This is a true Truscott/Patton story that happened in North Africa or possibly Sicily before they went their separate ways. This was told to me by a retired Cleveland police lieutenant named Wade Riddell who lived in my apartment building in Euclid, OH from before 1984 to 1997 but we moved out to the other side of town where I was born and raised in 1989. He was in the Army in the Mediterranean during the war and I don't remember if I asked him what unit but he was probably under Truscott as Patton was a Corps commander in North Africa (and then 7th Army in Sicily). It could have been in either place; Truscott was appointed commander of 3rd Infantry Division in March 1943. Anyway, Wade was an observer one night when he saw Patton thrown bodily out of Truscott's tent. He picked himself up, looked around, brushed himself off and walked away. Wow- someone tougher than Patton- and with two stars he was safe from Patton making a big deal of it because it would have been embarrassing. They were probably drinking anyway.
I wish I could authenticate the story, but Wade committed suicide in his apartment on 27 December 2001. The landlord told me about it when we moved back from Jacksonville in 2004. I couldn't believe it- he had a nice pension and retired life, golfing and going out with his girl friend and driving his early 1950s Jaguar saloon. I wish I'd talked to him more in the five years we lived in his building.
Best regards,
Bill in Cleveland
a true Patton/Truscott story
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