---
title: "The reason Gen. George Patton is buried in Luxembourg"
description: "The history of General Patton as a military leader is storied to say the least. This is the reason General Patton is buried in Luxembourg."
date: "2022-11-29"
modified: "2026-01-23"
authors:
  - name: "Miguel Ortiz"
    job_title: "Senior Contributor, Army Veteran"
    link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/miguelortiz/"
url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/general-patton-buried-in-luxembourg/"
categories:
  - "History"
  - "War History"
  - "World War II"
tags:
  - "Army"
  - "Military History"
  - "World War II"
---

# The reason Gen. George Patton is buried in Luxembourg

![general patton grave](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Patton-Grave-Front-Edit-scaled.jpeg>)
*\<em\>Patton's grave at the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial (Miguel Ortiz)\</em\>*

Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place of notable [World War II](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II>) leaders, including Gen. Omar Bradley and Adm. William Halsey. While Maj. Gen. George S. Patton IV is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, his famous father is not. In fact, he's not even buried in the United States.

**Related**: [America named four tanks after General George S. Patton](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/america-named-four-tanks-after-general-george-s-patton/>)

After Gen. George S. Patton Jr. died in Allied-occupied Germany in 1945, his body was transported to Luxembourg and buried there. The history of Patton as a military leader is storied, to say the least.

### Extensive Military Experience

![George Patton tank](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/pattontank.jpg>)
*Let it not be said that Gen. George Patton didn't know his way around a Renault FT tank. (U.S. Army)*

Patton first saw combat during the Pancho Villa Expedition of 1916, the first U.S. military action [to use motor vehicles](<https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/chasing-pancho-us-army-trucks-roll-into-action/>). During World War I, Patton became one of the first American officers to gain experience [commanding tanks](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/americas-patton-tanks-saw-combat-from-korea-to-desert-storm/>). He leveraged these experiences during the Second World War commanding the 2nd Armored Division and, later, the Seventh and Third Armies.

Rapid advances and aggressive offensive action characterized Patton's command. While German adversaries feared this leadership style, it caused Patton trouble with Allied command. In Sicily, he was [relieved of command](<https://www.hoover.org/research/german-view-patton>) of the Seventh Army after he slapped and verbally abused two soldiers suffering from combat fatigue. It was only by the intervention of Gens. Dwight D. Eisenhower and George C. Marshall, and his reputation as an aggressive combat leader, that Patton kept his stars.

Although he was sidelined for the invasion of Normandy, Patton was given [command of the Third Army](<https://www.usarcent.army.mil/About/History/Timeline/>) in 1944. Under his leadership, it cleared the Brittany Peninsula and rolled across France. On August 31, 1944, the Third Army ran out of fuel when Allied command diverted resources to Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's forces for [Operation Market Garden](<https://www.asomf.org/operation-market-garden/>). Although this allowed German troops to maintain control of Metz initially, Patton's Third Army eventually [captured the city](<https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/battle-of-metz-pattons-bloody-fortress-battle/>) by mid-November.

### Battle of the Bulge

![Battle of the Bulge](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/bastognetank.png>)
*We have a winner. (U.S. Army)*

One of Patton's most notable military actions came the next month during the [Battle of the Bulge](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/battle-of-the-bulge-2/>). On December 16, 1944, the Germans launched a last-ditch counteroffensive across Belgium, Luxembourg, and northeast France. Meanwhile, the Third Army was engaged in heavy fighting near Saarbrücken, Germany. At an Allied Supreme Command conference, Eisenhower asked Patton how long it would take him to disengage his Third Army's six divisions and begin a counterattack north to break through to the encircled 101st Airborne Division.

"As soon as you're through with me," [Patton confidently replied](<https://www.historynet.com/general-george-s-patton-and-the-battle-of-the-bulge-2/>).

