The Patriot Files has been recognized by Juggle as one of the top military resource sites on the web. Below you'll find an interview with David Bailey, founder and webmaster of PatriotFiles.com
- What inspired you to create The Patriot Files and how did you go about bringing the site to life?
I was raised in a military family. My father was career Navy and a Vietnam War veteran. My grandfather was Career Navy as well and a WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War veteran. I am an Army Gulf War veteran. Out family goes back to at least the Civil War as we have discharge papers for relatives going back that far in our possession.
- What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome in managing PatriotFiles.com and how did you overcome it?
Managing the security of the servers has always been a challenge. The site has always attracted some efforts to disrupt it due to its subject matter and world politics. It is an ongoing battle but over the years we have managed to defeat most of the attempts to disrupt the site.
- From what sources have you drawn in aggregating all of the war stories and images on your site?
Most of the material comes from public sources such as the National Archives and various official military resources. We also have a fair amount of member submitted material usually coming from private collections.
- Do you have any plans to expand your site’s content in the near future?
Yes. We are always working on new initiatives to expand the site content with an eye towards preserving military history and presenting it free of charge to the interested public. Our latest initiative involves archiving military sites that have gone offline or are going offline for future use and study.
- What do you think The Patriot Files will look like in 5 years?
I believe it will look very similar although with more content. Since the site is geared towards students and academics it has been purposefully kept to its current design to make it an easily navigable and familiar resource.
- What is your favorite war story, and what meaning does it hold for you?
I do not have a favorite but I do enjoy the stories of humor that come out of incredibly difficult circumstances quite a bit.
- How would you define your site's typical user? Do the majority have a military background?
Many do have a military background but I would say the great majority of repeat users are students and academics.
- How have you worked to add to and maintain the community that frequents patriotfiles.com's forums?
We have advertised through various channels occasionally as well as built other sites that drive traffic among their members.
- What have been the 2 or 3 most lively debated topics on the forums?
Many of the larger battles throughout history have always been hot topics as well as any ongoing military operations.
- Is there anything else you would like to tell us about The Patriot Files?
The Patriot Files is a donation supported advertising free website dedicated to the preservation of military history.
The Patriot Files is a Founding Member of the Library of Congress Veterans history Project.