Bedford in Bedford County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

George Smith Patton

National D-Day Memorial

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. George Smith Patton Marker

Inscription.

George Smith Patton. National D-Day Memorial. 11 November 1885 ~ 21 December 1945 “Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.” . As Commanding General of the First U.S. Army Group (FUSAG), Lt. Gen. George S. Patton made a singular contribution to the Allied success on D-Day. Made Western Task Force Commander for Operation Torch (November 1942), the Allied invasion of North Africa, Gen. Patton established himself as an exceptional combat leader. Following the humiliating defeat of Maj. Gen. Lloyd Fredendall’s II Corps by Field Marshall Rommel’s Afrika Korps in February 1943, Gen. Patton received command of that Corps and a third star. With Maj. Gen. Omar N. Bradley as his deputy, he instilled a level of military discipline and a training regime that transformed the unit in a matter of days, and by mid-March II Corps, as an element of British First Army, was driving Rommel’s forces eastward even as General Bernard Law Montgomery’s British Eighth Army was pushing them westward. By the time the enemy retreated from North Africa in mid-May, Gen. Patton had become legendary, a status he enhanced in Operation Husky (July-Aug 1943), the invasion of Sicily, as commander of the U.S. 7th Army. During that period, he slapped a soldier he took for a coward, an act that all but finished him when it came to light. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered him to apologize to the 7th Army for his lapse, then furloughed the chastened General in Sicily long enough for the German High Command to conclude the site of the impending Allied invasion was southern France. His subsequent appearance in Cairo, Egypt, caused the enemy to plan for the Allies to land in the Balkans instead. General George C. Marshall, the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, had left the decision to retain or dismiss Gen. Patton up to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower opted for retention, a decision calculated to nurture the German High Command’s conviction that Gen. Patton would lead the Allied invasion. Ike gave him command of FUSAG, and in that capacity he spent the remaining weeks leading up to D-Day presenting public talks. FUSAG, like the deceptive Operation Fortitude it belonged to, was a sham, though convincing enough to cause the Germans to expect the cross-channel assault at Calais. Perceived as insulting to the Russian Allies, an impromptu remark made during one of his talks embroiled Gen. Patton in controversy again. He reported to Gen. Eisenhower to offer his resignation, Ike had already decided he must give him command of the Third Army. “You owe us some victories,” Ike told his old friend; “Pay off and the world will deem me a wise man.” The payoff began at once. During a London reception at the Ritz Hotel on D-3, Gen. Patton, who believed “The leader must be an actor,” hailed the Supreme Commander across a packed room, booming out, I’ll see you in Calais!” The next night, the enemy shifted troops from Normandy to reinforce the defenders at Calais. And the payoff continued as he led “Patton’s own” Third Army from Normandy to victory in Europe. In tribute to the valor, fidelity and sacrifice of the soldiers of “Patton’s Own” Third Army and in honor of W. Holmes “Pudden” Updike, a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, who served under General Patton. He also serves as a loyal and enthusiastic volunteer of the National D-Day Memorial. Given by his daughter, Marsha Updike Melton, and family. Dedicated on 27 November 2009. .

11 November 1885 ~ 21 December 1945
“Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.”
As Commanding General of the First U.S. Army Group (FUSAG), Lt. Gen. George S. Patton made a singular contribution to the Allied success on D-Day. Made Western Task Force Commander for Operation Torch (November 1942), the Allied invasion of North Africa, Gen. Patton established himself as an exceptional combat leader. Following the humiliating defeat of Maj. Gen. Lloyd Fredendall’s II Corps by Field Marshall Rommel’s Afrika Korps in February 1943, Gen. Patton received command of that Corps and a third star. With Maj. Gen. Omar N. Bradley as his deputy, he instilled a level of military discipline and a training regime that transformed the unit in a matter of days, and by mid-March II Corps, as an element of British First Army, was driving Rommel’s forces eastward even as General Bernard Law Montgomery’s British Eighth Army was pushing them westward. By the time the enemy retreated from North Africa in mid-May, Gen. Patton had become legendary, a status he enhanced in Operation Husky (July-Aug 1943), the invasion of Sicily, as commander

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of the U.S. 7th Army.

During that period, he slapped a soldier he took for a coward, an act that all but finished him when it came to light. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered him to apologize to the 7th Army for his lapse, then furloughed the chastened General in Sicily long enough for the German High Command to conclude the site of the impending Allied invasion was southern France. His subsequent appearance in Cairo, Egypt, caused the enemy to plan for the Allies to land in the Balkans instead. General George C. Marshall, the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, had left the decision to retain or dismiss Gen. Patton up to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower opted for retention, a decision calculated to nurture the German High Command’s conviction that Gen. Patton would lead the Allied invasion. Ike gave him command of FUSAG, and in that capacity he spent the remaining weeks leading up to D-Day presenting public talks. FUSAG, like the deceptive Operation Fortitude it belonged to, was a sham, though convincing enough to cause the Germans to expect the cross-channel assault at Calais.

Perceived

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. George Smith Patton Marker

as insulting to the Russian Allies, an impromptu remark made during one of his talks embroiled Gen. Patton in controversy again. He reported to Gen. Eisenhower to offer his resignation, Ike had already decided he must give him command of the Third Army. “You owe us some victories,” Ike told his old friend; “Pay off and the world will deem me a wise man.” The payoff began at once. During a London reception at the Ritz Hotel on D-3, Gen. Patton, who believed “The leader must be an actor,” hailed the Supreme Commander across a packed room, booming out, I’ll see you in Calais!” The next night, the enemy shifted troops from Normandy to reinforce the defenders at Calais. And the payoff continued as he led “Patton’s own” Third Army from Normandy to victory in Europe.
In tribute to the valor, fidelity and sacrifice of the soldiers of “Patton’s Own” Third Army and in honor of W. Holmes “Pudden” Updike, a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, who served under General Patton. He also serves as a loyal and enthusiastic volunteer of the National D-Day Memorial. Given by his daughter, Marsha Updike Melton, and family. Dedicated on 27 November 2009.

George Smith Patton image. Click for full size.

Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

3. George Smith Patton

Erected by National D-Day Memorial.

Topics and series. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, World II. In addition, it is included in the U.S. National D-Day Memorial series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 6, 1944.

Location. 37° 19.873′ N, 79° 32.158′ W. Memorial is in Bedford, Virginia, in Bedford County. It can be reached from Overlord Circle 0.4 miles Burks Hill Road. The Marker is located on the grounds of the National D-Day Memorial. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 3 Overlord Circle, Bedford VA 24523, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial is in Southwest Virginia.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance

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of this marker: Operation Fortitude (here, next to this marker); Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander (COSSAC) (here, next to this marker); Arthur William Tedder (here, next to this marker); Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF) Insignia (here, next to this marker); Dwight David “Ike” Eisenhower (here, next to this marker); 29th Ranger Battalion (here, next to this marker); Exercise Tiger (a few steps from this marker); Chad Valley Toy Company (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bedford.

Also see . . .
1. Geroge S. Patton. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on September 6, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

2. National D-Day Memorial. Encyclopedia Virginia website entry (Submitted on February 1, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 6, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 1, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 241 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 1, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.