In July 1943, General George S. Patton led the U.S. Seventh Army into Sicily in Operation Husky, the first major Allied assault on Axis-held Europe. What followed was a fast-moving campaign that showcased Patton’s aggressiveness, ambition, and battlefield leadership—and also revealed the controversies that would come to define his wartime reputation.
Historian and Patton expert Kevin Hymel, author of, Patton’s War: An American General’s Combat Leadership, joins Veterans Breakfast Club to examine Patton’s role in the Sicily campaign, from the fighting around Gela and the drive on Palermo to the race across the island toward Messina. We’ll look at Patton’s command decisions, his relationship with Allied leaders, the performance of the Seventh Army, and the incidents that nearly ended his career.
Join us for a closer look at one of World War II’s most famous—and most complicated—American commanders during a pivotal campaign in the Mediterranean.
