Meet Barry and Lyn Little from Pennsylvania

American Battlefield Trust: What moved you to first give to our organization?

Barry L.: The honest answer is, I don’t remember. Several things come to mind why I continue, the organization is run efficiently getting high marks from ‘Charity Navigator’ and it’s dedicated to preserving our history. I believe it’s very important to remember the people and events that have led us to where we are and how we got there. My interest in history developed very early, I always enjoyed listening in on the ‘war stories’ being told by my father and uncles. To me it seemed like everyone I came in contact with was involved in some way in this great adventure and I wanted to learn as much as possible. Then at a family reunion a relative told me that she had a copy of my great grandfather’s discharge papers from the Civil War, I was hooked and have been reading and studying that conflict ever since.

What do you enjoy most about being a Color Bearer?

I am just proud to be a small part of an organization that does such good work.

What is your favorite battlefield you’ve visited?

My wife and I have been to a lot of battlefields. The agreement has always been she gets to stay at a bed & breakfast and I get to soak in some history. The best place we ever stayed was in Longstreet’s headquarters at Antietam on the anniversary of the battle. We were the only people in the house that night, the caretakers didn’t stay. It was, to say the least, a special feel to that night. My favorite place to visit is Gettysburg, it’s close, I know enough about the battle to have acted as a guide to lots of friends and family, we can bike around the park and we like the small-town feel.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I would travel the South Pacific islands where my father served in WWII.

If you could meet any historical figure, who would you choose and why?

I would get every relative in my family together that has ever served and record everything they remembered about their experiences. In doing family research I have found relatives involved from the Revolution to Vietnam, in my opinion nothing tells a story better than the people actually involved in an event.

Anything else you want to share?

Keep up the good work.