In a remarkable find, the deathbed “toe tag” of World War II Gen. George S. Patton shows that “old blood and guts” died from injuries in a car crash, not an assassination by Soviet forces as claimed by Fox’s Bill O’Reilly.
The yellowed form revealed that Patton knew death was near, telling his nurse that he was going to die from the December 1945 crash near Mannheim, Germany, and that his wife refused an autopsy.
The handwritten part of the toe tag reads: “Dec. 19 – Death ra[tt]les – Given atrophine & oxygen. [Dec.] 21 – [Death rattles] – Resting quietly but told nurse that he was going to die. Died 1755 with sudden stop of heart. Mycardial failure – spinal cord damaged – 3rd cervical vertebrae – No autopsy – Permission refused by Mrs. Patton on death certificate.”
Patton’s toe tag is set for auction among hundreds of other historical artifacts by the international firm Alexander Historical Auctions on Feb. 10-11. The online auction has set a likely bid at $3,000-$4,000.
The toe tag itself has an interesting history. After Patton was taken for burial, it was torn up and thrown away. Somebody took it out of the garbage and taped it back together.
With all the doctor’s notes written on the front and back, it would appear to give further — and final — proof that the controversial general played famously by George C. Scott in “Patton” died in an accident and wasn’t killed.
O’Reilly recently wrote that Patton was offed by the Soviets. He has written several historical thrillers in a “Killers” series about Abraham Lincoln, Jesus and John Kennedy. In it’s review about his Patton book out last year, USA Today wrote, “ ‘We found compelling evidence,’ O’Reilly says. Readers can decide for themselves with the publication of Killing Patton: The Strange Death of World War II’s Most Audacious General (Henry Holt), co-written with Martin Dugard.”
In the book, O’Reilly claimed that Joseph Stalin ordered the assassination, a poisoning while Patton was in the hospital after the car crash. Others have also engaged in conspiracy theories.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
