General George S. Patton was convinced that he was a solder and a great general in his many past lives and had no problem meshing his Protestant faith with his reincarnation beliefs. Always a soldier, he once stood shoulder to shoulder with Alexander the Great and Napoleon. He crossed the Alps on an elephant while residing in the body of the Carthaginian conqueror Hannibal. Patton was also quite certain that he once fought for the great Caesar as a Roman legionary.These beliefs were strengthened by two very prominent occurrences during World War I: On one occasion, he found himself pressed to the ground during a battle, terrified to stand and fight. He saw the faces of his dead grandfather and several uncles demanding that he stop being a coward. The other instance took place in Langres, France, once occupied by the ancient Romans. Though having never visited the city, Patton was able to navigate his way without the help of his French liaison officer. He gave the Frenchman a tour of the Roman ruins: the amphitheater, parade ground, and various temples dedicated to a deity. He also drove straight to the spot where Caesar had once camped and pointed to where the Roman leader had once pitched his tent. (from "Killing Patton" by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard.)
When Patton died in 1945, both his daughters experienced a last paranormal good-bye from their general father. Ruth Ellen woke up at the moment of his death and saw him standing at the floor of her bed in full uniform. "'I sat up in bed -- I could see him plainly. When he saw I was looking at him, he gave me the sweetest smile I've ever seen,'" she recounted.
Ruth Ellen called her sister, Beatrice, the next morning. Beatrice had had a similar experience. She had been fast asleep when the phone by her bed rang. She picked it up and there was a lot of static as if it were an overseas call. She heard her father's voice ask, "Little Bee, are you alright?" before the line went dead. When young Beatrice called the overseas operator, she was told there had been no call. (from "The Button Box: A Daughter's Loving Memoir of Mrs. George S. Patton by Ruth Ellen Patton.)
