Volume_29_Issue_3

Preservation & Progress Volume 29, Issue 3 13 Christopher Samuel Lemmon, “Chris,” lives in Petersburg, New Jersey. He has participated in educational events and annual work days since 2010 when he was six, thanks to the mentoring of his Aunt Wendy (Repici). He was given a hat for being the youngest volunteer to attend that year. Chris has worked on all parts of the battlefield during work days, and “enjoys painting buildings on the battlefield the most” because it is “satisfying to see the improvements of the building at the end of the day” and “because many visitors to the park will look and admire the many buildings on the battlefield.” It is good to “maintain them to be as historically accurate as possible and help visitors enjoy the battlefield.” Chris has also attended educational events. He especially remembers the evening of “Salute to the States” as part of the 150th battle anniversary commemoration, and “going to a dinner party at the visitor’s center. That was one of the first times I had to wear a suit and I remember meeting Stephen Lang.” During that commemoration, he went with hundreds of others to light candles on the Civil War graves in Soldiers’ National Cemetery. He is an “old hand” at all parts of the annual Illumination and has not only helped pack U-Hauls and set up candles, but also at the end of the long evening he has helped dismantle candles and unpack the U-Haul at the Rupp House storage garage. Chris is a descendant of a soldier who fought for the Confederacy as a corporal in Company C 2nd Battalion Mississippi Infantry. “My aunt talked to me about the history of his story in the Civil War. He was captured in Chancellorsville. We marched during the 150th anniversary where he would have been in his regiment.” In September he will be a freshman at Ocean City High School with a tentative goal of studying engineering after high school graduation. He has already been inducted into the Junior National Honor Society and is also a Boy Scout working toward the Eagle Scout status. He thinks his volunteer work at the Foundation’s annual workday each June helps “on my path to Eagle Scout because many activities we do in Scouts involve working with others…I have been learning from Scouts and Gettysburg together.” In addition to his interest in engineering, he explained that “Gettysburg has helped me in history class… all of us in history class had to pick a Civil War general to write about…I wrote about George Meade because one of his most memorable battles was Gettysburg. I used a lot of knowledge that I learned from my many trips to Gettysburg.” His favorite place to visit each time he comes to Gettysburg is “Little Round Top…because it is a great vantage point on the battlefield…for learning about the second day of the battle.” For a young man, Chris has lofty but achievable goals “to study hard and do well in high school, go to college and major in something science or engineering related” with the hope of “having a career in one of those fields later in life because I can learn something new about the cosmos each day. I also want Gettysburg to always be in my life because volunteering in Gettysburg has helped me become a more responsible person growing up, and it will help me in my future.” In his relaxing hours as an almost-teen, Chris enjoys “playing video games with my friends and learning about history through books and videos—my experiences in Gettysburg have fostered that interest.” His parting advice to other young people is to become part of things! “Gettysburg is a place that the more often you go, the more you will love it. It will grow on you, and participating in its volunteering events will make you truly appreciate the battlefield and the work it takes to preserve its beauty. I recommend finding somebody older that you know that goes to volunteer, then just go because you will have so many great experiences and meet so many people. You will learn so much about the history, the present and the future of Gettysburg.” We are fortunate to know Chris and hope he is an inspiration to others of his age—and soon he will be old enough to join the Recruit class and help replant some of our farm orchards! Spotlight on Friends Christopher Samuel Lemmon Interview by Barbara J. Finfrock Chris at Volunteer Work Day, 2016. Chris and his sister greet Barbara at Volunteer Work Day, 2018.