Meltzer:
WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT AMERICA'S GREATEST MODERN
GENERAL, GEORGE S. PATTON, WAS MURDERED? PATTON DIED ON DECEMBER 21,
1945, IN A GERMAN HOSPITAL. HIS DEATH
WAS ATTRIBUTED TO COMPLICATIONS RESULTING FROM
A LOW-SPEED CAR ACCIDENT. BUT FROM THE BEGINNING, MANY BELIEVED
THE DEATH WAS SUSPICIOUS. NO CHARGES
WERE BROUGHT AGAINST THE SOLDIER WHO CRASHED INTO
THE GENERAL'S CAR. NO AUTOPSY WAS PERFORMED. AND PATTON'S CONDITION
WAS REPORTED AS IMPROVING JUST 24 HOURS BEFORE
HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD. MANY HAVE THEORIZED THAT
THE GENERAL WAS ASSASSINATED, WITH FINGERS POINTING
AT EVERYONE FROM THE RUSSIANS TO EISENHOWER. IT'S TIME TO DECODE THE DEATH
OF GENERAL GEORGE PATTON. I'M BRAD MELTZER. I'VE SPENT MY LIFE
COLLECTING STORIES -- SIGNS, SYMBOLS, AND CODES
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT. SOME HAVE BECOME THE BASIS
FOR MY NOVELS, BUT I'VE ONLY SCRATCHED
THE SURFACE. AND NOW HISTORY
HAS GIVEN ME THE RESOURCES TO INVESTIGATE THE REST. THIS IS "DECODED." Who is ready
for a really amazing story? Levy: WE ARE. World War II is over, and General George Patton's car
is struck by an Army truck. No one is injured,
but he's paralyzed, and within two weeks,
the man is dead. We find many different causes
attributed to his death, including pneumonia, embolism, a broken neck,
or even heart failure. This is a man who said
no bullet would kill him. And at this moment, there wasn't
much of an investigation. And the Army
didn't punish the man who hit this four-star general. Now this isn't
just a story anymore. It's a good mystery.
And listen. The accusations go up to the
highest office in the land -- the President
of the United States. WOW. THE LEGEND OF PATTON
IS UNDENIABLE. THE ICONIC IMAGE
OF GEORGE C. SCOTT STANDING IN FRONT OF THE
STARS AND STRIPES SAYS IT ALL. BY 1916, PATTON HAD LED AMERICA'S FIRST EVER RAID
ON MEXICAN WARLORDS. [ GUNFIRE ] AFTER MAKING
THE KILL SHOT HIMSELF, HE BROUGHT THE BODIES BACK STRAPPED ACROSS
THE FRONT OF HIS JEEP LIKE A DEER ON A HUNTER'S HOOD. THE BRAVERY AND BRAVADO CAPTURED
THE PUBLIC'S IMAGINATION, AND PATTON WAS FEATURED IN
NEWSPAPERS AROUND THE COUNTRY. AS PATTON ROSE THROUGH THE
RANKS, HE BECAME MORE ECCENTRIC, AFFECTING A HORSEMAN'S RIDING
CROP AND IVORY-HANDLED PISTOLS. WHILE OTHER GENERALS
WERE DUCKING FOR COVER, HE RODE ON THE TOP OF TANKS
IN A SHINY SILVER HELMET -- A BULL'S-EYE FOR ENEMY BULLETS. DURING WORLD WAR II, PATTON
COMMANDED THE U.S. THIRD ARMY, CAPTURING MORE PRISONERS
AND CONQUERING MORE TERRITORY IN A SHORTER AMOUNT OF TIME THAN
ANY ARMY IN MILITARY HISTORY. Wilcox:
YOU KNOW, I WAS BROUGHT UP THAT JFK WAS THE FIRST
POLITICAL ASSASSINATION. PATTON WAS THE FIRST POLITICAL
ASSASSINATION IN MY LIFETIME. BUT WAIT.
WHO WOULD WANT PATTON MURDERED? WELL, A LOT OF PEOPLE. FIRST OF ALL,
WE'D JUST HAD THE WORST WAR
IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, AND HE WANTS TO START
WORLD WAR III. NOBODY
WANTED TO DO THAT. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
A WAR WITH THE RUSSIANS. HE SAW BEFORE
ANYBODY ELSE DID THAT THE COLD WAR
WAS BREWING. BUT HE ALSO KNEW SECRETS THAT
WOULD HAVE STOPPED THE CAREERS OF SOME PEOPLE WHO HAD VERY HIGH
ASPIRATIONS IN POLITICS, LIKE EISENHOWER. Meltzer: THE CONFLICT BETWEEN
AMERICA'S TWO GREAT GENERALS IS WELL-DOCUMENTED. IT STARTED BACK
WHEN PATTON CRITICIZED IKE'S TACTICAL DECISIONS. HE FELT
THAT EISENHOWER WAS TOO SOFT ON THE GERMANS
AND ON THE RUSSIANS. AND PATTON ALSO THREATENED TO GO
PUBLIC WITH HIS ACCUSATIONS. IN FACT, HE WAS BELIEVED TO BE
IN THE MIDST OF NEGOTIATIONS ON A TELL-ALL BOOK
AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH. IF PATTON HAD LIVED, EISENHOWER
WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN PRESIDENT. SO WHO MURDERED HIM,
AND WHO COVERED IT UP? WELL, DOUGLAS BAZATA
CONFESSED TO ME THAT HE HAD SET UP
THE ACCIDENT. THIS IS WHERE YOU GOT TO BE
ASKING, "WHO IS DOUGLAS BAZATA?" BAZATA WAS A DECORATED MARINE AND A MEMBER OF A SPECIAL FORCES
PARATROOPER SQUAD THAT WAS AMONG THE FIRST
ALLIED FORCES SENT INTO FRANCE. HE ALSO HELPED COORDINATE
THE FRENCH RESISTANCE IN 1944. HE WAS AWARDED
FOUR PURPLE HEARTS AND A DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE CROSS. IN SHORT, DOUGLAS BAZATA
WAS A TRAINED ASSASSIN, THE KIND OF MAN WHO COULD EASILY
KILL YOU WITHOUT ANYONE KNOWING. THE QUESTION IS,
DID HE KILL PATTON? I FOUND HIM
AT THE END OF HIS LIFE, WHEN HE WAS
READY TO CONFESS AND HE WAS READY
TO GET THIS OFF OF HIS CHEST. WHO WAS BAZATA
WORKING FOR? THE O.S.S. -- THAT WAS
THE FORERUNNER OF THE CIA. OKAY. BAZATA WAS
ONE OF THEIR ASSASSINS, AND HE DID THESE THINGS
FOR THEM. THE ACCIDENT IS SET UP
TO GIVE BAZATA A KILLING LANE SO HE COULD SHOOT
THROUGH THE WINDOW. HE WAS BEHIND
SOME DEBRIS. THIS WAS A STRANGE
AIR-PUMPED WEAPON. AND IT DIDN'T SHOOT
REGULAR BULLETS. IT SHOT RUBBER THINGS
OR A BOLT OR A ROCK. IS THERE ANY REASON THAT THEY WOULD USE
A DIFFERENT KIND OF GUN? IF YOU SHOT HIM,
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY KNOWS
HE'S BEEN ASSASSINATED. BUT THIS WAY, THEY DON'T KNOW.
IT'S JUST AN ACCIDENT. RIGHT. BAZATA'S EXPLANATION
OF HOW HE CARRIED OUT THE ASSASSINATION OF PATTON
IS ACTUALLY TOUGH TO FOLLOW. HE SAYS THE CRASH WAS STAGED TO STOP THE GENERAL'S CAR
AND GIVE HIM A MORE CLEAR SHOT. HE SAYS HE USED
A LOW-IMPACT AIR RIFLE TO MASK THE SOUND OF HIS SHOT AND TO BREAK PATTON'S NECK
WITHOUT KILLING HIM ON SITE. WHY NOT FINISH HIM OFF
RIGHT THERE ON THE STREET? YOU COULD FIND IT
IN CIA ASSASSIN BOOKS. IF YOU DON'T GET HIM
AT THE ACCIDENT, YOU GET HIM
AT THE HOSPITAL. THEY TAKE HIM TO HEIDELBERG.
