This documentary weaves the story of the young Patton into the fabric of the Punitive Expedition and provides a glimpse of the future leader who captured the imagination of a later America and embodied the offensive spirit of the Army of the United States. The experiences on the Punitive Expedition revealed the changing face of the Army. Air power, mobile operations, communications, and emerging technology called for new tactics on the desert of northern Mexico.

For the Mexican people, it proved to be a time of turmoil, from within and from without. Ordinary people lived on land where Villa and other revolu- tionaries brought war and violence to their villages and towns. In 1916 the Americans came, adding to the chaos and upheaval. As the clash of cultures divided the two nations, people on both sides of the border struggled to carve out a place for themselves and their families. Today the clash of cultures continues along the same border areas. Perhaps there are lessons to be gained from this long ago story and the people, Mexicans and Americans alike, who looked for peace and a future for their children.

Length 54 minutes