In this event for AHF members, Kevin Hymel will discuss five stories about General Patton. Starting with Patton’s first day of war, November 8, 1942, the day he stepped onto Fadala Beach north of Casablanca in Morocco, Mr. Hymel will then address how Patton’s aide-de-camp Captain Richard Jenson died in combat., the day Patton almost lost his life in Italy in January of 1944, the discovery that Patton did not predict the Battle of the Bulge, and Patton’s bravery in swimming across a river under fire during a snowstorm in Luxembourg in January of 1945.
Kevin M. Hymel (pronounced “Hee-mel”) is a historian for Arlington National Cemetery where he records events, ceremonies, and funeral services for future record. Some of his articles have been reposed on the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense websites. He is also a Historian/Tour Guide for Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours and leads World War II European tours on D-Day and General George S. Patton’s battlefields. He is the author of several books, including Patton’s War: An American General’s Combat Leadership: Volumes 1 and 2, Patton’s Photographs, and Patton: Legendary World War II Commander. He has served as the Research Director for Sovereign Media which publishes WWII History and WWII Quarterly magazines, where he continues to write articles. His article, “Fighting a Two-Front War” is being made into the Netflix movie “6888,” written and directed by Tyler Perry, and Mr. Hymel is a technical advisor to the film. Mr. Hymel is a former historian for the U.S. Army’s Combat Studies Institute, where he wrote about small unit combat in Afghanistan. He has appeared on the History Channel, the American Heroes Channel, the Science Channel, C-SPAN, and Book-TV, speaking about General Patton and military history. He has worked for more than 20 years for various military and military history magazines and journals, and has worked as a researcher for the National Archives and as an historian for the U.S. Air Force. He holds a Master’s degree in American History from Villanova University.
