The thought that followed is the one that is pure Patton, "Frankly I think about little else,  I cannot drive by a piece of ground-even when I'm on leave or pass or taking my wife to the movies - without thinking how I would attack it."

Professional soldiering is a Patton tradition that Ben met with his acceptance into the US Naval Academy.  On the cusp of starting his life there, Ben followed his father's vocational axiom to be authentic and decided to go in another direction.  Ben's authenticity eventually took him into documentary filmmaking and brings him into lives of soldiers in another way.  He films veterans telling their personal war stories in their own words.   "You are the only expert in your life," Ben noted .  "Hopefully this helps our veterans," he added, "I know it helps me reconnect with my father."

As he looked into the audience in attendance at the bookstore, Ben first thanked the veterans for their service. It summarized his feelings about military service, and was particularly appropriate as we approach Memorial Day.  "We must not be hesitant to thank our veterans - it is important to acknowledge them whenever we see them."

The Patton legacy of caring for the troops continues off the battlefield. 

Here is a terrific video in the Smithsonian archives of some Patton home movies, narrated by Ben.  http://www.smithsonianmag.com/multimedia/videos/Home-Movies-of-the-Patton-Family.html

Ben was interviewed on the 10!Show in Philly this month. Here is the video link: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/video/#!/shows/10-show/Growing-Up-Patton/152330625