YOU KNOW, HE'S A TOUGH GUY. HE HAD RECOVERED SO MUCH,
AND HE WAS GETTING FEELING BACK. THEY'RE ABOUT TO
SEND HIM HOME, AND THEN SUDDENLY HE DIES,
LIKE THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, ANY INTELLIGENCE
AGENCY HAS THOSE MEDICINES NOW. THEY COULD INJECT YOU, AND
IT LOOKS LIKE A HEART ATTACK, IT LOOKS LIKE
A PULMONARY EMBOLISM. THAT'S STANDARD STUFF. THERE'S THE CAR
AT THE TIME OF THE WRECK. IT'S RIGHT THERE. YOU CAN SEE THE MUDDY
KIND OF FLOOR THERE. AND THAT'S THE TRUCK. THAT'S WHAT THEY HIT,
RIGHT THERE. ROBERT, WOULD IT
HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE FOR BAZATA TO HAVE GOTTEN
TO PATTON IN THE HOSPITAL? IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT HE DIDN'T.
HE TOLD ME. THEY TRIED, HE SAID,
AND THEY COULDN'T DO IT. AND SOMEBODY ELSE GOT HIM,
AND HE DIDN'T KNOW WHO. I SPENT 10 YEARS
WORKING ON THIS, AND I BELIEVE
THE EVIDENCE IS ENOUGH THAT IF I WENT BEFORE
A GRAND JURY, I'D GET AN INDICTMENT. ROBERT WILCOX
IS MAKING SOME AMAZING CLAIMS. TO IMPLICATE A U.S. MARINE
IN THE DEATH OF PATTON AND SAYING IT WAS DONE
TO BENEFIT DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER IS EXPLOSIVE. AND WHEN YOU SAY
STUFF LIKE THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING
WE NEED TO GO VERIFY. Levy:
YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS. WILCOX HAS A THEORY
THAT EISENHOWER IS IMPLICATED IN AN ASSASSINATION PLOT
TO KILL PATTON. NO DOUBT THERE WERE
HIGH-RANKING OFFICIALS ON THE AMERICAN SIDE
AND THE RUSSIAN SIDE WHO WERE NOT TOO UPSET
WHEN PATTON DIED, BUT DID THEY KILL HIM? BRAD, WILCOX BELIEVES
THAT EISENHOWER WAS INVOLVED IN HIRING THIS MAN NAMED BAZATA,
WHO LATER CONFESSED, TO SHOOT PATTON IN A MOVING
VEHICLE WITH A SPECIAL WEAPON. SOUNDS LIKE THAT WOULD BE
PRETTY DIFFICULT TO DO, BRAD. I MEAN, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE,
THAT'S A TOUGH SHOT. POSSIBLE? POSSIBLE, I GUESS. OKAY. McKINLEY AND I ARE OFF
TO THE BOURBON ROAD. MELTZER: Can't wait to hear
what you find. Safe travels. Rolle: THERE'S A LOT
OF THEORIES OUT THERE THAT HE MAY HAVE BEEN
ASSASSINATED OR MURDERED, I THINK THE STRANGEST ONE
IS THAT HE MAY HAVE BEEN SHOT WITH A RIFLE
AT CLOSE RANGE THAT MIGHT HAVE USED A RUBBER
BULLET OR A SMALL PIECE OF METAL THAT WOULD HAVE HIT HIM
RIGHT IN THE VERTEBRAE AS HIS CAR WAS MOVING
THROUGH MANNHEIM, GERMANY. AND I GUESS I'M ASKING, DO YOU
THINK THAT'S EVEN POSSIBLE? PERHAPS A PELLET,
LIKE AN AIR-GUN PELLET. THAT CERTAINLY
HAD BEEN AVAILABLE, AND THE AIR-GUN
TECHNOLOGY. BUT HITTING IT -- THERE ARE A BUNCH OF FACTORS
THAT COME INTO PLAY. HITTING A MOVING TARGET
IS SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT. ANOTHER ISSUE IS, THERE'S A SMALL TARGET ZONE --
THE BACK OF HIS NECK -- THEY WERE SHOOTING FOR. AND HOW MANY SHOTS WOULD THE
PERSON HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE? ONE. ONE SHOT. YEAH, THESE ARE NOT
AUTO-LOADING GUNS. THESE ARE PUMP GUNS. YOU WOULD GET ONE SHOT OFF
AND THEN HAVE TO REPUMP AGAIN. ANY WAY I COULD TRY IT?
WE'RE OUT HERE ON THE RANGE. I'D LIKE TO GIVE IT A WHIRL
IF I COULD. LET'S TRY IT FIRST NOT MOVING
AT ALL, SEE IF WE CAN GET A HIT, AND THEN WE'LL
TRY AND HAVE THE TARGET MOVE. THAT SOUNDS GOOD --
NOW, DO YOU HAVE A RIFLE THAT'S SIMILAR TO ONE
THAT WOULD BE AROUND IN 1945? YES, I DO.
I HAVE THIS RIFLE. IT'S A GOOD REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE BEST QUALITY AT THE TIME. ONE ADVANTAGE, THOUGH,
OF USING THIS TYPE OF RIFLE WOULD HAVE BEEN
THAT IT'S VERY QUIET. IT DOESN'T HAVE
A LOUD BANG OR ANYTHING. YEAH, THERE'S NO BANG AT ALL.
THERE'S, LIKE, A PUFF. OKAY, SO THAT WOULD SORT OF
SUPPORT THE THEORY WHY THE PERSON
MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SEEN OR CAUGHT OR NO ONE
HEARD A GUNSHOT. THAT WOULD BE TRUE.
YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, BRUCE. LET'S SEE
WHAT THIS THING CAN DO, OKAY? ALL RIGHT. [ GUNSHOT ] WELL. I THINK I MISSED. BRUCE, I GOT TO
TRY THAT AGAIN. [ CRANK ] TRY IT NOW. [ GUNSHOT ] OH, I GOT IT. LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE HIGH. YEAH, LET'S
GO TAKE A LOOK AT IT. YEAH, IT WAS A LITTLE HIGHER
THAN I WAS AIMING, BRUCE. AND SO YOU JUST BARELY HIT
THE EDGE OF YOUR TARGET ZONE. WHAT WERE YOU
ACTUALLY AIMING AT? WHAT I WAS DOING
IS I WAS LOOKING AT THE TARGET AS IF IT WAS
SOMEONE'S NECK, AND THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN
MORE THE BASE OF HIS SKULL. SO I WAS A LITTLE HIGHER
THAN I WAS AIMING FOR. I GOT TO BE HONEST --
IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S EASY.
IT'S ONLY 10 YARDS AWAY. NOT THAT EASY TO HIT SOMEONE
IN THE NECK, EVEN FROM CLOSE UP. I DEFINITELY WANT TO TRY IT
WHILE IT'S MOVING, JUST TO SEE
HOW MUCH HARDER IT IS. SURE. LET'S TRY THAT. LET'S GIVE IT SHOT
WHILE IT'S MOVING. OKAY. [ GUNSHOT ] OH. GLAD YOU DIDN'T
SHOOT AT ME, TOO. YEAH, I WAS TRYING
NOT TO DO THAT, BUT I THOUGHT I HAD IT
IN MY SIGHTS, AND NOTHING. THAT'S THE PROBLEM
WITH A MOVING TARGET. AND JUST THINK ABOUT IT. THIS IS MOVING
AT THE SPEED OF ME, A WALKING PERSON,
2 TO 4 MILES AN HOUR. WHAT'S HAPPENING
IF YOU'RE IN A 15- TO 30-MILE-AN-HOUR
AUTOMOBILE? IT'S A DIFFERENT FEEL
WHEN IT'S MOVING.
