General Patton's Son Dies at 80
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Maj. Gen. George S. Patton (search), son of the legendary World War II general of the same name, has died at age 80.
Patton suffered from a form of Parkinson's disease (search) and died on Sunday, said his wife, Joanne.
A West Point graduate like his father, he saw combat in Korea and Vietnam.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Although he was very proud of his father, he was also very, very sensitive to comparisons and always asked that any reference to his lineage be dropped from any reports written about him," said his son Robert, of Darien, Conn.
He was born George S. Patton IV but legally changed his name by dropping the Roman numeral. His great-grandfather was a Confederate soldier and his father led U.S. troops in Africa and Europe during World War II.
Father and son both commanded the Army's Second Armored Division (search), the younger taking command at Fort Hood, Texas, in 1975. The younger Patton was wounded during the Vietnam War and received a Purple Heart.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Patton retired in 1980 and lived in Hamilton, Mass., where he founded a farm and adjacent farm stand that sold blueberries, strawberries and other produce. He named the fields after Vietnam soldiers who died under his command.
He is survived by three sons, two daughters, six grandchildren and a great-grandson. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.