Father's Day Lessons from General George S. Patton & Family.NEW YORK New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of -- CONCEPT: Passing life lessons from father to son. THE STORY: This Father's Day, enjoy a look at fathers and sons in one of America's most famous -- and complicated -- families. The June issue of Smithsonian Magazine highlights the relationships between the flamboyant and highly-decorated Vietnam veteran This article is about veterans of the Vietnam War. For the French psychedelic musical group, see Vietnam Veterans. Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War. , Major General George S. Patton “George Patton” redirects here. For the 19th century Scottish jurist and politician, see George Patton, Lord Glenalmond. George Smith Patton Jr. GCB, KBE (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a leading U.S. ; his father, the famous WWII WWII abbr. World War II WWII World War Two commander; and his own son Ben, a NY-based documentary filmmaker. All three have shared an obsession with recording personal and family history for the sake of posterity. It's an example that all of us can follow. "We were eager to publish Ben's story from the moment we read it, and not just because of the author's last name," says T.A. Frail, senior editor at Smithsonian. "It offers well-earned insight into fathers and sons and the glories of coming of age." "Along the way, I've become convinced that every family -- famous or not -- has a story worth remembering," says Ben Patton. Anyone who's watched his poignant, family-centered films -- with interviews with such disparate types as Manfred Rommel Manfred Rommel (born December 24, 1928 in Stuttgart) is a German politician (CDU), who was Mayor of Stuttgart from 1974 until 1996. He is one of the most popular local politicians of the CDU. - son of WWII's Desert Fox, or a well-born Bostonian turned Wyoming cowboy -- can see the value of setting down personal life lessons for future generations. Together, the Pattons show how recorded memories can stand on their own as the most meaningful, enduring dimensions of inheritance. Ben's tips for getting started: - When interviewing a family member, consider having a family friend or professional ask the questions. A subject might feel self-conscious about retelling re·tell·ing n. A new account or an adaptation of a story: a retelling of a Roman myth. a story to a son or daughter who's heard it before. - Be sure to professionally copy old films or audiocassettes before you play them. You'll never forgive yourself if your tape deck eats the original while you're listening to it for the first time. - Audio quality is key. Remember Helen Keller: "Blindness cuts us off from things, but deafness cuts us off from people." I deal in visual media, but an interview with well-recorded sound -- done in a quiet room with the microphone close and few distractions -- is priceless. FILM CLIPS: Watch rare footage from the Patton family's home movie collection at the Smithsonian website: www.smithsonian.com/patton WHO: A documentary filmmaker and the founder of Patton Productions in Manhattan, Ben Patton specializes in video biographies Video Biographies are a new way to capture the life story of a person or an organization. This can be done by people or by a company. The Association of Personal Historians has many members who have experience creating video biographies. , and also offers film workshops for adults and teens through fredsfilms.com. "My wife and I are expecting our first child - a son - in June, right around Father's Day," he says. "So I'm especially grateful to have my father's and grandfather's films, letters and memories to pass down to him. And, of course, I'll be busy recording my own. Our family likes to joke that I shoot film - not bullets." FOR MORE INFORMATION, STILLS, FILM CLIPS OR INTERVIEWS: TIMM TIMM Task Identification Management Matrix CHARTIER at PATTON PRODUCTIONS, New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. 646.352.0152 x213 info@pattonproductions.com |
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