Oliver B. Patton (1921–2002)

He was a 1944 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy.

During the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, he commanded a rifle platoon that was overrun. He was badly wounded during the action and spent the balance of the war in German hospitals and prisoner-of-war camps. He later recounted his experiences for a PBS documentary about the battle.

During the Korean War, he served in Korea, where he was wounded again, and he was assistant chief of staff for XXIV Corps in Vietnam in the late 1960s. In his last tour of duty, he was assistant chief of staff for Army intelligence at the Pentagon.

Among his decorations was the Army Distinguished Service Medal, three awards of the Legion of Merit, three awards of the Bronze Star and three awards of the Purple Heart.

Beginning in 1976, five of his historical novels were published. The last of them, "The Silent Snow," was a story about the Battle of the Bulge from a foot soldier's view.

Source: Arlington National Cemetery Website, http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/obpa...