To Eisenhower's disbelief, Patton kept his word. Thanks to a prearranged operational order, Patton began his counterattack [in just 48 hours](<https://www.georgecmarshall.org/news/the-battle-of-the-bulge-80-years-later>). Fighting was intense as the Third Army battled German forces in Luxembourg. But on December 26, [lead elements of the Third Army's 4th Armored Division broke through to the 101st Airborne at Bastogne](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/first-tank-into-bastogne/>). Patton later wrote that [the breakthrough at Bastogne](<https://www.investors.com/news/management/leaders-and-success/general-george-patton-towered-at-the-bulge/>) was "the most brilliant operation we have thus far performed, and it is in my opinion the outstanding achievement of the war. This is my biggest battle."

Despite the victory, the Third Army suffered heavy casualties during the Battle of the Bulge. As a result, the Third Army's 609th Quartermaster Company established a temporary military burial site in Hamm, Luxembourg, just outside Luxembourg City, on December 29, 1944. This was later established as the [Luxembourg American Cemetery](<https://www.abmc.gov/video/luxembourg-american-cemetery/?utm_campaign=Website>).

### Patton's Last Wish

![Gen. George Patton gravesite](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/pattonfinalrestingplace.png>)
*How fitting is it that Gen. George Patton is buried near his troops? (Miguel Ortiz)*

On December 9, 1945, Patton was [involved in a car crash](<https://www.abmc.gov/news-events/news/general-george-s-patton-jr-buried-luxembourg-american-cemetery/>) in Germany and suffered a compression fracture and dislocation of the cervical third and fourth vertebrae that resulted in a broken neck and cervical spinal-cord injury. Before he died 12 days later at the age of 60 years old, Patton made it known that his wish was to be buried with his soldiers at the Luxembourg American Cemetery.

Patton's body was transported from Germany to the Third Army's cemetery in Luxembourg. He was buried there in the middle of a plot, the same as his troops. It was only later, after the large number of visitors caused damage to the cemetery grounds, that Patton's grave was moved to the front of the grave plots. His wife, Beatrice, died on September 30, 1953. She was cremated, and [a portion of her ashes](<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/243009284/beatrice_banning-patton#:~:text=Her%20wish%20to%20be%20buried,Hamilton%2C%20Essex%20County%2C%20Massachusetts.>) was scattered on her husband's grave.

In 1951, the Grand Ducal government of Luxembourg granted the U.S. free use of the cemetery as a permanent burial ground in perpetuity without charge or taxation. Today, the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial is administered by the [American Battle Monuments Commission](<https://www.abmc.gov/>).

The cemetery is the final resting place of [5,076 American service members](<https://npshistory.com/publications/battlefield/abmc/luxembourg/brochure-e-1.pdf>) dead, including one female Army nurse. Additionally, two memorial pylons list the names of 371 American soldiers and airmen who remain missing in action. Inside the memorial is a chapel with a colorful mosaic ceiling. Overlooking the area where his soldiers are buried, Patton's grave is in front of the memorial and between the two flagpoles.

### Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty

##### • [3 Stories from the Battle of the Bulge you won’t see in ‘Band of Brothers’](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/history/the-hidden-battle-of-the-bulge-stories/>)
##### • [The 8 reincarnations of General George S. Patton](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/8-reincarnations-of-general-patton/>)
##### • [This Olympian served under a Medal of Honor recipient during World War II](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/history/this-olympian-served-under-a-medal-of-honor-recipient-during-world-war-ii/>)

## Author
Miguel Ortiz is a Senior Contributor for We Are The Mighty covering primarily military news and history with an emphasis on weapons technology. He is a former active duty Army officer and remains a member of the Army IRR. After commissioning through San Diego State University Army ROTC, Miguel served with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY. He has written for We Are The Mighty since 2020, drawing from his passion for the military community and history. Miguel’s work has also been seen on Business Insider and The Blast. He remains an avid shooter, competing in local USPSA matches. Miguel’s other hobbies are traveling and watch collecting.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/miguel-ortiz1495>)