This Memorial Day was special for me. In the past it has always been about parades and barbecues– and enjoying a long weekend with my family. I would watch clips of memorial services on the news, and I would appreciate the tributes both nationally and locally. However, I never felt a true connection until I discovered that I am directly related to a soldier from the Civil War.
My great, great grandfather Florence Burke fought as a Union Soldier for the Massachusetts 37th Regiment. He left his young wife and three children to serve his newly adopted country. What’s more he spared the life of a wealthy man, taking his draft and heading to the battlefields in exchange for a parcel of farm land. He took a gamble with his life.