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. PERHAPS THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD HAVE PULLED OFF
THAT SHOT ON PATTON WAS PATTON HIMSELF. HE WAS NOT ONLY A DECORATED WAR
HERO, BUT AN OUTRAGEOUS ATHLETE. HE COMPETED IN THE 1912 SUMMER
OLYMPICS IN STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, IN THE FIRST EVER
MODERN PENTATHLON. THAT'S RUNNING, SWIMMING, HORSEBACK RIDING,
FENCING, AND SHOOTING. PATTON TURNED IN
A PERFECT PERFORMANCE IN THE EQUESTRIAN PORTION AND RAN SO HARD THAT HE PASSED OUT
WHEN HE CROSSED THE FINISH LINE. AFTER ACING THE QUALIFYING ROUND
IN SHOOTING, HE WAS A SHOO-IN FOR THE MEDAL. BUT AFTER 20 SHOTS,
HE ONLY SHOWED 19 HITS. THE JUDGES SAY ONE SHOT
COMPLETELY MISSED THE TARGET. BUT PATTON CLAIMED THAT HIS
20th SHOT WAS SO ACCURATE, IT WENT CLEAN THROUGH
ANOTHER BULLET HOLE WITHOUT LEAVING A TRACE. AND THAT'S THE DEFINITION
OF CHUTZPAH, BABY. I HAVE NO IDEA
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED, BUT I KNOW ONE THING IS TRUE. EITHER PATTON WAS ONE OF THE FEW
MARKSMEN IN THE WORLD WHO COULD PULL OF SUCH A SHOT, OR HE WAS ONE OF THE FEW
STORYTELLERS IN THE WORLD WHO COULD MAKE YOU BELIEVE IT. SO, I THINK WE'VE EFFECTIVELY
RULED OUT AN ASSASSIN'S BULLET. WELL, I THINK YOU HAVE TO,
PLUS THE FACT THAT THE FORCE OF THESE
LITTLE PELLETS ISN'T ENOUGH TO DO THE KIND OF CRUSHING
YOU NEED TO SNAP HIS VERTEBRAE. YEAH. COME ON. YOU GOT TO LOVE THE
FACT THAT SCOTT MADE THAT SHOT. BUT ACCORDING TO OUR EXPERT, THAT IMPACT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO BREAK PATTON'S NECK, MAKING THE BAZATA THEORY
SEEM UNLIKELY. BUT THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT PATTON
WAS SEEMINGLY ON THE MEND JUST BEFORE HE WAS FOUND DEAD ON THE MORNING
OF DECEMBER 21, 1945. IN FACT, PATTON WAS DUE
TO TRAVEL BACK TO THE U.S. JUST DAYS LATER, AND NO AUTOPSY
WAS EVER PERFORMED ON HIS BODY. SO COULD THIS STILL BE
AN INSIDE JOB? AND WHO BENEFITS? AND FROM WHERE I SIT, THE PEOPLE WHO STOOD TO GAIN
THE MOST FROM PATTON'S DEATH ALL LIVED
ON THIS SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC. GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON JR. ALWAYS WANTED TO BE
A MILITARY MAN. HE GRADUATED FROM WEST POINT, HE FOUGHT
DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR, AND HE WAS ARGUABLY
THE MOST SUCCESSFUL U.S. GENERAL TO SEE COMBAT IN EUROPE. THE GENERAL WOULD NEVER LEAVE
THE CONTINENT, HOWEVER, DYING JUST DAYS
AFTER THE CONFLICT ENDED. THE OFFICIAL CAUSE OF DEATH
WAS RULED TO BE COMPLICATIONS FROM A LOW-SPEED CAR ACCIDENT
IN MANNHEIM, GERMANY. THE ACCIDENT
WAS SUSPICIOUS FROM THE START, AND THEORIES ABOUT FOUL PLAY
ARE ENDLESS. A FORMER U.S. MARINE,
DOUGLAS BAZATA, CLAIMED HE WAS PART OF A TEAM
THAT SHOT THE GENERAL AS A PART
OF AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT. BUDDY, MAC, AND SCOTT
HAVE RULED THAT OUT. BUT THEY HAVEN'T RULED OUT
THE POSSIBILITY IT WAS AN INSIDE JOB. SO, WE'RE HERE LOOKING INTO
PATTON, GENERAL PATTON. WE'RE WONDERING
WHAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING IS OF HOW HE PERISHED. WELL, GENERAL PATTON
WAS SERVING WITH THE ARMY OF OCCUPATION
AFTER THE WAR, KIND OF IN
AN ADMINISTRATIVE ROLE. HE'D GOTTEN HIMSELF
INTO TROUBLE, AND HE WAS KIND OF BUMPED DOWN
TO A LESS IMPORTANT ROLE. WHEN YOU SAY HE GOT HIMSELF
INTO SOME TROUBLE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? HE HAD MADE STATEMENTS ABOUT HOW THE ARMY SHOULD RUN
THE POST-WAR EUROPE, AND HE IN PARTICULAR
FELT THAT, POSSIBLY, WAR WITH THE RUSSIANS
WAS INEVITABLE, THAT WE WERE SO DIFFERENT
IN OUR BELIEFS EVEN AT THE END OF THE WAR,
AS ALLIES, THAT HE FELT LIKE THERE WAS GONNA BE A POSSIBILITY
THAT THAT WOULD HAPPEN. BUT WE WERE TRYING TO BE
ALLIES WITH THE RUSSIANS AND MAKE
THAT LASTING PEACE. AND SO HIS COMMENTS WERE
VERY CONTROVERSIAL AT THE TIME AND FORCED EISENHOWER
TO DEMOTE HIM FROM COMMAND
OF THE THIRD ARMY, PUT HIM IN CHARGE
OF THE 15th ARMY, WHICH WAS JUST NOTHING
COMPARED -- PAPER PUSHER. RIGHT. SO, HERE'S A GUY
WHO'S JUST BECOME THE MOST SUCCESSFUL FIELD
GENERAL IN AMERICAN HISTORY. HE'S JUST TAKEN EUROPE. AND THEY'VE --
NO ONE'S GONNA LISTEN TO WHAT HE HAS TO SAY
ANYMORE. I THINK HE FELT HE EARNED
THE RIGHT TO SPEAK TO HIM, BUT THAT'S NOT THE WAY
OF AMERICAN MILITARY. THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO
TAKE THE BACK SEAT TO THE CIVILIAN
LEADERSHIP. BUT THE WRITINGS
ON HIM SAID THAT HE SAW IT AS HIS DESTINY
TO WIN THE WAR. BUT I THINK
THAT HIS DAY IN THE SUN HAD ALREADY
KIND OF STARTED TO SET. RIGHT. THAT TYPE OF GENERAL WASN'T
GONNA BE NEEDED ANYMORE. TECHNOLOGY
WAS OUTSTRIPPING THE KIND OF FIGHT
HE KNEW HOW TO BE IN, TOO. EXACTLY. THE SORT OF BOMBS
THEY WERE ABOUT TO DROP. Meltzer:
OKAY, THINK ABOUT THIS. PATTON BEGAN HIS MILITARY CAREER
STUDYING CAVALRY AND SWORDPLAY. HE'S ONE OF THE FIRST GENERALS
TO MASTER TANK WARFARE. BUT WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMAN
DROPPED THE ATOM BOMB ON JAPAN, EVERYTHING CHANGED. A GENERAL WHO UNDERSTOOD FIGHTING ON HORSEBACK WITH
SABERS WAS SUDDENLY OBSOLETE. THE DAYS OF FRONTLINE GENERALS LEADING THEIR TROOPS
ON THE BATTLEFIELD WERE GIVING WAY
TO POLITICIANS WITH ARMCHAIRS WAGING WARS
WITH THE PUSH OF A BUTTON. McKinley:
IF HE HADN'T HAVE DIED, WOULD THERE HAVE BEEN ANY WAY TO GET HIM TO BE QUIET
AFTER THE WAR? PROBABLY NOT. SO NOW IT SOUNDS LIKE
EISENHOWER WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WHO HAD AN AX TO GRIND
WITH PATTON. THE RUSSIANS MIGHT HAVE BEEN
A LITTLE UNHAPPY WITH HIM, TOO, AND BY "A LITTLE,"
I MEAN A BUCKET LOAD. WHILE PATTON CLASHED WITH THE
ENEMY AND HIS FELLOW GENERALS, HE WAS SAID TO HAVE HAD
THE UTMOST RESPECT FROM HIS MEN. AND IF I'VE LEARNED ANYTHING FROM ALL THE TIME I'VE SPENT
RESEARCHING THE ARMY, NO ONE KNOWS A GENERAL BETTER THAN THE MEN
WHO SERVED UNDER HIM. Fargo: HE WAS
VERY STAUNCH AND FORWARD. HE WAS IN THE TURRET OF HIS TANK
WHEN I SAW HIM THE FIRST TIME. DID HE HAVE
THAT FAMOUS SCOWL? YES. AND HE HAD A GREAT, BIG
SILVER HELMET ON. [ LAUGHS ] AND EVERYBODY LOVED HIM
