(March 29, 1943)

George Patton's favorite motto (expurgated) is "Grab 'em by the nose and kick 'em in the tail." In 1916 he was a dashing, cocky young cavalryman and aide to "Black Jack" Pershing in Mexico. When he went to France in World War I he organized the first U.S. tank brigade, returned to study that new wrinkle in modern warfare, and to help develop it when the U.S. Army at last got around to it in a serious way.

Some of George Patton's antics caused stiff eyebrows to twitch at headquarters. His profanity became legendary. With his flair for the spectacular, he designed, had tailored and posed in a special tank uniform: green with white buttons and black stripes. His own helmet was golden with two silver stars. (The Army declined to accept it as regulation.) With his flair for vivid phraseology, he wrote some war poetry (unpublished). With a tidy, inherited fortune he indulged his love for horses, polo, sailing boats and games.

He believed too loudly in his own military preachments, was passed over several times for promotion. But in 1941, as commander of the 2nd Armored Division, he shone in southern maneuvers. The following spring he snorted off to California to organize the Desert Training Center. In the 120 heat he whipped a desert fighting force into shape. Most of the men he trained followed him overseas. He was assigned to seize Casablanca, which he did after four rip-roaring days and many blunders (not necessarily his own). At the end he strode into the headquarters of Admiral Michelier with a pair of pearlhandled .45-caliber pistols strapped to his legs and a tommy gun under one arm. So impressed was the Sultan of Morocco that he presented Patton with the special order of Ouissan Alaouite, with the citation: "Les Lions dans leurs tanieres tremblent en le voyant approacher" (The lions in their dens tremble at his approach).