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Patton's Troubleshooters Book                        Patton's Troubleshooters DVD

This website is now going into it's eighth year online.  A quarter century ago, I began what I fully expected was going to be two-weeks to a month of doing a good deed for society by recording the history of 15,000 or so American men who served our nation and the world back in 1943-1945.  Up until then, these men who gave so much had been forgotten by academia, government and countless historians.  The combat veterans who came home didn't forget.  Most of their families never had a clue what happened over there, however.  The veterans didn't generally like to talk about the war to their families.  They'd discuss it with each other, at reunions and such, but most figured that anybody who wasn't there, just wouldn't understand.  It is hard to imagine, for those who haven't had to experience it first hand, what seeing an entire continent laid to waste, or being surrounded by rotting corpses of people and animals, or seeing a fellow soldier's head blown off, or killing a man, or holding your best friend in your arms as he dies, is like.  Many of these men suffered from what we now call post-traumatic stress disorder to one degree or another.  Back then, there was no name for it, and there sure wasn't any treatment for it.  You sucked it up and went home and tried to put your life back together.  I knew many of these men personally, who went to their graves six decades later, still haunted by nightmares every night.  So, forgetting these men, and the unspeakable sacrifices they made for the good of mankind, seemed to me to be the ultimate crime.

When I had finished the manuscript for the first volume of my book 24 years ago, the men of the 702nd Tank Battalion Red Devils Association took up a collection and sent me a check for $500 along with a group-signed card wishing me Godspeed in my mission.  I used that money to help pay for the first printing of the first of what became five volumes of books.  Right from the beginning, the cost of printing books was very expensive, and only grew worse very quickly.  I kept that up, until I finally went broke and had to quit publishing.  A few thousand books saw print at most.  Today, those books occasionally show up in collector bookshops and sell for hundreds of dollars in hardcover.  How many times I have wished that I made that kind of money from them!  I lost about $4 a book on average when it was all said and done.

Time went by, but interest in the history project I had begun never waned.  In February 2002, I began this website and began putting my book and other historical information online.  First, I had to teach myself to write web pages from scratch.  My intent in putting my book online was that I believe that history belongs to all of us, and the knowledge that history teaches us should be spread far and wide across this planet so that mankind doesn't have to repeat it's mistakes.  And, the idea fit perfectly with my goal of memorializing some really great men.  These men were just average Americans, from all walks of life, who shared the common noble experience of helping to eliminate the evil Nazi regime that threatened to take over the world and was murdering millions of innocent people.  As time passed, the website grew and grew.  Currently, it has 2,226 pages and will continue growing for the foreseeable future.  In the last seven years, I have gotten to know many new veterans who have added their knowledge to the history project.  Many of those men are already gone.  It breaks my heart to think of the many veteran friends I have lost over the years.  That pain makes me work even harder to make sure that the world does not forget what they did for us all, and the sacrifices they made.  It was their duty to save the world, and it is our duty to remember them.

Over the years, I have come to know many children and grandchildren of these veterans as well.  Most never knew what their family member did in the war.  Some never knew their father at all, because he lies buried in a cemetery in Europe or here at home.  Some wondered "why did Dad drink so much, and was grouchy?"  Most simply wanted to know their father or grandfather better, so they could better understand what made him tick, and have pride in him.  They all had good reason to be proud.  These average Joe's were exceptional men from an exceptional generation unlike any since.  We should all be proud of these men, whether you are an American of any other nationality.  They brought the end to a great evil.  Having had the chance to get to know so many of these men personally over the last quarter-century has been my greatest reward, and is something I shall always treasure.  I walked among giants.  The number of veteran's children and grandchildren we have provided information and help to, would boggle the mind.  They were the reason I wrote the book to begin with.  It is very rewarding to know that goal has been achieved many times over!

Since this website began, and actually over the last 24 years that I have run this history project, I have financed this project from my own pocket, from selling books, CD's, DVD's, antiques and puppies.  I have worked side-jobs to keep it going.  With the economy what it is, accomplishing that is getting increasingly difficult to do.  Recently, I had to borrow money to renew my hosting contract for two more years.  Unfortunately, the little money I make just isn't enough to cover all the bases.  I ask that you look around the catalog on this site, and our sister website, www.thevikingsworld.com, and buy something to help keep the history project going.  Many people have suggested that I begin accepting donations.  I have resisted doing that up until now.  I would prefer to just sell something, but I do understand that some people simply don't want to buy something.  I am now adding a "Donation" button to this site, so that those who don't wish to buy something can donate to help keep this going.  Donations can be made with the button through Paypal by bank account or credit card safely.

I will continue this project for as long as there is breath in me.  It is too important, and has helped too many people to just let it die.  I have finished a complete re-design and re-editing of the website now, and am ready to begin adding many more new items of interest.  Please keep us in your hearts and prayers that we can continue educating the world about the sacrifices made during that horrible time called World War Two.  If you can, check out our catalog here, or our sister site and buy something.  But, if you'd prefer and can, make a donation.  Either way, I thank you in advance for helping us continue our mission.  As always, I welcome your photos, diaries, letters, and other related historical material to add to the project.  Together, maybe we can continue educating many generations to come.  Thank you, and God Bless!

Terry D. Janes