BECAUSE HE WAS A HARD CHARGER. DO YOU WANT TO KNOW
WHY PATTON WAS SO CONTROVERSIAL? NO QUESTION HE WAS FEARLESS
ON THE BATTLEFIELD. BUT HE HAD LITTLE PATIENCE FOR ANYONE
WHO DIDN'T SHARE HIS BRAVERY. WHILE VISITING WOUNDED SOLDIERS
IN ITALY, A SOLDIER REVEALED TO PATTON
THAT HE WAS NOT INJURED. HE WAS SIMPLY
SUFFERING FROM NERVOUSNESS BECAUSE HE COULDN'T TAKE
THE PRESSURES OF BATTLE. PATTON SLAPPED THE INFANTRYMAN,
CALLED HIM "A GUTLESS BASTARD," AND LITERALLY KICKED HIM
OUT OF THE HOSPITAL AND BACK TO THE FRONT LINES. THE INCIDENT
BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL STORY AND BECAME A POLITICAL NIGHTMARE
FOR EISENHOWER, WHO RECEIVED TREMENDOUS PRESSURE
TO DISCHARGE PATTON RIGHT THERE. EISENHOWER
ORDERED PATTON TO APOLOGIZE, AND IT MAY HAVE BEEN
AN EARLY SIGN OF THE MANY POLITICAL HEADACHES
THAT PATTON WOULD CREATE FOR EISENHOWER
TOWARD THE END OF THE WAR. Levy: THERE ARE STORIES
THAT HE WAS A BIT CONTROVERSIAL AND THAT NOT EVERYBODY
LOVED HIM. UNFORTUNATELY, HE DIDN'T GET
ALONG WITH THE ADMINISTRATION. SO, PATTON DIDN'T GET ALONG
WITH WASHINGTON. YOU DON'T SEE
A MEMORIAL. YOU DON'T SEE HIS NAME
ON ANYTHING AROUND HERE. I'VE HEARD ABOUT FOUR DIFFERENT
POSSIBLE CAUSES OF DEATH -- PNEUMONIA, EMBOLISM,
BROKEN NECK, OR HEART FAILURE. SO, WHICH ONE
DO YOU THINK IT IS? I DON'T BELIEVE
IT WAS ANY OF THOSE. I THINK IT WAS POISON
IN THE HOSPITAL. AND I THINK THE KGB
HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT. SO YOU THINK
THE CAR ACCIDENT WAS JUST
TO GET HIM TO THE HOSPITAL? NO, THE CAR ACCIDENT
FAILED TO DESTROY HIM. FAILED. OKAY. AND YOU THINK THIS YOUNG PFC
DRIVING THAT 2h-TON TRUCK WAS HIRED TO DO THIS? I THINK SO. SO, WHY DO YOU THINK
HE WAS POISONED? BECAUSE OF THE DISCONNECT
BETWEEN PATTON AND THE RUSSIANS. THE RUSSIANS, IN A SENSE, WERE GETTING THE SUPPORT
OF OUR ADMINISTRATION. IT'S HARD
TO THINK OF IT NOW, BUT RUSSIA WAS OUR ALLY
IN WORLD WAR II. YEAH, WELL,
A DIFFERENT KIND OF AN ALLY, BECAUSE WHEN WE MET THEM
ON INN RIVER DOWN THERE, WE OBSERVED COSSACKS THAT WERE RIDING UP AND DOWN
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER. PEOPLE TIED TO TREES, AND THEY WERE USING
THEIR SWORDS. OH, GEEZ. [ GROANS ] AND WE COULDN'T
DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. SO YOU OBSERVED THEM
BEING PRETTY VICIOUS. YES.
AND THEY WERE. SO, WE HAD DIFFERENT
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT. YES. WE SURE DID. Meltzer: WHEN THE RUSSIANS
JOINED THE ALLIES, PATTON REFERRED TO STALIN
AS "A TYRANT" AND TO STALIN'S ARMY
AS "MONGOLIAN SAVAGES." DURING ONE PARTICULAR TIRADE,
PATTON STATED, "FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN OF THEM, "I HAVE NO PARTICULAR DESIRE
TO UNDERSTAND THEM, "EXCEPT TO ASCERTAIN HOW MUCH LEAD OR IRON
IT TAKES TO KILL THEM." McKinley: YOU DON'T THINK OUR
GOVERNMENT FOLLOWED UP ON IT 'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE
A PROBLEM WITH THE RUSSIANS? OUR GOVERNMENT
KIND OF IGNORED IT BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE
THERE WAS AN ENHANCEMENT OF A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RUSSIA
AND THE UNITED STATES. HE'S OUT OF THE WAY. YEAH. THAT WORKED OUT NICELY. SO THE KGB HAS PATTON EXECUTED,
AND THEN THERE'S A COVER UP. YES. I THINK. Meltzer:
THE THEORY THAT THE RUSSIANS MAY HAVE HAD A HAND
IN PATTON'S DEATH MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE TO ME. ESPECIALLY 'CAUSE
IT'S SO HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT WOULD HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH
THE DEATH OF A FELLOW GENERAL. THE RUSSIANS OF THE STALIN ERA
WERE NOTORIOUSLY PARANOID. WHEN PATTON MADE NOISES ABOUT CONTINUING
THE MARCH OF U.S. TROOPS UNTIL THEY HIT MOSCOW, THERE'S NO DOUBT
IT CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF THE KREMLIN AND THE KGB. SO FOR US TO FIND OUT WHETHER OR NOT THE RUSSIANS
WERE ACTUALLY BEHIND HIS DEATH, WE'RE NOW HEADED
TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME. Meltzer:
GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON JR. DIED ON DECEMBER 21, 1945
IN MANNHEIM, GERMANY. HIS DEATH WAS RULED ACCIDENTAL, THE RESULT OF INJURIES
SUSTAINED IN A CAR ACCIDENT. BUT FROM THE BEGINNING,
THE ACCIDENT WAS SUSPICIOUS. PATTON WAS THE ONLY ONE HURT, AND THE CARS COLLIDED
AT A RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED. BUT THE ARMY NEVER DID AN
AUTOPSY ON THE GENERAL'S BODY. SO BUDDY, McKINLEY, AND SCOTT ARE HEADED
TO THE SITE OF THE ACCIDENT. BUT FIRST THEY'RE CHECKING IN WITH ONE OF PATTON'S CLOSEST
LIVING RELATIVES. I CAN'T HELP NOTICING
YOU'VE GOT WHAT LOOKS LIKE A FLY-FISHING CASE HERE. ARE YOU GOING
ON THE MOSELLE? THIS IS MY GRANDFATHER'S CROP,
WHICH I BROUGHT FOR YOU TODAY. THAT IS SO COOL! LOOK AT HOW IT'S WORN
RIGHT THERE. LIKE, THAT'S
WHERE HIS HAND WAS. [ CHUCKLES ] Rolle: WE SORT OF KNOW
WHAT HE WAS LIKE AS A GENERAL, BUT HOW ABOUT
JUST AS A GUY? WELL, I THINK THAT AS A GUY,
HE WAS GIVEN, I THINK, A VERY GRAND VERSION
OF HIS OWN BLOODLINE. AND HIS AUNT HAD THE PROPENSITY
TO STUFF HIM WITH STORIES OF CHIVALROUS KNIGHTS
AND ALSO HIS OWN HERITAGE. HIS OWN GRANDFATHER WAS KILLED
AT THE BATTLE OF CEDAR CREEK. HIS UNCLES WERE KILLED
IN THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG. YEAH. AND HE FELT HIS ANCESTORS
AROUND HIM AT ALL TIMES. AND I THINK HE HAD AN AFFINITY
WITH HISTORY. AND ANY DECISION
THAT HE MADE, USUALLY, HE CHECKED
WITH THE HISTORY BOOKS. AND HE WAS
A SOLDIER'S SOLDIER. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY,
EVEN SOLDIERS THAT I'VE MET WHO DETESTED THE MAN SAID, "I'D STILL GO TO HELL AND BACK
WITH HIM, BECAUSE HE WAS
ONE OF US." HE WANTED TO BE BURIED
WITH THE TROOPS. WE HAD OFFERS FROM,
I BELIEVE, DE GAUL TO EVEN HAVE GRANDPOP PLACED
IN LES INVALIDES WITH NAPOLEON. BUT HE HAD ASKED
MY GRANDMOTHER TO BE SURE THAT HE STAYED
WITH HIS TROOPS, AND SHE WAS DETERMINED
TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. Meltzer: WHILE MOST PEOPLE THINK
OF DEATH AS THE END OF THE LINE, PATTON THOUGHT
IT WAS JUST THE BEGINNING. PATTON DIDN'T FEAR DEATH.
