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Contact Info
Home Town Ft. Huachuca
Last Address Fort Sam Houston
Date of Passing Nov 21, 1945
Location of Interment U.S. Military Academy West Point Post Cemetery (VLM) - West Point, New York
General Alexander McCarrell "Sandy" Patch (November 23, 1889 – November 21, 1945) was an officer in the United States Army, best known for his service in World War II. He commanded Army and Marine forces during the invasion of Guadalcanal, and the U.S. Seventh Army in the invasion of southern France (Operation Dragoon).
Early career
Patch was born on Fort Huachuca, a cavalry post in Arizona where his father commanded a detachment. He never considered any career other than the army, and received his appointment to West Point in 1909. He wanted to follow his father into the cavalry, but realizing that they were becoming obsolete, he was commissioned into the infantry in 1913.
Prior to World War I, he served in Texas and Arizona.
In World War I Patch served as an infantry officer and as an instructor in the Army's machine gun school. While commanding troops on the front line, from June 1917 until May 1919 he joined the 18th Infantry in France participating in the Aisne-Marne, St. Mihel [sic; Mihiel], and Meuse-Argonne Offensives.
His leadership came to the attention of George C. Marshall, then a member of Gen. John Pershing's staff. During the buildup before the United States' entry into World War II, Marshall was appointed Army Chief of Staff. Marshall promoted Patch to brigadier general, and sent him to Fort Bragg to supervise the training of new soldiers there, Assigned to the 47th Infantry at Fort Bragg, N.C., August 1940.
World War II
In 1942, Patch was sent to the Pacific to organize the reinforcement and defense of New Caledonia. He took command of a loose collection of units, and formed them into the Americal Division (a name adopted on Patch's suggestion after it was proposed by a soldier in the division.) This unit first saw action in the Guadalcanal campaign. Starting in October 1942 they were brought in to relieve the valiant and malaria-ridden 1st Marine Division.
In December 1942, Patch moved up to command of the XIV Corps, and he was given charge of the entire offensive on Guadalcanal. Patch personally led troops under his command on a dangerous offensive in the Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse to capture several fortified hills and ridges from the Japanese forces. Under his leadership, by February 1943 the Japanese were driven from Guadalcanal.
Impressed by Patch's performance on Guadalcanal, General Marshall ordered him to Europe, where he took over command of the Seventh Army from General Mark Clark.
Under Patch, the Seventh Army landed in Southern France on August 15, 1944. Patch led the Army in a fast offensive up the Rhone Valley. On September 9, near Dijon, France, it met up with elements of Patton's US Third Army that had driven east from the beaches of Normandy.
Patch suffered personal tragedy when his son, Captain Alexander M. Patch III, was killed in action on October 22, 1944, while serving as an infantry company commander in the U.S. 79th Infantry Division.
Patch retained command of the Seventh Army until the end of the war, crossing into Germany, over the Rhine River, leading the Seventh's attack on the German Siegfried Line, and then into southern Germany.
Death and legacy
In August 1945, Patch returned to the U.S. to take command of the Fourth Army, but he was soon hospitalized with lung problems. He died of pneumonia on November 21 at Brooke General Hospital, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He is buried at West Point Cemetery.
Kurmärker Kaserne, in Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany, was renamed Patch Barracks in his honor on July 4, 1952.
Patch Barracks is the home of Headquarters, United States European Command (HQ USEUCOM), the supreme US military command in Europe.
Patch Barracks also has an elementary and high school named after General Patch.
Patch was promoted to brigadier general on August 4, 1941, to major general on March 10, 1942, to lieutenant general on August 18, 1944 and to general on July 19, 1954, posthumously, under Pub.L. 83-508.
Other Comments:
Other Decorations:
Companion of the Order of the Bath, UK
Commander of the Légion d'honneur, France
Croix de guerre, France
Order of Leopold II, Grand Cross with Palm, Belgium
Croix de guerre/Oorlogskruis, Belgium
Order of Abdon Calderón, Ecuador
Mexican Service Campaign (1911-1919)
From Month/Year
April / 1911
To Month/Year
June / 1919
Description The Mexican Service Medal is an award of the United States military which was established by General Orders of the United States War Department on December 12, 1917. The Mexican Service Medal recognizes those service members who performed military service against Mexican forces between the dates of April 12, 1911 and June 16, 1919.
To be awarded the Mexican Service Medal, a service member was required to perform military duty during the time period of eligibility and in one of the following military engagements.
Veracruz Expedition: April 21 to November 23, 1914
Punitive Expedition into Mexico: March 14, 1916 to February 7, 1917
Buena Vista, Mexico: December 1, 1917
San Bernardino Canyon, Mexico: December 26, 1917
La Grulla, Texas: January 8 – January 9, 1918
Pilares, Chihuahua: March 28, 1918
Nogales, Arizona: November 1–26, 1915, or August 27, 1918
El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua: June 15 – June 16, 1919
The United States Navy issued the Mexican Service Medal to members of the Navy and Marines who participated in any of the above actions, as well as to service members who served aboard U.S. naval vessels patrolling Mexican waters between April 21 and November 26, 1914, or between March 14, 1916, and February 7, 1917.
The Mexican Service Medal was also awarded to any service member who was wounded or killed while participating in action any against hostile Mexican forces between April 12, 1911 and February 7, 1917.
Although a single decoration, both the Army and Navy issued two different versions of the Mexican Service Medal. The Army Mexican Service Medal displayed an engraving of a yucca plant, while the Navy version depicts the San Juan de Ulúa fortress in Veracruz harbor. Both medals displayed the annotation "1911 - 1917" on the bottom of the medal.
The Mexican Service Medal was a one time decoration and there were no service stars authorized for those who had participated in multiple engagements. For those Army members who had been cited for gallantry in combat, the Citation Star was authorized as a device to the Mexican Service Medal. There were no devices authorized for the Navy's version of the decoration.
A similar decoration, known as the Mexican Border Service Medal also existed for those who had performed support duty to Mexican combat expeditions from within the United States.