re: What's the closest you or a family member has been to a part of history?

Personally, the closest I’ve come to being a part of history is I was stationed in West Germany when the Berlin Wall came down. And was a gunner on an M1A1 Abrams during the First Gulf War.

My grandfather was a tanker in the 4th Armored Div., part of Patton’s 3rd Army in WWII. He died before I was born so I don’t know much more than that.

I lost an ancestor at Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg, fighting with the 15th Alabama Infantry of Law’s Brigade.

One of my ancestors was the commander of the 1st Maryland Regiment, more commonly known as the Maryland Line, in the Continental Army. His regiment played a key role in the American victory at the Battle of Cowpens.