The tanks had become mired in the mud and LTC Patton instantly became an infantry commander. In the fog and smoke from the artillery shells, along with the confusion of being surrounded by the Hunn, many American Doughboys were wondering around pointlessly looking for their units, or simply endeavoring to head back across the Line. LTC Patton rounded up as many of these as he could find, several hundred of them, plus what remained of his tank crew.

"All at once we were shot at to beat Hell with shells and machine guns. Twice the Infantry began to retreat but I yelled at them and called them all sorts of names so they stayed. Most were scared and acting badly, some covered their faces, some put on gas masks, but none did a damned thing to kill Hunn. There were no officers but me."

German fire became so intense that the haphazard conglomeration of men was forced to seek sanctuary on the opposite side of a hill.

Two more American divisions were about to move in on each flank and would be ambushed and destroyed since Patton's tanks were unable to take out the enemy position. The situation was dire to say the least. The infantry sergeant asked Patton what to do, and he said: "Follow Me" and attacked the German machine gun placements.

"I was afraid, my hands were sweating and my mouth was dry. There was a low bank of clouds behind the rising ground and I looked up and saw, among the clouds, my ancestors. The ones I had seen in paintings. General Hugh Mercer, great uncle Waller Patton, and my grandfather George Patton, (all Civil War heroes). There were other faces, different uniforms, dimmer in the distance, but all with the family look. They were all looking at me, impersonally, but as if they were waiting for me.

I knew what to do, and I attacked.

I saw that we must go forward or back, and I could not go back so I yelled: 'who comes with me?' but only five started with me. My striker and four doughboys. I hoped the rest would follow but they would not and soon there was only three of us, but we could see the machine guns right ahead so we yelled to keep our courage up and went on. The third man went down and there was only the PFC and me, and I was down to only my pistol.

Just before I was hit, I felt a great desire to run. I was trembling with fear when suddenly I thought of my ancestors and I could see them in a cloud over the German lines looking at me. I became calm at once and said out loud: 'It is time for another Patton to die'. I went forward to what I honestly believed to be certain death. Six men went with me, and five men were killed and myself wounded…I was not much in error."

LTC George S. Patton

The World War I Battle of The Argonne Forest 1918