He Believed In Reincarnation

The Patton family has Welsh, English, Scottish, French, English, Scots-Irish, and Irish ancestry. His great-grandmother hailed from an aristocratic Welsh family with a strong military tradition that was descended from numerous Welsh lords of Glamorgan. Benjamin Davis Wilson, Patton's great-grandfather, had served as mayor of Los Angeles before founding the prosperous Lake Vineyard. Patton took pleasure in his mystical ties with his ancestors and felt he had lived before as a soldier. Patton discovered part of his English colonial ancestors through George Washington's great-grandfather, even though he was not directly derived from George Washington. Additionally, he was related to King Edward I of England through Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, who was Edward's son. The Pattons, according to family legend, were descended from the sixteen barons who signed the Magna Carta.

Patton held a strong belief in reincarnation and claimed that he had participated in conflicts and battles before his time. He also placed a high value on his ancestors, which served as a major component of his sense of self. General Harold Alexander of the British Army remarked to Patton prior to the 1943 invasion of Sicily: “You know, George, you would have been a terrific marshal for Napoleon if you have lived in the 19th century” and Patton retorted “But I did.” The commander then was convinced that Patton would come back from the dead and lead armies into war once more.