William the Conqueror, General Patton’s famous dog, Willie

 General George Patton led U.S. armies in World War II. He was notorious for his strong opinions and inability to avoid controversies.

In life he was called “Old Blood and Guts.” His death has been a subject of mystery and intrigue.

Although his commanding style was domineering, some might say bullying, and he had some definite anger management issues, General Patton was a devoted dog lover.

He bought the first of many Bull Terriers for his daughters just after World War I. Although Tank turned out to be totally deaf, he always somehow knew when General Patton was to arrive home and met him at the front door.

He bought the famous Willie in 1944 and wrote about him:

…my bull pup . . . took to me like a duck to water. He is 15 months old, pure white except for a little lemin [sic] on his tail which to a cursory glance would seem to indicate that he had not used toilet paper. . .

Willie was devoted to the general and followed him everywhere. General Patton doted on Willie and even threw a birthday party for him.

The general wrote in his diary on July 15th, 1944 "Willie is crazy about me and almost has a fit when I come back to camp. He snores too and is company at night.”

On his encounter with General Patton and Willie, cartoonist Bill Mauldlin wrote

Beside him, lying in a big chair was Willie, the bull terrier. If ever dog was suited to master this one was. Willie had his beloved boss's expression and lacked only the ribbons and stars. I stood in that door staring into the four meanest eyes I'd ever seen.

Sadly, one day before Patton was to return to the United States in December, 1945, he was involved in an automobile accident which broke his neck and he died a few days later.

Willie was sent home to live out the rest of his life as the  beloved dog of a fallen warrior with the general’s wife and daughters.

This picture of Willie, a lost little dog, was taken a few days after the general’s death as preparations were made to send home his effects.

A book, Target: Patton: The Plot to Assassinate General George S. Patton, published in 2008, claims that General Patton was murdered to keep him from revealing secrets that would have ruined important  careers and changed history.

Since I have never met a conspiracy theory I haven’t enjoyed reading about (with skepticism), this was most intriguing.

…after a decade-long investigation, military historian Robert Wilcox claims that OSS  head General "Wild Bill" Donovan ordered a highly decorated marksman called Douglas Bazata to silence Patton…Source

The OSS was the wartime intelligence agency of the United States, the predecessor of the CIA.

A 12-foot high bronze statue of Patton and Willie stands today at the General Patton Memorial Museum thirty miles east of Indio, California.

Comments

[Hudson and Mary Jo]

I hope someday to have a statue of my dog done and erected in our backyard or a local shelter. A dog becomes your best friend and a part of who you are...love this post !!!

[jackie]

i know my daddy always thought he was killed..and said the list of people that wanted him dead was long.
that picture of willie is so sad..

[Clive]

A fascinating story!

[Life With Dogs]

A well admired pooch - and with good reason!

[Big_Dave_T]

That reminds me of a veteran's dinner I attended with my father (he's a veteran of the Korean War). One of the WWII veterans there talked about a stray dog his squad befriended while serving in Europe. "That dog was like a brother to us," he said. It must have been important to have the type of companionship that dogs provide when you're fighting in such hostile territory.

[cube]

I always found Patton to be one of the most interesting figures in history. I knew about his beloved dogs, but I had never seen that photo of Willie. So sad :-(

That book sounds like a good read.

[Jean Kavale]

Yes, the picture of Willie is sad. But he had a good life with the master he adored, George S. Patton, and it's good that he lived out his life with other members of the Patton family. Patton was admired all over the world, especially in Luxembourg, where he was laid to rest in 1945 at the American cemetery. Even the Grand Duchess spoke kindly of him in a speech she gave from Luxembourg to the USA on Memorial Day 1947. Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ7I1RIMXmU

[WILLIAM TALLMAN]

I have read so much about a famous photograph
of patton's birthday party for willie. I have
not had any luck finding this photo. would you please post it.

[angelaplynn]

I really love this post! First time to read it and never knew there was a story like that. I'm definitely a pet lover and I treat them as if part of my family. That's kinda sad but very inspiring still. I cried!