Over the years, the United States has produced many remarkable generals and admirals, but only a few have stood out as world-class strategists and leaders of troops. As Veterans Day approaches on November 11, let’s remember and celebrate them. Here is my list of America’s finest 11 commanders.
George S. Patton Jr., 1885 – 1945 (World War II)
Much has been said and written about this American icon, and some of it is exaggeration to be sure. The Germans, for example, though they believed Patton the best Allied commander in the West, were not obsessing over his every move as depicted in the eponymous 1970 film. They did, however, expect him to lead the cross-channel invasion of Europe. Nevertheless, one of his most effective roles in the war was as a decoy to divert the German High Command’s attention away from the actual event in Normandy to prepare for Patton’s (fictional) First Army Group to land at Calais, which never happened.
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