A little bit about me; I just turned 40 and this project has become more of a focus than my every day job. I’m from Massachusetts and live there now with my family. I joined the Army late in life in 2010 but knew since childhood I always wanted to serve. I was originally a cannon crewmember (artillery) on active duty and stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia. It was there I really started appreciating what service is about. The Army has a funny way of dictating where you will end up and now I find myself back in Massachusetts just a short drive from where I grew up. That being said, a piece of my heart still resides in Savannah.
Anyone who has served will tell you the military is a love/hate relationship. But at its core it is about the people to your left and right. And that when you look at the flag it means just a little more. I won’t lie; I keep count of the days until I am out but have no regrets.
Now that I’m older I love being on the road, I have to stop and read every plaque. I love anything history; sites, museums, the world’s biggest ball of yarn–you name it. Anything that connects you to history. Especially presidential, military and local histories.
I love the water, trivia, indoor and outdoor fires, Halloween, iced coffee year-round, reading/collecting books and listening to historical podcasts. I tend to enjoy the company of animals more than people. Except for my son, Gavin… he’s pretty great.
I like learning about the lesser-known stories… I research hundreds of people–sometimes just on a hunch. And yet, there may not be any information online about that person. My projects so far have included correcting inaccuracies online and on graves themselves, headstone repairs and replacements, community outreach, finding next-of-kin and/or helping them find where their relatives are buried and helping people obtain deserved medals. I have been able to update databases with grave pictures, locations and the individuals’ biographies that would have otherwise likely been lost to time.
While my journey started on Instagram and is still my primary source of social media interaction, I encourage you to stay tuned while I start to use this page to more closely document my future endeavors!