HE EMBRACED IT. HIS LETTERS EVEN ALLUDED
TO HIS BELIEF IN REINCARNATION. PATTON EVEN BELIEVED
HE MAY HAVE BEEN HANNIBAL, A CARTHAGINIAN
MILITARY COMMANDER, AND THAT HE FOUGHT ALONGSIDE
NAPOLEON IN PREVIOUS LIVES. DO YOU THINK IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THERE WAS SOME KIND
OF ASSASSINATION AND COVER UP? I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE.
YES, I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE. AND I HAVE HAD STRANGERS
APPROACH ME AND TELL ME THINGS. DO YOU MIND TELLING US? I'LL TELL YOU ONE. I HAD A SPY COME TO ME
IN NORMANDY, AND HE TOLD ME
THAT SOMEBODY HAD BEEN PAID OR INDUCED TO SNEAK INTO MY GRANDFATHER'S
HOSPITAL ROOM AND KILL HIM. SO, THE SPY
THAT APPROACHED YOU, HELEN, WAS HE SORT OF GIVING YOU
A DEATHBED CONFESSION? I THINK SO.
I THINK HE WAS 93 AT THE TIME. I THINK IF I DO THE MATH, I HAVE NO TROUBLE BELIEVING
THAT THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED. Levy: HELEN PATTON'S STORY
WAS STARTING TO SOUND AN AWFUL LOT
LIKE ROB WILCOX'S STORY. IT DEFINITELY MADE ME
WANT TO LOOK INTO THE THEORY THAT SOMEONE COULD HAVE GOTTEN
TO PATTON IN THE HOSPITAL. IT WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE BEEN
AN INSIDE JOB, REALLY. I MEAN, EVERYONE INVOLVED. YOU KNOW,
THERE ARE TWO SIDES OF ME. THERE'S ONE SIDE OF ME
THAT SAYS, LEAVE IT ALONE. LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE. ON THE OTHER HAND,
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THAT HE WOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN
JUST AT THAT TIME. DOES THAT SUGGEST
HE ALSO HAD ENEMIES? WELL, I THINK
THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT FELT HE WAS
A BULL IN A CHINA SHOP. YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS A VERY
SENSITIVE TIME POLITICALLY. YOU KNOW,
HE DID HAVE THESE IDEAS OF GOING FORWARD TOWARDS BERLIN
AND KNOCKING OUT THE RUSSIANS. I THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
WOULD BE QUITE HAPPY IF HE WOULD HAVE JUST GONE AWAY
AT THAT MOMENT. THE ACCIDENT SCENE -- HAVE YOU
BEEN THERE AND SEEN IT YOURSELF? I HAVE. I CAN'T IMAGINE
THAT YOU COULD BE HAVING SUCH DAMAGE
TO THE HUMAN BODY AFTER JUST CROSSING
A SET OF TRACKS LIKE THAT. IN MY HEART OF HEARTS,
I THINK THERE'S A POSSIBLE INJUSTICE
AT THE ROOT OF IT, BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THIS. IF YOU COME UP WITH
"IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT," THAT WOULD BE GREAT
AND PUT US ALL AT PEACE. BUT FOLLOW
EVERY SINGLE LEAD YOU GET, AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. WE'RE INVESTIGATING THE DEATH
OF GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON. WE'VE LEARNED
THAT HIGH-RANKING OFFICIALS IN BOTH THE RUSSIAN
AND U.S. MILITARY WANTED PATTON OUT OF THE WAY. AND WHEN WE WERE
PRIVILEGED ENOUGH TO SPEAK TO ONE OF HIS CLOSEST
SURVIVING RELATIVES, SHE TOLD US
THE FAMILY ALWAYS QUESTIONED THE DETAILS
OF HIS REPORTED ACCIDENT AND TO FOLLOW EVERY LEAD WE GET. WE OWE HER AN ANSWER, ESPECIALLY ABOUT HOW THE DRIVER
WHO CRASHED INTO HER GRANDFATHER WALKED AWAY UNPUNISHED. YES, IT'S
66 YEARS AFTER THE FACT, SO THERE'S A LIMITED AMOUNT
WE CAN LEARN FROM LOOKING
AT THE CRASH SITE ITSELF. BUT YOU NEVER KNOW
WHAT YOU'RE GONNA FIND. McKinley: SO, THIS
IS WHERE IT HAPPENED? THIS IS INDEED
WHERE IT HAPPENED. YES. IN 1945, THIS HUMBLE LITTLE ROAD
IN A COMMERCIAL AREA OF MANNHEIM WAS THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARE LEADING NORTH
FROM DOWNTOWN MANNHEIM. OKAY? AND PATTON WAS PROBABLY
BEHIND HIS DRIVER, PFC WOODRING, WITH HOBART GAY BY HIS SIDE. OKAY.
AND A TRUCK HITS HIM, RIGHT? YES. THE TRUCK ACTUALLY
CAME FROM DOWNTOWN MANNHEIM. IT WAS ONE OF THOSE WORLD WAR II
DEUCE-AND-A-HALF TRUCKS. AND BEHIND
THE STEERING WHEEL WAS A TECH SERGEANT --
TECH SERGEANT THOMPSON. AND FROM WHAT
REPORTS TELL US, IT CONTAINED SOME LATE-NIGHT
REVELERS COMING BACK TO BASE. AND THEIR INTENTION WAS
TO COME FROM DOWNTOWN MANNHEIM RIGHT HERE
INTO THIS HUGE DEPOT, AND PATTON'S VEHICLE
CAME FROM DOWN HERE. BEHIND THOSE BILLBOARDS HERE,
WAY IN THE BACK, USED TO BE A RAILROAD CROSSING,
WHERE PATTON'S CAR HAD TO STOP. AND AFTER THE TRAIN HAD PASSED,
PATTON'S CAR RE-ACCELERATED, AND THE TWO BASICALLY MET
RIGHT IN FRONT HERE, RIGHT HERE
AT THIS INTERSECTION. AND AT THIS VERY MOMENT, THE TRUCK, ALL OF A SUDDEN,
TOOK A LEFT TURN. AND IT WAS TOO LATE
FOR PATTON'S DRIVER TO REACT, CAUSING PATTON'S VEHICLE
TO CRASH INTO THE SIDE OF THE TRUCK. AND PATTON'S SKULL, OBVIOUSLY,
CRASHED ON SOME PARTITION AND DISLODGED HIS THIRD
VERTEBRA, HERE IN THE BACK. THIS IS SUCH A HORRIBLE WAY
FOR HIM TO DIE. YES. AND IN FACT, THOSE WERE
REPORTEDLY HIS FIRST WORDS AFTER THE ACCIDENT --
"WHAT A HELL OF A WAY TO DIE." WAS THERE A FULL-ON
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
DONE AT THIS SCENE? YES, FIRST LIEUTENANT
PETER BABALAS. HE WAS THE OFFICER
IN CHARGE THIS MORNING. SIMPLY SUBMIT
A STANDARD REPORT. IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO GET
A COPY OF THE ACCIDENT REPORT? UNFORTUNATELY NOT. IN FACT, LIEUTENANT BABALAS
TRIED TO DISINTER IT LATER ON, HIMSELF,
AND COULDN'T FIND IT ANYMORE. SO IT'S GONE. IT'S GONE. YES, INDEED. WELL, HOW ABOUT
TECH SERGEANT THOMPSON? I MEAN, WERE THERE ANY REPORTS
OR ANYTHING WRITTEN ABOUT TECH SERGEANT THOMPSON
BEING DRUNK AT THE TIME? NOT THAT I KNOW OF. BUT YOU GO TO PICK UP
THE OTHER SOLDIERS
WHO WERE OUT PARTYING. YOU STOP IN,
HAVE A COUPLE DRINKS. I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE. YEAH. WAS HE COURT-MARTIALED?
