Over the last few years, Patterson has donated hundreds of thousands of his books to U.S. soldiers. Through organizations Operation Gratitude and Books for Heroes, “20,000 cartons of books – 10 books per carton – are being shipped and distributed worldwide.”
In a statement to the Associated Press, Patterson said: “soldiers don’t get the appreciation they deserve,” and “The gratitude you get is unbelievable. You get it from soldiers. You get it from families of soldiers. They’ll tell you that their son or daughter is reading my work. That’s really cool. That’s very touching.”
