The Pennsylvania Monument at Gettysburg. Read the note below to see how you can help a lady who has been trying for 16 years
to get her great-great-grandfather's name added to the monument.
News Updates
Please remember our POWs and MIAs from all our wars.
All gave some . . . some gave all. Thank a veteran today!
A nice lady recently wrote to me asking for help with a problem she has encountered in getting her great-great-grandfather's name
added to the Pennsylvania Monument at Gettysburg. He fought with the 56th Pennsylvania Volunteers on Oak Ridge, just north of
the Railroad Cut, on the morning of the first day. He was wounded in the early fighting. Here is a portion of the letter
that describes her ordeal much better than I can:
My great-great grandfather, Sergeant John S. Transue, fought with Company A of the 56th Pennsylvania Infantry. His regiment
was at Gettysburg, and he was shot in the leg on the first morning of the battle. I've been trying for about sixteen years to
have his name added to the Pennsylvania Memorial, without success. Back in 1990 I visited Gettysburg National Military Park
for the first time, and went to find John Transue's name on the Pennsylvania Memorial. It was missing. At that time I
wrote to Gettysburg, asking that his name be placed on the Memorial. They wrote back asking for proof he was at Gettysburg.
I made a trip to the National Archives in Washington, DC, and found several documents proving his service at Gettysburg. Gettysburg
wrote back to me saying his name would be added, but it would be a seven to ten-year wait. I waited ten years and wrote to ask
them if his name had been added. I was informed that there had been a change in National Park Service policy, and they were
no longer adding names to the Memorial. I was devastated. I have been doing everything I can to have this situation
corrected. Many people are working to have this policy changed, so I am hoping his name will soon be placed alongside of his
comrades.
She’s been trying for 16 years, folks!That kind of perseverance should be rewarded.Besides, this is a man who shed blood
for his country.He has earned the right to have his name on the monument with his comrades.
The Pennsylvania State Assembly has introduced House Resolution 757 that, if passed, will ask the Department of the Interior to allow
the National Park Service to correct these kinds of errors.If you live in Pennsylvania, urge your representative to vote to
pass this legislation.If you don’t live in Pennsylvania, write to any Pennsylvania state legislator and ask for his or
her support.This is not a political fight.It is simply doing what is right for a veteran.Then, assuming the legislation
passes, contact your congressman and ask him to support the call for correcting this mistake.Sgt. Transue is not the only veteran
whose name has been omitted.There are several others, and this is a chance to honor them in a very small way:by recognizing
their contribution to saving this country when it was in danger of splitting into two separate nations.
4th NY Battery, badly damaged by vandals in the winter of 2005-06 when they pulled the monument off its base and removed its head.
The preservation of monuments at our national battlefields and parks is of importance to all of us.A project is underway at
Gettysburg National Military Park to restore and preserve the monuments honoring the brave men of both armies. That job has
been made even more difficult by the recent actions of thoughtless vandals.If you would like to learn more about this important
project, go to
United Artists Considering Escape From Libby Prison
Works in Progress
United Artists has agreed to consider Escape From Libby Prison for development into a movie. UA is currently evaluating the
book for possible options.
The movie rights were previously held by Warner Brothers for several years. Before dropping
it from their production schedule, WB had selected a producer (Dylan Sellers) and had the screenplay completed (with Jay Wolper doing
the writing).
Check back for an updated status of this new development.
State legislatures in Pennsylvnia, Ohio, Illinois, and Connecticut have agreed to pass resolutions honoring the men who escaped from
Libby Prison. Others are considering similar resolutions but have not yet done so. In addition, the governor of Maine
has issued a proclamation granting similar recognition. If you think these brave men should be recognized, please contact your
state representative or governor and ask that they do so.
Five States Honor Libby Prison Escapees
Will serve as Consultant on Exciting New Project
Ihave recently been invited to serve as a consultant on Global Connection, an exciting joint project between National Geographic,
NASA, Carnegie Mellon University, and Google. These outstanding institutions are working with Ripple Effects Interactive,
Public Intelligence, the National Civil War Museum, and the Pennsylvania Tourism Office to provide a new way for people to explore
the various battlefields, museums, and other sites in Pennsylvania that are related to the Civil War. Global Connection uses
a new technology called Gigapan to create high definition images at the various sites. Gigapan then electronically joins
hundreds of robotic photos to create a panoramic computer image that visitors can view in great detail. This technology
will allow visitors to zoom in on details that are all but invisible in the normal sized images, such as monument inscriptions,
as well as pull back and rotate the view 360o for a panoramic view, just as one would see if standing at the site and turning the
head. Site selection is in progress and photographic work will begin this spring. Watch this site for updates on when
the imagery will be available.