DID HE GET AN ARTICLE 15? I MEAN, HE SHOULD HAVE
GOTTEN IN TROUBLE, RIGHT? YES, INDEED. INDEED. THE ONLY THING I FOUND OUT
ABOUT HIM IS HE WAS TRANSFERRED
TO ANOTHER UNIT IN BRITAIN, PERIOD,
AND THAT SETTLES IT. AND WHAT'S ALSO AMAZING
IS HE SEEMS TO BE DISAPPEARING IN THE FOGS
OF HISTORY AFTER A WHILE, AND HAS NOT REALLY BEEN
HEARD OF ANYMORE AFTERWARDS. AND YOU DON'T FIND THAT
TO BE ODD? WELL, YES. YES, INDEED. THE ARMY'S REACTION
TO THE ACCIDENT WAS STRANGE, TO SAY THE LEAST. PATTON'S A FOUR-STAR GENERAL, AND YET THERE'S NO
COURT-MARTIAL, NO INVESTIGATION. THE MILITARY
IS NOT KNOWN FOR BEING LENIENT. THEY TAKE ACTION. BUT I'M JUST NOT BUYING THE IDEA
THAT THE U.S. MILITARY HAD SOMETHING TO DO
WITH THE GENERAL'S DEATH. THE ACCIDENT DID SEEMINGLY GIVE THE RUSSIANS
A TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY, EVEN THOUGH PATTON
WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL ON AN AMERICAN ARMY BASE. LUCKY FOR US,
THE U.S. STILL MAINTAINS A LARGE PRESENCE IN GERMANY AND CONTINUES TO OPERATE THE EXACT SAME HOSPITAL
WHERE PATTON DIED. Levy: HEARD A LOT OF THEORIES
ABOUT HOW GENERAL PATTON DIED. I WONDERED IF YOU COULD
TAKE ME THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED FROM THE MOMENT
HE ARRIVED HERE. ABSOLUTELY. HE HAD A LARGE LACERATION
ON HIS FOREHEAD, WHERE PART OF THE SKIN
WAS PULLED BACK FROM THE HEAD AND YOU COULD ACTUALLY SEE
THE BONE. OH, MAN. IS HE COMMUNICATIVE? HE IS LUCID
AND COMMUNICATIVE. WHAT WAS THE ATMOSPHERE LIKE
HERE WHEN HE ARRIVED? WELL, IT WAS
A MEDIA CIRCUS. GENERAL OFFICERS FROM EVERY
PLACE THAT THEY WERE ASSIGNED CONVERGED ON THE SCENE. SO, ONCE HE'S
IN HIS HOSPITAL ROOM, HE'S GOT
THE BEST CARE IN THE WORLD. THEN WHAT HAPPENED? WELL, THEY HAD TO STABILIZE
THE CERVICAL SPINE FRACTURE. AND HOW'S HE DOING
AT THAT POINT? PEOPLE THOUGHT
HE WAS ACTUALLY DOING BETTER. WAS HE EATING? YES, HE WAS EATING.
BUT HE WASN'T EATING VERY MUCH. AS AN APPETITE STIMULANT, HIS DOCTORS ACTUALLY
PRESCRIBED WHISKEY, WHICH MADE
QUITE A SENSATION. ONE OF THE NEWSPAPER
HEADLINES SAID, "PATTON FLAT ON HIS BACK
CALLS FOR WHISKEY." AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED? WELL, TOWARDS THE END
OF HIS HOSPITAL COURSE, HE DEVELOPED
SOME SHORTNESS OF BREATH, AND HIS SKIN BECAME BLUE. HE BEGAN COUGHING, AND HE COUGHED UP
SOME FROTHY PINK SPUTUM. SO ANY PHYSICIAN
WOULD RECOGNIZE THESE SIGNS AS CARDINAL EVIDENCE
OF A PULMONARY EMBOLISM, WHICH IS A BLOOD CLOT
THAT TRAVELS TO THE LUNGS. INSTANTLY, HIS NURSE
SUMMONED DR. SPURLING, THE SENIOR NEUROSURGEON, WHO WAS
WITH MRS. PATTON AT THE TIME. BUT BY THAT TIME, HE HAD EXPIRED
BY THE TIME THEY GOT THERE. WOW. AND SO HERE WE ARE, OUTSIDE
THE ROOM OF GENERAL PATTON. THIS IS THE ROOM
IN WHICH HE DIED. YOU KNOW, YOU JUST MENTIONED
BLOOD-TINGED SPUTUM, AND I'M WONDERING IF ONE
WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN POISON WOULD SUFFER FROM THAT. WELL, I AM NOT
A TOXICOLOGIST, SO I CAN'T TELL YOU
IF THERE IS SOME POISON THAT WOULD SIMPLY
CAUSE BLOOD-TINGED SPUTUM, AS ONE SEES
WITH A PULMONARY EMBOLISM. ARE ANY OF THE OTHER SYMPTOMS
THAT HE HAD HERE IN THE HOSPITAL CONSISTENT
WITH BEING GIVEN POISON? NO POISON
THAT I'M AWARE OF. Levy: THE OTHER THING
THAT CONCERNS ME A LITTLE BIT -- IF I SHOW UP
AT THE SCENE OF A DEATH OF, YOU KNOW, GENERAL PETRAEUS,
AS AN EXAMPLE, I'M GONNA ASK
FOR AN AUTOPSY. DOES THAT EXIST? NO. AND THERE'S
A GOOD REASON FOR THAT. THE PHYSICIANS
IN THIS CASE DID ASK MRS. PATTON
TO CONSENT TO AN AUTOPSY. OH, THEY DID? THEY DID. BUT ONE CAN SURMISE THAT SHE DIDN'T WANT
HER HUSBAND CARVED UP. AND WE DIDN'T HAVE
A VERY THOROUGH INVESTIGATION, AND THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS
PEOPLE HAD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED, AND THERE WAS NOTHING WRITTEN
TO EXPLAIN IT. HELEN PATTON,
GENERAL PATTON'S GRANDDAUGHTER, TOLD US THAT ON HIS DEATHBED,
A SPY CAME TO HER AND SAID THAT SOMEONE HAD BEEN
HIRED TO KILL GENERAL PATTON WHILE HE WAS HERE
IN THE HOSPITAL. WELL, IT SEEMS
AN IMPROBABLE STORY. FOR ONE THING,
THERE WAS A NURSE STATIONED IN HIS ROOM
24 HOURS A DAY. WE KNOW
FROM THE MEDICAL RECORD THAT SHE WAS DOCUMENTING IN
A CHART EVERY 15 TO 30 MINUTES. THIS IS GENERAL PATTON'S
MEDICAL RECORD RIGHT HERE. WAS IT COMMON PRACTICE TO HAVE
A 'ROUND-THE-CLOCK NURSE? NO, NOT UNLESS YOU WERE A SPECIAL PATIENT
OR WERE PARTICULARLY ILL. AND PATTON
HAPPENED TO BE BOTH -- SERIOUSLY ILL
AND A VERY IMPORTANT PERSON, AND SO HE HAD A SINGLE NURSE
ASSIGNED TO HIM EVERY SHIFT. OKAY. Meltzer:
IT SEEMS LIKE PATTON RECEIVED THE BEST CARE POSSIBLE
AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH. THE SECURITY ON THE BASE ALSO
WOULD SEEM TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE RUSSIANS
TO HAVE GOTTEN CLOSE ENOUGH TO KILL THE GENERAL. BUDDY, MAC, AND SCOTT
ARE ON THE RHINE RIVER, THE SITE OF ONE OF PATTON'S
GREATEST MILITARY VICTORIES. SEE, ON MARCH 22, 1945, THE THIRD ARMY ERECTED
A FLOATING PONTOON BRIDGE IN FOUR HOURS,
AMIDST ENEMY FIRE. BETWEEN 10:00 P.M. AND MIDNIGHT, 6,000 OF PATTON'S MEN
CROSSED THE RHINE INTO GERMANY. AND PATTON
DIDN'T JUST CROSS THE RHINE. HE CROSSED IT PATTON-STYLE. FIRST, HE PICKED UP
HANDFULS OF THE NEWLY WON SOIL, JUST AS ONE OF HIS HEROES,
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR, USED TO DO. PATTON BELIEVED
IN MAKING A STATEMENT. AND SECOND,
