Meet Scott B. from Littleton, CO

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

Scott: Growing up in Colorado and having never visited the east, the American Civil War was about as alien to me as the English Civil War. Maybe 20 years or so ago, my mother-in-law gave me a book about Grant and Lee. Of course I’d heard the names, but outside of Grant being on the 50 dollar bill, I basically had no knowledge about these two men. I started to read more and more about the Civil War and I planned a trip on my own to some of the battlefields about 15 years ago. Once I saw the encroachment of modern development, especially at Fredericksburg, I came across the Trust, believed in its mission, and wrote my first check.

What do you enjoy most about being a Color Bearer?

The camaraderie of other Color Bearers. We always meet someone new and establish new friendships. And, of course, the absolutely excellent tours, hotels, meals, and speakers that the Trust sets up.

What is your favorite battlefield you’ve visited?

It’s a toss-up between Sharpsburg and Gettysburg. Both battlefields are preserved to such an extent that one really can understand the conflict and the actual battle.                                      

Both battles could have gone either way and the outcome of our nation may have been different. Gettysburg shows what encroachment does and how to preserve history. Antietam should be a reminder of how battlefields should look.

If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go?

I think Midway Island, and a flyover of the area of the Pacific that the Battle of Midway took place.

What would you like to pass on to future generations?

Preserving history is not only reading about history, it’s also about visiting history. Books can be re-written and history in print can change with the times. However, physical history, the land the history was made on, cannot be changed as long as the land is preserved and protected.

This is why the American Battlefield Trust has such a very important mission: to protect and preserve that physical history for future generations.

If you could meet any historical figure who would you like to meet and why?

Robert E. Lee. I have read more books about Robert E. Lee than anyone else. I find him a very complex and sad man. He could see the conflict coming, actually prolonged it by his military successes, and at the end of our nation's most bloody time he believed in reconciliation.

Anything else to share?

Color Bearers need to spread the word about the American Battlefield Trust. I think there are a lot more people in the flyover states that could be cultivated to become part of the American Battlefield Trust. We look forward to attending more annual meetings in the future.