A few years ago we were visting my wife's brother and his family in Boonsboro,Maryland.I said to my 19yr old nephew,"Come on Joe let's go to Antietam Battlefield"So,Joe and I drove a very short way to the Battlefield.I said this is where Lincoln stood and you being Irish this is where they fought! We had the time of our lives.Then we got a call that Joe enlisted in the 82nd Airborne and was going to Iraq.Well,after 4 tours to Irag, he just called to wish me well.He then told me what inspired him to enlist was our trip to Antietam and standing where Lincoln stood!-WOW!!!!
Wow! That is great, Herb - what an inspiration.....I've been to Antietam several times and I never stop but to think of all the lives lost on that battlefield in one day! More so than Gettysburg -
Ah! The 82nd Airborne - that was my dad's unit in WWII. He was a paratrooper....
Great to have you back posting Herb! Great story.
I have only visited a few battlefields of the Civil War, but Antietam is my favorite because it has largely remained unspoiled. That vast landscape haunts me with the thought of so many bodies strewn across it. To read the descriptions of Bloody Lane and then stand beside it gives me goose bumps. I'm sorry, but I don't get the same vibes at Gettysburg. The only spots there that give me pause are Devil's Den and the area over which marched Pickett's men.
BTW: I hope it is still there - a member of the Surratt Society by the name of Doug Bast maintains a wonderful museum in Boonsboro, Maryland. It is literally a personal collection gone wild - everything from Roman pikes to Civil War mortars, etc. I think it's called the Boonsboro Museum and is well worth the visit if it is still in business. There is so much stuff there that it will boggle your mind.
Laurie, indeed the
museum is still there.
It has limited hours: Open Sun., 1-5 p.m., May through September, or by appointment.
Thanks for checking, Roger. Doug had some bad health issues awhile back, so I wasn't sure if he was still up to keeping the place open.