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We Are All Connected

It is fascinating to think of the individuals that have lived and worked on planet Earth throughout human history. One of the over-arching themes surrounding this project is that there are many stories besides the few that comprise our secondary source History textbooks. I set out to “capture” everyday stories from a generation of people from all walks of life. Although, there are many engaging stories that need to be told, however, over the years, the history books, the stories and any additional information provided points consistently to a handful of World War II generals and leaders. A number of excellent military leaders emerged from World War II, including the top World War II Generals.

When such a list is compiled, it could be disputed for a number of reasons. Facts are not always a decisive factor as each individual may have shown exemplary leadership in a number of different ways. That being said, History book after History book explains the Second World War through the leadership of: General Omar Bradley, General Mark W. Clark, Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Douglas MacArthur, General George Marshall, General Montgomery, and General George S. Patton, Jr. They were the “greats.” They were the individuals in bold letters in the history books. We study history based on their accomplishments and their decisions.

Mr. Paul Smith was a medic in WWII, who currently resided in Iowa. He answered one of my WWII questionnaires. He sent to me his handwritten answers to my questions about the war. Mr. Smith told me a story about the day that General Patton died in the hospital when he was doing rounds there. Mr. Smith detailed, “Patton sustained a fractured neck and other injuries. He died in our hospital while I was there. Mrs. Patton gave all the ward personnel new cigarette lighters before she left.” I finished reading Mr. Smith’s questionnaire and I pictured the hospital where Mr. Smith was a medic. I envisioned Mrs. Patton passing out new cigarette lighters to the men. This historical figure (General Patton) that was so huge, so famous, was a few stories away from me.

In Chasing Time through Mr. Smith, I visualized the difficulties that war brings to people. I came to see in my mind’s eye the causalities and the hard parts of the war. I imagined what it was like when General Patton died in the very hospital where Mr. Smith was working. Through Mr. Paul Smith’s account, I understood components of the war better. I was glad that my oral History project provided me with this opportunity to come into contact with Mr. Paul Smith and because I was in contact with Mr. Smith, I was able to go back to the day that General Patton died. We are all connected and at the very least, we are just a few stories away from someone.

Everyone seems to know who General Patton is, but here’s the background on this decorated general. The United States officially entered World War II in December 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor. By November 8, 1942, Patton was commanding the Western Task Force, the only all-American force landing for Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa. After succeeding there, Patton commanded the Seventh Army during the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, and in conjunction with the British Eighth Army restored Sicily to its citizens.

Patton commanded the Seventh Army until 1944, when he was given command of the Third Army in France. Patton and his troops dashed across Europe after the battle of Normandy and exploited German weaknesses with great success, covering the 600 miles across France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia. When the Third Army liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp, Patton slowed his pace. He instituted a policy, later adopted by other commanders, of making local German civilians tour the camps. By the time WWII was over, the Third Army had liberated or conquered 81,522 square miles of territory.

In October 1945, Patton assumed command of the Fifteenth Army in American-occupied Germany. On December 9, he suffered injuries as the result of an automobile accident. He died 12 days later, on December 21, 1945 and is buried among the soldiers who died in the Battle of the Bulge in Hamm, Luxembourg. Remembered for his fierce determination and ability to lead soldiers, Patton is now considered one of the greatest military figures in history.

Seven decades after Patton commanded the Fifteenth Army, I found myself talking to a man who was there at the exact hospital and the day that one of the greatest military figures in United States history died. Meeting Mr. Paul Smith and hearing his stories reminds me that we are all indeed connected.

Victoria
Victoria
Victoria produced the film and wrote the book, Chasing Time. Victoria is a writer as well as a high school English and social studies teacher at a magnet school. She has a BA as well as three Masters Degrees (Language and Literacy, European History, and Italian). She is fluent in Italian. Currently, she is completing her PhD in Neuroscience researching similarities between contributing factors that lead to Alzheimer's Disease as well as Autism. She loves to learn, to read, to write, to travel, everything about Italy, and to meet new people and hear their stories.

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