Twentieth Century Warrior: The Life and Service of Major General Edwin D. Patrick

Maj. Gen. Edwin Patrick's 27-year army career included command of a machine-gun company in WWI, an interwar stint as instructor at Georgia's Fort Benning infantry school and command of the Sixth U.S. Division in the New Guinea and Philippine campaigns of WWII. Patrick died of wounds received on Luzon on March 14, 1945, and was one of only three division commanders to perish as a result of enemy action. His leadership of the Sixth Division is a textbook case history of an Old Army general officer exerting strong personal leadership and occasionally exhibiting common command weaknesses such as impatience and overboldness. This first-class account of the education and training of a thorough professional in the Regular Army and his validation on the field of battle will be useful to students of American military history. Heefner retired from the army after 41 years of service as an enlisted man, infantry leader and medical officer. Illustrations. (Sept.)