History Questions: Why Did So Many Generals Survive World War II? Nearly 1,100 U.S. Army generals served at some point during World War II, and of those about 40 died during or immediately following the war. Here's What You Need To Remember: Most of the generals who died during the Second World War were executed by their nation's leader for incompetence. General George S. Patton, Jr., once said, “An army is like a piece of cooked spaghetti. You can’t push it, you have to pull it after you.” He was referring to commanders being leaders as he had little use for commanders that were not out in front of their units. This attitude was the norm in the U.S. military in World War II, and the amazement is not that a few dozen general officers were lost, but that U.S. armed forces did not lose more!