Enough of the heavy stuff. We covered battles from 216 BC to 1916 here, but not a lot thus far about some of the personalities who made these battles, the generals and admirals of military history. Let us change direction and talk about somebody everyone thinks they know: General George S. Patton.

Now a word about heroes…from a man who has worked for a few who are thought of as such, and calls several others “friend.” Almost no man or woman who becomes known as a “hero” can live up to that title. With a vanishingly few exceptions none can withstand the scrutiny, just as most of us could not. The majority demonstrate that they are, or were, quite human, and often the products of their own eras. This occurs, if not in their own time, then in the long decades that come later where young historians working on their PhDs swarm like sharks induced into a blood-based frenzy.

Once I was one of those sharks. Sorry. But at least now I have something interesting to pass to you.