Posted on 09/03/2018 9:29:11 AM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
George S. Patton, Jr. experienced his first combat against men loyal to Pancho Villa, leading a detachment of soldiers who killed three of the enemy.
It was a burial, but certainly not a funeral. One soldier who looked on muttered, “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…If Villa won’t bury you Uncle Sam must.” The three dead men, whose bodies were unceremoniously laid in hastily dug desert graves, had ridden with the revolutionary Pancho Villa, and one of them, Julio Cardenas, was the commander of his personal bodyguard. The men who killed them were U.S. soldiers and their accompanying interpreters, members of a detachment under 2nd Lieutenant George S. Patton, Jr. It was May 14, 1916, and for two months General John Pershing had led an American military expedition into Mexico in search of the elusive Villa and his men, known as Villistas.
Patton Pushes On
Villa’s brazen raid on the small border town of Columbus, New Mexico, in March had provoked President Woodrow Wilson to order Pershing and several thousand troops into Mexico to bring Villa to justice. Pershing was romantically involved with Patton’s sister, Nita, at the time, and the general offered the young officer the opportunity to participate in the expedition as his aide. Although the Americans failed to find Villa, there were moments of retribution. One of those had taken place on this hot, dusty day at the San Miguelito hacienda, where the family of Cardenas was living.
Pershing ordered Patton to lead the detachment of seven soldiers and two interpreters to a nearby farm where they might buy corn. During the transaction, E.L. Holmdahl, a former Villista, recognized a group of men as one-time associates. Although Villa was supposedly hiding somewhere to the south, Cardenas was believed to be nearby. Always ready for a fight, Patton pushed on to Las Cienegas (Springs), his men riding in three Dodge touring cars. There the lieutenant questioned Cardenas’ uncle without gaining much information, but he was determined to find Cardenas and moved on to San Miguelito.
When they neared the main house, the soldiers noticed someone running inside. Alarmed, Patton ordered six men to cover the house, while two more swept along a wall to the south. Armed with a rifle and pistol, Patton moved quickly beside a wall to the north. Suddenly, three men on horseback burst from the building and charged toward the soldiers. Their way blocked, they turned and came straight at Patton, who fired. A bullet shattered one rider’s left arm and he crawled out of sight.
A Sign of Greater Things to Come?
Another rider came at Patton, who fired again. Both horse and rider tumbled. When the Villista stood and drew his weapon, Patton and the other soldiers gunned him down. By then the third rider was 100 yards distant, intent on escaping. Several soldiers opened fire, and he fell dead. (The first man shot who was wounded) Later identified as Cardenas, the first Villista was running away. The soldiers shot him again, and as he lay on the ground Holmdahl approached. Cardenas feigned surrender and then reached for his gun. In a flash, Holmdahl shot him in the head.
No one at the scene would positively identify the dead men, and their bodies were tied to the hoods of the cars. A group of at least 40 hostile horsemen was approaching, and Patton ordered a rapid retirement to Pershing’s headquarters. The impromptu burial followed. Pershing was pleased with Patton and gave him permission to keep Cardenas’ sword and saddle. The incident made headlines across the United States, and Patton was hailed a hero. He loved the limelight. Destined for even greater fame, he received a quick promotion to 1st lieutenant and made captain within a year.
Sorta like we did in Iraq and Afghanistan?
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Brother, I support that 100%.
LOL, truer words were never spoken.
the story in my family is: my g’father rode with Pershing chasin Villa.
He would never talk of it or his WW1 combat experience (he suffered from mustard gas exposure).
The stories about him were even more incredible.
What I do remember is, he was a 5 foot nuthin irishman where people stepped aside when he walked by.
Add - Promotion was to 1st Lt., not Captain.
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I knew that but didn’t mention it. You also seem to know something about Patton. There are a few of us around.
To whom did Patton send his notes from when he attended the Army War College?
A little, but enough to know that those who think Patton was without military fault probably got most of their knowledge from the movie, and never spent much time looking at his campaign in Lorraine.
I found the story revealing about him being kicked in the head by a horse while playing polo, and while completely concussed the next week or so, sailed his family on a sailboat from California to Hawaii.
He had not recollection of the journey!
I hope I remembered that right, I read that story some years ago.
Just an astonishing man.
Yes, Metz, for instance, was not one of his best.
I found the story revealing about him being kicked in the head by a horse while playing polo,....
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For that reason Patton quit playing polo in 1940. He didn’t want to risk getting hurt and missing the impending war.
I have a guess, but I'd have to look it up. My guess, and only a guess, is Ike. But since he was well traveled and well connected, I could be pretty far off base.
I must have had this story wrong...I remembered this as having happened far earlier than it did...I thought it was around 1901 or something like that, but it took place in 1916, so I must have it wrong...
Good guess and right on. Ike never expressed much gratitude to Patton for not only that but other things, including the Bulge.
“Mexico needs a Constitution, Bill of Rights, individual property rights, breakup of monopolies, destruction of narco gangs, and cleanup of corruption.”
Have you read Michener on former Spanish colonies?
They don’t even understand what you mean by “stop corruption.”
There is a lot about Paton that most people don’t know. For example he started the first tank training school for the US military in France of all places (using 22 tanks supplied by the French because the US had no tanks to speak of), and was instrumental in sitting up the US tanks corps which he led to battle in WWI.
Mexico is no Japan. Destroying the narco gangs alone will take 50 years and cost us hundreds of billions of dollars and tens of thousands dead. Them m’f’kers have hundreds of billions of dollars and are armed to the teeth. Not worth it.
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