Gettysburg

Gettysburg Trip

My family and I had the privilege of taking a spring road trip to Pennsylvania this year. While there were plenty of memorable places to visit, adventures to experience (and even a little unexpected peril along the way), one of the highlights was spending a day at Gettysburg National Military Park.

For me, Gettysburg was a deeply humbling experience. Standing on the same ground where tens of thousands of Americans fought and died is difficult to put into words. It is a powerful reminder of both where our nation came from and the tremendous cost at which it was preserved.

War is never something to celebrate. The suffering, loss, and destruction it brings are sobering realities. Yet places like Gettysburg remind us that there are moments in history where ordinary people were called upon to make extraordinary sacrifices for causes they believed were worth defending. Walking the fields, reading the monuments, and seeing the names of regiments and commanders made the history feel far more personal than any book ever could.

One stop that was especially meaningful was the monument to the 20th Maine. Like so many visitors, I’ve read and studied their defense of Little Round Top over the years. Standing there, looking across the terrain instead of at a map, gave me an entirely new appreciation for the challenges those soldiers faced and the significance of that position.

What struck me throughout the park was the sheer number of monuments—not erected to glorify war, but to remember people. Nearly every monument tells the story of a community that sent its sons to Gettysburg, many of whom never returned home. They stand as lasting reminders that behind every regiment were families, towns, and lives forever changed.

Walking the fields of Pickett’s Charge was equally surreal. Distances that seem insignificant on paper become staggering when you stand at Cemetery Ridge and look toward where the Confederate line once stood. It is impossible not to reflect on the courage of the men who crossed that open ground, regardless of the uniform they wore.

Finally, I had the opportunity to visit the monument of my original Civil War reenactment unit from my teenage years. That was a particularly special moment. Long before I became involved in portraying the U.S. Signal Corps, I learned so much from that unit about history, authenticity, and honoring the men who served. It was a fitting way to close a visit that reminded me why preserving and sharing this history continues to matter.

Gettysburg is more than a battlefield. It is a place of remembrance, reflection, and perspective. I’m grateful that my family had the opportunity to experience it together, and I hope we’ll return again someday because there is so much that we did not see.