The American Battlefield Trust preserves America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educates the public about what happened there and why it matters.
Gen. Barry McCaffrey, USA (Ret.)
Dear Friend,
Not long ago, I attended a special tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield conducted by the American Battlefield Trust. As a retired career U.S. Army officer, I have walked battlefields on scores of staff rides all over the world, but this was the best battlefield experience of my life.
What gave this particular tour such extra meaning and significance to me was that I did it in the company of committed members and staff of the American Battlefield Trust, the only national non-profit organization dedicated to preserving our country’s endangered battlefield land.
Like many people, I was surprised to learn just how much American hallowed ground from the Revolutionary War up through the Civil War is not protected in any way. This means that the places where millions of American soldiers fought and more than 800,000 died – giving “the last full measure of devotion,” as President Abraham Lincoln said – can be sold and developed at any time, erasing forever the stories, the sacrifices, and the significance of the land.
I am a string believer that we can only make our future better by learning well the lessons of our past. We put our future, and that of our children and grandchildren, in peril by destroying the historic record that still lives and breathes on these historic battlefields. We risk losing the understanding of how we became the strongest and freest nation in the world by covering these hallowed grounds with houses, shopping centers, roads, and other “modern” development. And ultimately, we jeopardize our freedom when we erase whole chapters of our nation’s inspiring history.
This is why I wholeheartedly support the crucial work of the American Battlefield Trust, and it is why I urge you to join us in this important mission today.
Very sincerely yours,
Gen. Barry McCaffery, USA (Ret.)
Military Service Academies Awards:
The Society participates in the Annual Award Ceremonies at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD, the United States Coast Guard Academy at New London, CT, and the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, CO; by presenting an award to an outstanding graduating commissioned officer.
The Cathedral of the Pines is a place of spiritual nourishment for people of all faiths. It is also a national memorial to patriotic sacrifice, a physical declaration that we will not forget those men and women who have served our country. The sense of peace ingenerated by the tall pines that form its natural surroundings is conducive to prayer and meditation. Its peaceful garden and walkways contain serene, inspirational landscapes for prayer and meditation.
