During my son's senior year in high school (1994), David was given an assignment to find out where his family came from.   I wasn't able to answer his questions so I began the journey of tracing our roots.  My paternal ancestry was never traced and my aunts and uncles couldn't help me, ralating the same story,  that my family is of Scot-Irish and Indian decent.  So I labored through the fairly new  Internet resources, contacted Florida and Georgia bureau of records and received copies of death certificates.  I then obtained copies of my great-grandfather's civil war records from the Washington DC Archives.  I created my webpage and documented my findings.

In April 2004, I was invited to attend an award ceremony for the brave hearts of the Civil War.  Since my great-grandfather Robert McBee was one of those heroes, it goes without saying I was excited.  I traveled from Florida to Georgia with my boyfriend and son who by this time just completed eight years in the U.S. Marine Corp. 

The McBee men were proud men and carried on the tradition of fighting for their country.  My father Harry McBee served in World Ward II and my son served in the U.S. Marine Corps. 

When we first arrived it was quite a site seeing the re-enactment uniformed soldiers preparing for the tribute.  We all sat down and prepared to listen to the tribute.  I was stunned to hear the speaker recite word for word from my webpage as if it were her own.  Then the person in charge of the ceremoney asked who was the oldest living person related to Robert McBee so she could be given the ceremonial flag.  Again I was appalled.  This person had no idea who Robert McBee was.  She was some niece several times removed.  She couldn't tell me that Robert's father John esaped the hardship of the potato famine and brought his family to America to start a new life.  She couldnt' tell me that even though John didn't have a fight in the Civil War, he believe in this great nation and along with his son Robert, volunteered to fight for his freedom.

John didn't last but a few months in the war, but Robert continued on.  He was wounded several times, but wouldn't give up.  During his recuperation, he volunteered as an ambulance driver.  When his wounds healed, he was right back in the fight.  He stood alongside his company (which was only a few remaining) during the surrender in Virginia.

From there he settled in Brantley, Georgia where he lived until his death and is buried on his farm land.

As the rightful decendent, I am disappointed that as the great-granddaughter of this Civil War Hero, I couldn't receive that flag and present to my son.  The event in itself was quite an experience, but due to its practices, I will never attend another one.