HE COMMANDED HIS TROOPS TO STOP
HALFWAY ACROSS THE BRIDGE SO HE COULD RELIEVE HIMSELF
INTO THE RIVER. HE ALSO BELIEVED
IN MARKING HIS TERRITORY. SO, WHAT'D YOU THINK
OF THAT ACCIDENT SCENE, HUH? IT JUST DOESN'T LOOK LIKE
A PLACE WHERE YOU'RE GONNA GO
TRY AND KILL SOMEONE. LIKE, THAT IS SUCH A RISKY
SORT OF DODGY WAY TO TRY AND KILL SOMEONE. IF YOU'RE GONNA KILL SOMEONE,
POISON THEM. DON'T, LIKE, TRY AND SIDESWIPE
THEM WITH A CAR. IT JUST LOOKED LIKE
ANYTHING COULD GO WRONG. WELL, IT'S HARD TO DO IT,
BUT IT'S ALSO ALMOST THE PERFECT CRIME
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE PEOPLE DIE
IN CAR CRASHES ALL THE TIME, AND IT JUST DOESN'T LOOK
ALL THAT SUSPICIOUS. Levy: YEAH. YOU KNOW, THE HOSPITAL, TOO,
RAISES A TON OF QUESTIONS, BECAUSE WHEN YOU BRING UP
POISON, IT'S INTERESTING. IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHO WERE THE PEOPLE
WHO WERE MONITORING HIM? BUT DID IT LOOK LIKE IT WOULD BE
EASY TO GET IN THERE, OR WOULD IT BE
A DIFFICULT... NOT THAT EASY. RIGHT. THIS ALL SEEMS TO BE
CASTING SOME DOUBT ON THE RUSSIAN THEORY. AND THE SIGNS ARE STARTING
TO POINT TO NATURAL CAUSES. SO YOU KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING. BUDDY, MAC, AND SCOTT
ARE HEADED BACK TO THE U.S. Levy: WELL, YOU GUYS,
WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU COULD HEAR
ON PATTON'S LIFE AND DEATH, AND WHERE ARE WE? McKinley:
IT'S ALL JUST SO COMPLEX THAT MORE AND MORE
IT LOOKS LIKE AN ACCIDENT TO ME. BUT I HAVE A PROBLEM
WITH WHAT HAPPENS AFTER. WHY NO PAPERWORK? WHAT HAPPENS
TO THE GUY THAT HITS HIM? THERE'S STILL
SOMETHING ABOUT IT THAT FEELS LIKE
IT'S BEING COVERED UP. AND WHY WOULD ALL OF THESE
THEORIES HAVE SURFACED OVER TIME IF SOMETHING
ISN'T COVERED UP? RIGHT. Meltzer: THERE'S ONE MAN
WHO I'VE COME ACROSS IN ALL THE RESEARCH I'VE DONE, AND THE GUYS NEED TO TALK TO HIM BEFORE WE CAN WRAP
THIS INVESTIGATION. THEY'RE HEADED THERE NOW TO ASK ONE OF THE MOST VITAL
QUESTIONS -- HOW DID THE MAN WHO CAUSED
THIS CRASH WALK AWAY UNPUNISHED? Meltzer:
GENERAL GEORGE PATTON DIED AT THE END OF WORLD WAR II
IN GERMANY. HIS DEATH WAS RULED
AS ACCIDENTAL BY DOCTORS, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN
THEORIES OF FOUL PLAY ALMOST FROM THE BEGINNING. WE'VE RULED OUT A THEORY
INVOLVING EISENHOWER, BUT BUDDY, MAC, AND SCOTT
ARE ABOUT TO MEET WITH ONE OF THE WORLD'S FOREMOST
PATTON EXPERTS TO ASK HIM HOW THE SOLDIER
WHO CAUSED THE ACCIDENT WALKED AWAY UNPUNISHED. Province:
IT'S VERY SIMPLE. PATTON DIED FROM HIS INJURIES
IN AN ACCIDENT. AND THAT'S ALL
IT REALLY WAS. BUT THERE HAVE BEEN
SOME THEORIES ABOUT MAYBE
TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY, AFTER HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL,
TO ASSASSINATE HIM. AS A MATTER OF FACT,
WHEN HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL, HE WAS ACTUALLY
GETTING A LITTLE BIT BETTER. AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS,
HE SUFFERED AN EMBOLISM. HE HAD SUFFERED
EMBOLISMS THREE OR FOUR TIMES
THROUGH HIS LIFE, AND HE HAD BEEN
PUT IN THE HOSPITAL FOR IT. ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT PATTON
HAD THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE WAS THAT HE LITERALLY BROKE JUST
ABOUT EVERY BONE IN HIS BODY. AND HE EVEN
BROKE HIS NECK ONCE. HE BROKE HIS NECK, AND THE SAME
VERTEBRA, NUMBER-3 VERTEBRA, WHICH IS WHAT GOT DAMAGED IN
THE ACCIDENT THAT KILLED HIM -- THAT HAD BEEN DAMAGED BEFORE,
SO IT HAD BEEN WEAKENED. OH, THAT MAKES
MORE SENSE. BECAUSE WE WERE LOOKING
AT THE CRASH SITE AND THINKING, HOW COULD SUCH A SLOW-MOVING
CRASH KILL HIM? EVEN IF HE REALLY DID TRULY DIE
IN THAT CAR ACCIDENT, COULDN'T IT ALSO BE TRUE THAT THE SOVIET UNION
WAS TRYING TO KILL HIM? IF THEY WERE
GONNA KILL SOMEBODY, THEY WOULD TRY TO KILL
PRESIDENT TRUMAN OR EISENHOWER OR MARSHALL OR CHURCHILL
OR SOMEBODY LIKE THAT. WELL, I THINK
ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE YOU NAMED DIDN'T WANT TO GO MARCHING BACK
INTO RUSSIA, BUT PATTON DID. IN FACT, WHAT IT WAS,
GENERAL PATTON SAID, WE'VE REPLACED THE NAZIS
WITH THE COMMUNISTS. WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS PUSH THE RUSSIANS
BACK TO THE RUSSIAN BORDER. YEAH. WE NEED TO TAKE POLAND,
CZECHOSLOVAKIA, HUNGARY, ALL THOSE COUNTRIES,
AND GIVE THESE PEOPLE THE FREEDOM THAT WE PROMISED
THEM WHEN WE CAME OVER HERE. AND YOU DON'T THINK
THAT TICKED OFF THE RUSSIANS? WELL, IT DID TICK THEM OFF,
BUT NOT ENOUGH TO KILL HIM. WE'D HEARD THAT PATTON
WANTED TO START WORLD WAR III, BUT I WAS STARTING TO THINK
THAT ALL HE WANTED WAS TO GIVE EUROPEANS THE
ABILITY TO GOVERN THEMSELVES. THE TECH SERGEANT
THAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT SEEMS TO HAVE DISAPPEARED --
THERE WAS NO PUNISHMENT. AND THAT DOES
ADD SOME FUEL TO THIS FIRE. WELL, ACTUALLY,
HIS NAME WAS THOMPSON. AND HE WAS DRUNK
AT THE TIME. HE AND TWO OTHER GUYS,
THEY HAD BEEN OUT JOYRIDING, AND WHAT REALLY HAPPENED
WAS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, PATTON, EVEN THOUGH
HE WAS PARALYZED, HE STILL WAS COGNIZANT
OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON. THE M.P.s SHOWED UP AND STARTED
QUESTIONING THOMPSON, AND PATTON SAID,
"YOU GUYS, KNOCK IT OFF. "LEAVE HIM ALONE.
IT WAS AN ACCIDENT. "I DON'T WANT ANYTHING
DONE TO THESE GUYS, "BECAUSE IF YOU DO, YOU'RE
JUST GONNA RUIN THEIR LIVES. AND I'M AN OLD MAN ANYWAY.
