By Jeff Murphy,
February 5, 2016
WARRENSBURG, MO – Have you ver wonder what your ancestors were doing during the American
Revolution? A local group wants to help active duty military and veteran families
find out through a free one-day workshop hosted by the University of Central Missouri
Office of Military and Veteran Services.
This special event, known as Operation Find Your Patriot, is planned for 9 a.m. to
3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, at the UCM Military and Veteran Success Center, Elliott
Student Union 117. It is open to all active duty military members, veterans and their
families. Although not required, participants are encouraged to RSVP by Feb. 17 to
receive forms in advance in order to enter information that will be used in the search
process.
The program was created by Doug Christie, a Compatriot of the Martin Warren Chapter,
Missouri Society, Sons of the American Revolution. It was inspired by a national program
called Operation Ancestor Search, which was initiated by the National Society of the
Sons of the American Revolution. OAS has been offered nationally for wounded warriors
and in venues such as large military and VA hospitals.
A military veteran, Christie established the program with the goal to enable Martin
Warren Chapter members to provide hands-on, guided family history to any UCM student,
including veterans, in a workshop-type atmosphere. The chapter wants to assist men
and women in identifying a Patriot Ancestor, for example, a man or woman who has been
identified as having fought in the American Revolution between 1775-1783 or as having
given aid and support to the effort to be a self-governing nation, separate from British
rule. According to Christie, there is an extensive catalog of Patriots. Although the
OFYP cannot guarantee that all participants will find people in their families who
are Patriots, the search process can provide a fruitful experience for those who pursue
it.
OFYP can assist a person to begin tracing their family ancestors in a process that
includes, but is not limited to, searching online data bases and systematically recording
the results. Participants are asked to begin the process in advance of the workshop
date by completing a Family Group Sheet as much as possible. This will provide as
much information as they currently know about their family, including full names,
dates of birth, marriage, death; places of residence; and more.
“We’re thrilled that the MVSC can partner with organizations such as the Martin Warren
Chapter, Missouri Society, Sons of the American Revolution, to assist our military
and veteran families with tracking their family history, and more importantly, identifying
American Patriots in their bloodline,” said Delilah Nichols, coordinator of Military
and Veteran Services.
She said individuals who wish to participate in Operation Find Your Patriot are encouraged
to RSVP by contacting Elizabeth Crawford, VA work study student at the MVSC, at ecc74690@ucmo.edu.
For information specific to Operation Find Your Patriot or the Martin Warren Chapter,
Missouri Society, Sons of the Revolution, contact its members Mike Powers at pchemr@gmail.com or Doug Christie at douglas.s.christie.mil@gmail.com or access the website at http://www.sar.org.
More information also can be obtained on campus through Delilah Nichols at 660-543-8977
or nichols@ucmo.edu.
