•March 16, 2016•

By Jerry L. Ginther
NP Columnist

Visiting a famous battlefield such as Gettysburg and standing on the very ground where so many brave men had fought and died takes one back in time. It becomes more than just a place which one has read about in American History. Several years ago, when our children were in school, we made the journey to Pennsylvania and legendary Gettysburg.

We moved about the battlefield to the different locations of interest and discussed what had occurred at each. From each site we had the view of the terrain as the soldiers would have had during the bloody conflict.

We read aloud the words of President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and they yielded stronger meaning than when we had read them from our history book. Being there made longer lasting impressions than photographs or written accounts could ever furnish. It was a day of learning for our family and an unforgettable family experience.

Much to their teacher’s surprise, my kids had much to share and became the authorities in their classrooms on that battle of the Civil War because they had actually been to the battlefield.

Springfield, Ill. is another town rich in American History pertaining to Abraham Lincoln. It exhibits the home and the tomb of our illustrious 16th president. The tomb itself is located in Oak Ridge Cemetery and is visited by thousands of history buffs from around the globe each year.      Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.