JUST GET ME TO THE HOSPITAL." SO IS IT
YOUR THEORY, THEN, THAT NO PUNISHMENT
OR COURT-MARTIAL OR ANY TYPE
OF MILITARY ACTION WAS TAKEN
AGAINST THE TECH SERGEANT BECAUSE PATTON SAID
NOT TO? IT IS NOT A THEORY. ONE OF THE M.P.s,
LIEUTENANT SMITH, SAT DOWN
IN JANUARY OF 1946, AND HE HAND-WROTE A LETTER
THAT STATED THE FACT THAT THOMPSON WAS THE ACTUAL ONE
WHO CAUSED THE ACCIDENT, BUT ACCORDING TO
GENERAL PATTON'S DIRECT ORDER, IT WAS ALL STOPPED
RIGHT THEN AND THERE. I CAN SEE PATTON SAYING, "WOODY,
MY DRIVER, WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE," BUT WAS HE ALSO SAYING, "DON'T INVESTIGATE ANYBODY
IN THE OTHER VEHICLE"? THAT'S RIGHT. AS A MATTER OF FACT,
SERGEANT THOMPSON, WHO WAS DRIVING
THE DEUCE AND A HALF -- I HAVE A COPY
OF HIS OBITUARY AT HOME, AND IN THERE, THERE'S
A STATEMENT BY HIS WIFE, AND SHE SAYS THAT
THAT ACCIDENT JUST RUINED HIM
FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. HE ALWAYS THOUGHT OF HIMSELF
AS A MURDERER. OH, WOW. PATTON WAS ALSO A GOOD GUY. HE TOOK CARE OF HIS MEN,
AND HE TREATED HIS MEN RIGHT. KIND OF MAKES SENSE. LIKE, OUT OF LOYALTY
TO HIS OWN GUYS, HE WOULD KNOW THAT THERE WAS
NO MALICE INTENDED, AND HIS LOYALTY WOULD EXTEND
TO EVEN FORGIVING FOR HIS DEATH. THAT'S RIGHT. THE NEWSPAPERS,
THE MEDIA WOULD HAVE DESTROYED HIM,
HAD HE COME HOME ANYWAY. IT'S LIKE AN ACTOR. YOU HAVE TO KNOW
WHEN TO MAKE YOUR EXIT. HAD HE LIVED,
HE WOULD HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE PROBABLY A PRETTY BITTER GUY
THE REST OF HIS LIFE. AS IT IS, HE WENT OUT ON THE TOP
AS A BIG HERO AND, WELL, WE'RE STILL
SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT HIM. AH, WE HAVE COVERED
SOME GROUND FOLLOWING THIS LEGEND
AROUND THE WORLD, HAVEN'T WE? OBVIOUSLY,
HE HAD PLENTY OF ENEMIES. MAYBE EISENHOWER, POLITICALLY,
WAS ONE OF THEM. WAS IT AN ACCIDENT, OR WAS IT
AN INTENTIONAL ACCIDENT? THE ACCIDENT, TO ME,
IS TOO COINCIDENTAL. I MEAN, I JUST THINK
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE
TO SET THAT UP. FROM EVERYTHING
WE'VE LOOKED AT, FROM ALL THE EVIDENCE
THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT, IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO ME
THAT AN ACCIDENT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO GET RID
OF GENERAL PATTON. RIGHT. IT'S A REALLY SLOPPY WAY
TO KILL SOMEONE, FRANKLY. AND I THINK
THAT IF IT WERE THE SOVIETS, IF WE DECIDE THEY'RE A MORE
LIKELY CANDIDATE THAN EISENHOWER FOR A MURDERER,
THEY'RE BETTER THAN THAT. I MEAN, REALLY,
THEY CAN THINK OF A CLEANER, SMARTER, MORE SURE
DEATH THAN A SLOPPY CAR ACCIDENT WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF G.I.s
IN THE BACK OF A TRUCK. IT'S COMPLICATED BY THE FACT,
TOO, THAT HIS WIFE LATER SAYS, "I'M NOT GOING TO ALLOW
AN AUTOPSY." THAT REALLY STRUCK ME,
BECAUSE IN THE BEGINNING, WHEN HE SAID
THERE WAS NO AUTOPSY, I THOUGHT, "OH, SOMEONE'S
TRYING TO COVER SOMETHING UP." BUT I CAN SEE THAT,
AND I'VE KNOWN THAT TO HAPPEN IN MY PERSONAL LIFE,
PEOPLE I KNEW, WHERE THE HUSBAND DIES, AND THE
WIFE SAYS, "DO NOT TOUCH HIM." A WIFE IS NOT GONNA
LET HER HUSBAND BE CUT UP IF SHE DIDN'T EXPECT HIS DEATH
AND SHE'S IN SHOCK. I TOTALLY CAN SEE THAT. IN COVER UPS, YOU KNOW,
YOU DO HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL THE DIFFERENT
AVENUES OF POSSIBILITY. AND AS YOU'VE SAID BEFORE,
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THE MOST OBVIOUS
ANSWER IS THE RIGHT ANSWER. BUT WHY DO SO MANY OF US,
INCLUDING<i> US,</i> BY THE WAY -- WHY DO WE WANT TO BELIEVE THAT
THERE WAS AN<i> INTENTIONAL</i> DEATH? I THINK IN PART
IT'S BECAUSE IT'S NOT BEFITTING
THE MAGNITUDE OF THE MAN. RIGHT. WE REALLY WANT HIM
TO BE BULLETPROOF, AND HE REPRESENTS
SOMETHING VERY INTRINSICALLY
TOUGH AND AMERICAN, AND SO WE WANT THAT IDEA
TO BE BULLETPROOF, AND IT'S NOT. THE BIZARRE THING TO ME IS,
YOU LOOK FROM THE BEGINNING, AND IT LOOKS LIKE A COVER UP,
DOES IT NOT? YEAH, WELL,
YOU KNOW WHAT? IT WAS A COVER UP,
AND PATTON COVERED IT UP. IT WAS A WHODUNIT,
AND HE DONE IT, YOU KNOW? NOW, WE DIDN'T KNOW
AT THE TIME, OF COURSE, THAT HE HAD SAID
TO THE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND AT THE ACCIDENT SITE,
YOU KNOW, "LET'S NOT
LET THIS GET OUT OF HAND. GET ME TO A HOSPITAL,
AND DON'T HARASS THESE MEN." HE HIMSELF
SORT OF PLANTS THE SEED FOR ALL THESE
CONSPIRACY THEORIES. AND SO THAT NEW INFORMATION
WAS REVELATORY. IT CAME LATE. ONE, IT MADE ME REALIZE
THAT THIS WAS AN ACCIDENT, BUT IT ALSO
MADE ME REALIZE WHAT AN INCREDIBLE LEADER
THIS GUY IS, BECAUSE AT THE END
OF HIS LIFE, WHEN HE'S LYING THERE,
FATALLY INJURED IN A CAR, THE FIRST THING THAT COMES
TO HIS MIND TO DO IS, "TAKE CARE OF MY MEN." YEAH. SO, HAVE WE FOUND
THE TRUTH? THE TRUTH, TO ME,
IS HE DIED IN AN ACCIDENT. THAT LOOKS LIKE THE TRUTH. BUT THE THING
I DIDN'T KNOW WAS THE DEPTH AND INTEGRITY
AND HEART OF THIS MAN. I JUST THOUGHT OF HIM
AS A REALLY TOUGH GUY. AND IT'S PERFECT,
BECAUSE WE SORT OF START THINKING
THAT HE'S A GREAT MAN. WE FIND OUT THAT HE'S AN EVEN
GREATER MAN BY THE END OF IT. AMAZING. YEAH. Meltzer: PATTON
WAS THE ALL-AMERICAN IDEAL. HE WAS BIGGER THAN LIFE -- CLINT EASTWOOD
IN A U.S. ARMY UNIFORM. MEN LIKE HIM
LIVE FOREVER IN OUR MINDS, BURNED INTO
OUR COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS. HEROES LIKE PATTON ARE SUPPOSED
TO DIE IN A BLAZE OF GLORY, A HAIL OF BULLETS,
NOT IN A LOW-SPEED CAR ACCIDENT. AND THIS IS WHERE THE
CONSPIRACY THEORIES COME FROM, THIS BELIEF THAT THE GENERAL
COULDN'T HAVE DIED SO SIMPLY, SO QUIETLY. DON'T GET ME WRONG. I STILL HOLD OUT HOPE THAT A PIECE OF EVIDENCE
WILL COME TO LIGHT THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION
ONCE AND FOR ALL. BUT FOR ME,
WE'VE FOUND WHAT REALLY MATTERS, THE ONE PIECE OF EVIDENCE
THAT WAS LOST TO HISTORY -- THAT PATTON COVERED UP THE STORY
FOR THE SAKE OF HIS OWN MEN. HE WASN'T VENGEFUL,
LOOKING TO ASSIGN BLAME. HE WAS A LEADER EVEN AT THE END. HE TOLD HIS MEN TO LEAVE THE
SOLDIER WHO WAS AT FAULT ALONE, NOT TO RUIN HIS LIFE BUT TO ALLOW AN ACCIDENT
TO BE AN ACCIDENT. YOU SEE, IN THE END, PATTON WAS EVERYTHING
AN AMERICAN HERO SHOULD BE -- COMPLEX
AND SOMETIMES RELENTLESS, BUT WOULD NEVER BACK DOWN FROM
A FIGHT HE THOUGHT WAS RIGHT.
