Patton responds to VFW's claim he's not related to the famous general

An attorney running to become a district judge in Tulsa County says he is related to famed General George Smith Patton, despite a local VFW Post's claims that he isn't.

Jon Patton, one of several challengers seeking to replace District Judge Kurt Glassco, says his father and a cousin did some research before his father passed away, and determined they were related to the fabled World War II warrior.

"My dad, back in his later life before he passed away, he was doing a bunch of research and everything, and basically he was doing all that with a cousin of mine, and so from what I understand they did determine that they were related," he told KRMG.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 577 member Doug Bagby had sent a letter to KRMG last week, saying Patton's claim that he shares blood with "Old Blood and Guts" wasn't true, based on research conducted by VFW members on Ancestry.com.

But Patton says he's not impressed with the accuracy or thoroughness of records on that website.

"I've looked up before trying to find stuff, and I can't even find my own grandfather on it," he said.

He admits he doesn't have any actual proof of the relationship at hand, though he thinks it's in his late father's papers somewhere.

And he's not clear on the details.

"I'm not sure exactly if it was third, fourth cousin or something, and then like I said I don't know how many times removed."

The VFW wants Patton to remove the references to the general on his campaign website, but Patton didn't indicate he had any inclination to comply.