Once it became clear that the U.S. Army would be fighting the Axis powers in the deserts of North Africa -- a suitable place to train was needed. Assigned the task of finding and developing such a place, General George S. Patton, Jr. found it in southeastern California. The Desert Training Center as the facility became known proved its mettle in combat overseas. Amazingly, much remains today of this massive training grounds. This book describes in detail the historic context for the DTC, and explains the value that it played in the war. Also provided are detailed descriptions of the sites, features, and artifacts left behind by the troops that trained there over 70 years ago.