Eugene Corbett Patterson died last January. You may have a flicker of name recognition, as his obituary was in almost every newspaper in the country. The New York Times announced his death on the front page and devoted considerable space to this farm boy, soldier, scholar, journalist and editor. To me, he was the best copilot I ever had. More than that, he was a mentor and friend who showed me how to live and, in the end, how to live life out.
Gene Patterson was a lieutenant tank commander in George Patton’s Third Army. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded a Silver Star and two Bronze Stars for valor in the battlefield. That wasn’t the half of it.
