Best Confederate Descendant in US Military....Patton or Chesty Puller....

Well, Duvall DID act a lot like a Southern officer.... "I love the smell of napalm in the morning...."

I cracked that line on the flight line of a morning ferry flight one time. I took in a deep breath, and said "I love the smel of JP1 in the morning". The younger workers in attendence didn't get the reference, and thought I must have been loosing my marbles - which is a bit disconcering when you realize they are aerospace engineers who actually design the airplanes!.
 
I guess it depends on how we're defining "best." I think that, in terms of effectiveness and impact on future military operations, the laurels need to go to Patton. I don't know who would win an arm-wrestling match among Murphy, Patton, and Puller, but there were a lot of Germans who could attest (or could no longer attest) to Patton's effectiveness; and that's not even considering his influence on the development of US armored formations.
 
I think we call rule out Simon Boliver Buckner II. He was in charge of Alaska/Aleutions during WWII, had a pretty poor history of racist views which he imposed upon his black engineer regiments creating the AlCan highway. He also fought against native Alaskan eskimos as part of the National Guard defense of the territory, despite the fact that they were very good at recon duties and adapted to the harsh conditions. He campaigned to have the Aleutians as the "northern strategy" for attacking Japan. Anyone who has been there knows the entire idea is ridiculous, the weather can shut down air and shipping for weeks at a time, thereby making the whole idea a logistical nightmare. Buchner did get enough troops to recapture the two Aleutian islands seized the the Japanese prior to midway, but the fighting there wasn't encouring - on one island the Japanese troops retreated to the interior high ground and U.S. casualties were very high trying to root them out, the other island was already evacuated when we attacked, but that didn't prevent substantial "friendly fire" casualties.

Bucher finally got his combat command in Okinawa, only to be promptly shot and killed by a sniper. Apparantly he had to be warned by forward observers tha the stars on his helmet were visable to the enemy, and simply exchanging helmets with an enlisted man didn't prevent him from being shot shortly thereafter.
 
I think we call rule out Simon Boliver Buckner II. He was in charge of Alaska/Aleutions during WWII...

I lived in the Aleutians (Adak) for 2 years; great place from which to track Soviet subs. :sneaky: While there, I read up on the Aleutian campaign and, like you, came away less than impressed by Buckner. He didn't seem to play very well with others (such as the Navy.) Like you said, the Attu and Kiska ops were a real SNAFU. It probably would have made more military sense to leave the Japanese detachments on those islands while making the occasional air attack on them AND cutting off their (surface) supply lines. (Subs couldn't carry enough to really help much AND use of subs for resupply would take them away from areas where they could be of better use.)

Anyways, I'll throw in my vote for George S. Patton. Born in California (like me...although he was a Southern Californian), went to VMI one year before he entered West Point. Was an Olympian (placed 5th in the first modern pentathlon), had one heck of a military career, and even was the subject of an awesome Academy-Award-winning movie. Regarding his Confederate lineage, it was impeccable, to say the least:
Patton came from a military family, his ancestors including General Hugh Mercer of the American Revolution.[5] His great uncle, Waller T. Patton, died of wounds received in Pickett's Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg. John M. Patton and Isaac Patton, also his great uncles, were colonels in the Confederate States Army. His great uncle William T. Glassell was a Confederate States Navy officer. Hugh Weedon Mercer, a Confederate general, was his close relative. John M. Patton, a great-grandfather, was a lawyer and politician who had served as acting governor of Virginia.​
Patton's paternal grandparents were Colonel George Smith Patton and Susan Thornton Glassell. His grandfather, born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, graduated from Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Class of 1852, second in a class of 24. After graduation, George Smith Patton studied law and practiced in Charleston, Virginia (now West Virginia). When the American Civil War broke out, he served in the 22nd Virginia Infantry of the Confederate States of America. Colonel George S. Patton, his grandfather, was killed during the Battle of Opequon. The Confederate Congress had promoted Colonel Patton to brigadier general; however, at the time, he had already died of battle wounds, so that promotion was never official.​
 
Who ya got???

I'll throw in Harry Truman for his role as commander in chief.

Nathan Bedford Forrest III died too soon.
Funny Truman Story : He was in World War 1. Artillery Captain I believe. Went with his National Guard Unit. He said the first time they came under fire all his men ran. They couldn't agree on who ran first. Harry said he'd heard all his life about the Battle of Bull Run but he was in the Battle of WHO RUN ????
 
I'll go with Patton. He had the biggest impact of all mentioned in WWII and he was also one our most important tank pioneers in WWI. He also got wounded in the azz in WWI and laid in No Man's Land for hours where he imagined he saw the ghosts of his Confederate ancesters looking down on him....does that count for anything other than he may have been on acid? I like Patton...I dont like Patton...ya know what I mean. Huge gifts and huge flaws. Had em both. I recently saw a History channel thing that featured Chesty and Peleliu...it was not overly complimentary but I need other sources before I make up my mind. Dont know all that much bout him.

Ike was Patton's friend in the army prior to WWII but the stunts he pulled under Ike's command in WWII finally convinced him Patton was half crazy. But he/Marshall needed him.
 
I like the reference in the movie Patton where he says he's been called the greatest general since Stonewall Jackson. Nice little character moment.
 
Back
Top