At Fort Bragg, Sons of the American Revolution bring history alive to students

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - On Feb. 12, 30 students from the Irwin Middle School History Club smiled with excitement as a man dressed like he walked out of George Washington's closet stood before them and taught them about the history of the American Revolution. Franklin Horton, senior vice president for the North Carolina Society of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution gave a detailed presentation to the after-school club wearing his blue and brown Continental Army uniform. Horton brought a table full of assorted items ranging from a canteen to a replica musket loader. He said he finds the replicas help keep the kids interested during the presentation. "(The students) always want to ask about the gun, bayonet and the clothing we wear," Horton said. The Sons of the American Revolution teaches a wide variety of things to the students, from how a person can track their ancestral tree to what the Soldiers wore and why they wore it. Teachers find that these kinds of presentations spark the interest of the students and get them more interested in history. "When (the students) are able to see things from the Revolutionary War or hear something they wouldn't normally hear in a textbook, it peaks their curiosity," said Meredith Weipert, a 5th grade teacher at Irwin Middle School and the History Club sponsor. "It was fun to hold the gun" said Tiana McPhee a 5th grader at Irwin Middle School. The Sons of the American Revolution is comprised of people who can trace their lineage back to the American Revolution and honor their ancestors educating everyone from children to adults about the time period and what their ancestors went through. "(Our) main purpose is educating people about the history of the country, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights," Horton said. The Sons of the American Revolution educate people by visiting Revolutionary War sites and giving eight to ten presentations every year. For more information about the Sons of the American Revolution upcoming events and how to join, you can visit their Web site at www.ncssar.com.