November 2022
On the left, Alfred Waud sits perched on a rock in Devil's Den, overlooking the second day's battlefield in front of him. On the right, the central boulder and surrounding boulders identify the exact spot where Waud sat in 1863.

Credit: NPS Photo.

Then and Now: The Gettysburg National Military Park

Welcome back to our TrailBlazer series… Then and Now. This month we are placing the spotlight on the historic Gettysburg National Military Park, an incredible site along the September 11th National Memorial Trail alignment.

Those traveling along the 9/11 Trail between Shanksville, PA and New York, are encouraged to divert south at Harrisburg and explore the Gettysburg National Military Park. Once there, visitors can learn about this memorial dedicated to American resiliency as it honors another significant struggle in our country.

The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War. The Union victory ended General Robert E. Lee's second and most ambitious invasion of the North. Often referred to as the "High Water Mark of the Rebellion", Gettysburg was the Civil War's bloodiest battle and was also the inspiration for President Abraham Lincoln's immortal "Gettysburg Address."
Kevin and Calvin welcomed at Valley Forge with board chair Andy Hamilton and Amy Johnson of the Valley Forge Park Alliance.
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Warriors on the 9/11 Trail
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Starting on August 25, 2022, at the Pentagon Memorial, Kevin Wilson a Chemical Operations Specialist Army Veteran started his journey hiking the 9/11 Trail with his service dog Calvin. The September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance is thrilled to host this inspiring duo on the first ever Warrior Hike of the 9/11 Trail with the support of Warrior Expeditions. Warrior Expeditions is a veteran nonprofit outdoor therapy program that helps veterans transition from their wartime experiences through long distance outdoor expeditions.
 
Kevin and Calvin have been welcomed by numerous incredible supporters along their journey and have had many tremendous experiences along the way. Some major highlights include: attending the Remembrance ceremony at the Flight 93 Memorial on September 11, touring the 9/11 National Memorial and Museum in New York City with 9/11 first-responder and Alliance board member Tim Brown and most recently court-side seats at the Philadelphia 76ers game.
 
The two typically average about 15 miles a day and celebrated hitting the 1,000-mile milestone this past week. Their journey along the 9/11 Trail has certainly been a life changing experience for Kevin and Calvin. Stay up to date on their inspiring adventures and follow along on Calvin’s Facebook page.
The DCNR presented with 9/11 Trail tiles in March.
Milestones: Grants for Growth

The September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance has recently received a $150,000 Partnership Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This grant will provide the Alliance with fantastic opportunities to significantly improve the 9/11 Trail for the future. The grant provides funding for three distinct projects including performing a GAP analysis to identify and evaluate important missing segments of the Trail and determine the resources needed to develop those missing segments of Trail. Additionally, funding will allow for the Alliance to market and conduct a series of guided tours on various segments of the Trail throughout the state of Pennsylvania. Finally, the grant also provides financial resources to produce an economic impact analysis of the Trail. The 9/11 National Memorial Trail traverses a plethora of small towns and cities, and the Alliance is placing an emphasis on how to better understand the immense possibilities of how the 9/11 Trail will transform communities along its alignment once complete.


See you on the Trail!
Andrew S. Hamilton
Chair, Board of Directors
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