Contracting officer is Son of the American Revolution

By Catherine Liedke, ACC-WarrenOctober 2, 2015

Contracting officer is Son of the American Revolution
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WARREN, Mich.--Have you ever wondered about your ancestry? What if you learned that your ancestors fought in the American Revolution?

Jeffrey Yeager, team chief in the Installation Support Contracting Division, Army Contracting Command -- Warren, discovered just that. As a result of his ancestry, Yeager became a member of an organization called the Sons of the American Revolution.

"Growing up, my grandmother would always tell us that our ancestors fought in the American Revolution," Yeager explained. "So, from that small bit of information I went forward."

He spent three years researching and traced his ancestry back eight generations until he made the connection to the American Revolution. To become a member of SAR, Yeager said he had to link each generation and provide proof of his ancestors' military service.

Yeager found that he had not just one but two ancestors who fought in the American Revolution. His maternal ancestor, Jacob Kissinger, obtained rank of second lieutenant during the war. Kissinger drowned in the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania while trying to deliver supplies to the Continental Army.

Kissinger's son, John, joined the Continental Army at 17. He became a private and remained enlisted until the war's end.

According to their website, the Sons of the American Revolution was organized on April 30, 1889. Today the SAR consists of over 32,000 members and is a lineage society. Just as Yeager did, each member of the SAR has traced their family tree back to a patriot ancestor.

The SAR is a non-profit corporation whose goals are historical, patriotic and educational.

"I joined the SAR, in part, as an expression of my appreciation to my grandmother," Yeager said. "I discovered, during my genealogical research that there are only two traits that remain for posterity: one's profession and one's behavior, whether it be good or bad. Knowing that my ancestors fought for our freedom and independence from tyranny has made me deeply appreciative of the slogan, 'Live Free or Die'."