Description:

(1886 - 1953) Devoted wife of over thirty years to Ge. Patton, mother to three of his children. After the tragic death of her husband in 1945, Mrs. Patton became a forceful and persuasive speaker advocating universal military training. "GEORGIE SHOULD BE BURIED AT THE HEAD OF HIS MEN..." Superb content A.L.S., 5pp. 4to., South Hamilton, Ma., July 21, 1949 to CLARENCE R. HUEBNER (1888-1972), American major general who commanded the 1st Infantry Division in its assault on Omaha Beach, in the drive across France, at the Hurtgen Forest and in the battle of Aachen. Mrs. Patton complains bitterly to Huebner, then Commanding General of U.S. Forces in Europe, of arrangements made for the placement of General Patton's grave in the Luxembourg American Cemetery and hints at bringing the general's allies abroad into the fray. In small part: "...You undoubtedly have been having a hard time with the Battle Monuments Commission over Georgie's grave...I went to see the Secretary of Defense [Louis A. Johnson] about it. He wrote a very strong letter to the Commission recommending that the grave be placed at the head of the cemetery, with a Medal of Honor man's grave at the right, like this: [sketch added]...He said this was the best he could do & that I must go along with him or he would do nothing. I still feel that Georgie's grave should stand alone, if only for the sake of U.S. prestige...Georgie would be proud to have one of his Medal of Honor men as his Guard of Honor, I know. I wrote a letter stating that the replica of the medal...should be incised on the cross, and the and the man's complete citation on a plaque in the chapel...The Secretary was very much pleased...Now I hear they are still crowing about it. Words cannot express how ashamed I am, that my country should behave in this way toward the grave of a man whose monuments are springing up, unsolicited, in all the liberated countries. I have not spoken of it to my friends in France, Belgium of Luxembourg...I feel that to do so - except as a last resort - is to let my country down...If the Commission insists on putting it back in a row, I am tempted to ask Luxembourg for a piece of ground...Georgie should be buried at the head of his men..." In he postscript, Mrs. Patton adds: "...I cannot bear to ask a favor of Gen. Marshall as I feel he should have done Georgie this honor without my coming into the picture at all..." File holes at top and one page trimmed costing some letters of text, else fine. In the end, Patton's grave was located in front of and slightly offset from the cemetery chapel, and facing arcing rows of graves of the men who served under him. Following her death in 1953, Mrs. Patton's ashes were strewn by her family upon the grave of her late husband.

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November 19, 2019 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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