Olympic Gold Medalists Who Lost Fought & Their Lives in WWI
Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:06 am
Olympic Gold Medalists Who Lost Fought & Their Lives in WWII
A theme of the Olympics is to encourage peaceful competition among nations. The five interlocking rings of the Olympic logo are in colors represented in the flags of every nation. However, since the first modern games were held in 1896, there have been many wars. The most devastating was World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945. During that time, when millions of people died, among them were Olympians who had won gold medals.
U.S. Olympians Who Died In World War II
The most famous was General George S. Patton, Jr., who led American troops to victory in African and European campaigns, earned his gold in the 1912 Pentathlon Equestrian event in Stockholm. General Patton, who also served in World War I, survived combat in WWII. However, in 1945, he was killed in a Heidelberg automobile accident several months after Germany’s surrender (but before Japan’s surrender ended the war).
http://www.warhistoryonline.com/feature ... -wwii.html
Re: Olympic Gold Medalists Who Lost Fought & Their Lives in
Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:42 am
Patton was an Olympian? How did I not know that? 
Re: Olympic Gold Medalists Who Lost Fought & Their Lives in
Mon Jul 30, 2012 11:14 am
Didn't he also compete in pistols and didn't get either a medal, or the Gold because one of his shots went through one of his previous hits on the targert and it was counted as a 'miss'?
Re: Olympic Gold Medalists Who Lost Fought & Their Lives in
Mon Jul 30, 2012 11:24 am
My Wiki-fu is strong.
1912 Summer Olympics
Patton participated in the first-ever modern pentathlon at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. He finished fifth overall.[8] He placed seventh out of 37 contestants in the 300 meter freestyle swimming. He was fourth out of 29 fencers. In the equestrian cross-country steeplechase, he was among the riders who turned in perfect performances, but he placed sixth because of his time. Patton "hit the wall" 50 yards (46 m) from the finish line of the four kilometer cross-country footrace, then fainted after crossing the line at a walk; he finished third out of 15 contestants. He made the U.S. Modern Pentathlon team for the 1916 Summer Olympics, scheduled for Berlin, Germany, but the Games were canceled because of World War I.
Pistol shooting controversy
In pistol shooting, Patton placed 20th out of 32 contestants. He used a .38 caliber pistol, while most of the other competitors chose .22 caliber firearms. He claimed that the holes in the paper from his early shots were so large that some of his later bullets passed through them, but the judges decided he missed the target completely once. Modern competitions on this level frequently now employ a moving background to specifically track multiple shots through the same hole.[9] There was much controversy, but the judges' ruling was upheld. Patton neither complained, nor made excuses. Patton's only comment was:
The high spirit of sportsmanship and generosity manifested throughout speaks volumes for the character of the officers of the present day. There was not a single incident of a protest or any unsportsmanlike quibbling or fighting for points which I may say, marred some of the other civilian competitions at the Olympic Games. Each man did his best and took what fortune sent them like a true soldier, and at the end we all felt more like good friends and comrades than rivals in a severe competition, yet this spirit of friendship in no manner detracted from the zeal with which all strove for success
1912 Summer Olympics
Patton participated in the first-ever modern pentathlon at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. He finished fifth overall.[8] He placed seventh out of 37 contestants in the 300 meter freestyle swimming. He was fourth out of 29 fencers. In the equestrian cross-country steeplechase, he was among the riders who turned in perfect performances, but he placed sixth because of his time. Patton "hit the wall" 50 yards (46 m) from the finish line of the four kilometer cross-country footrace, then fainted after crossing the line at a walk; he finished third out of 15 contestants. He made the U.S. Modern Pentathlon team for the 1916 Summer Olympics, scheduled for Berlin, Germany, but the Games were canceled because of World War I.
Pistol shooting controversy
In pistol shooting, Patton placed 20th out of 32 contestants. He used a .38 caliber pistol, while most of the other competitors chose .22 caliber firearms. He claimed that the holes in the paper from his early shots were so large that some of his later bullets passed through them, but the judges decided he missed the target completely once. Modern competitions on this level frequently now employ a moving background to specifically track multiple shots through the same hole.[9] There was much controversy, but the judges' ruling was upheld. Patton neither complained, nor made excuses. Patton's only comment was:
The high spirit of sportsmanship and generosity manifested throughout speaks volumes for the character of the officers of the present day. There was not a single incident of a protest or any unsportsmanlike quibbling or fighting for points which I may say, marred some of the other civilian competitions at the Olympic Games. Each man did his best and took what fortune sent them like a true soldier, and at the end we all felt more like good friends and comrades than rivals in a severe competition, yet this spirit of friendship in no manner detracted from the zeal with which all strove for success