Meet Gina Danna of Louisville, Ky.

"I fell madly in love with the [Civil] War, especially after I discovered family that fought in it, and basically devoured whatever I could. Of course, working at Jefferson Barracks Historic Site as a Museum Educator helped (most of the generals in the War were at JB at one point)."

Color Bearer Gina Danna

American Battlefield Trust: What moved you to first give to our organization?

Gina: First what got me was the fact there was a Civil War Trust (or ACWBP or whatever it was called at the time). Saw it advertised at work - I was the Curator of Exhibits as Missouri State Museum at the time and a Civil War reenactor. I fell madly in love with the War, especially after I discovered family that fought in it, and basically devoured whatever I could. Of course, working at Jefferson Barracks Historic Site as a Museum Educator helped (most of the generals in the War were at JB at one point). So I begged work to go to my first conference and it was all she wrote, as the saying goes! :)

What do you enjoy most about being a Color Bearer?

I enjoy the extra tours and experiences CB get. The more the better. I'm always in that 'learning' state, despite all the research I do.

What is your favorite battlefield you’ve visited?

Hard to say - like them all - but probably Vicksburg. I was a summer seasonal there, learned a TON of info and I have family from Mississippi during the War (however, they were part of the 26th MS and the 26th was east, and not part of the Vburg campaign).

What would you like to pass on to future generations?

I do write historical fiction and have a series on the War, so has to be accurate, because I expect if members of ABT read one, they'd have no complaints, plus these novels are educational to the normal reader, teaching them of the War Between the States and why it is so important to our history. So many of the info I learn thru the Trust, including actually being at the Hallowed Ground of these battles, really rings in how much we need to preserve this land for the future generations and, hopefully, never have to repeat! So the more land we can save, the better!

If you could meet any historical figure, who would you choose and why?

Hard to narrow that down. My great uncles who fought in it (there are 3 I know of - 2 in MS and 1 in KY, all Confederate; the Union ancestors never made it to the War - they died of disease as they were on their way) - wanting to really hear their side of this.

Anything else you want to share?

Just we need to get the word out to more and more - to EDUCATE and not fall prey to the latest banterings of mis-guided people. But then, I am a historian by education and trade, so...