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By the way Patton was fluent in three languages and an Olympic athelete
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I think this is the point. Patton was turned back and took 5 years to get through West Point.
Fleming thinks that every midshipman should be a Rhodes Scholar. The academies don't exist to produce Rhodes Scholars (though a few every year is good
PR). They exist to produce Military officers. I have never seen one study that showed a correlation to class rank and success as a military officer. This has been discussed for decades.
The book "The Long Gray Line" by Rick Atkinson highlighting the class of 1966 discussed class rank and Army success. There were several accounts of low ranking cadets who made excellent Army officers.