These 5 U.S. Generals Made the History Books For All the Wrong Reasons How might Vietnam or Iraq have turned out if a George Washington, a Ulysses Grant or a George Patton had been in command? Here's What You Need To Remember: Great generals have great talents, and usually egos and ambitions to match. It would be nice if all American generals were great. How might Vietnam or Iraq have turned out if a George Washington, a Ulysses Grant or a George Patton had been in command? Alas, call it the laws of probability or just cosmic karma, but every nation produces bad generals as well as good ones—and America is no exception.