The incidents were considered handled by Eisenhower and Army Chief of Staff George Marshall and news reporters were told not to file any stories on the incidents. In November 1943, however, one American columnist, Drew Pearson, filed the story anyway, accusing the Army of a cover-up. The American people, however, still mostly were behind Patton. The Germans were amused at the story and at the Americans: they saw nothing wrong with a general slapping a soldier. But Patton was too valuable to dismiss, so in early January 1944, Eisenhower sent him back to England. There he was placed in command of the First United States Army Group. It was an army that did not exist and was only intended to fool the Germans. The Germans thought Patton would lead the invasion of Europe, whenever it came. For the next six months, Patton was on his good behavior. After the D-Day landings, he was given command of the US 3rd Army in Normandy.