SARATOGA SPRINGS — Before the Daughters of the American Revolution presented a generous donation to the New York State Military Museum, a small crowd gathered in a circle and spoke the names of ancestors and loved ones who had served in the armed forces. People named fathers, brothers, mothers, sisters, in-laws and ancestors dating back to the 1800s. They told their stories from the Revolutionary War, the World Wars, Civil War and wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. “By allowing them to all state their name, I think that it made these people, who sometimes are relegated to history books, become flesh and blood. And I hope, in fact, that brings to life the memory of the men who carried these battle flags into battle on behalf of the United States of America,” New York State Regional Regent of Daughters of the American Revolution Denise Doring VanBuren said. As state regent, VanBuren had the task of choosing a project that promoted one of the organization’s goals of historic preservation, education and patriotism. She decided to raise funds to stabilize the state’s collection of 2,000 flags, the largest collection in the nation. <http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2013/05/28/news/doc51a3eeaa9aa53854862306.txt?viewmode=fullstory> -- Bob Sullivan Schenectady Digital History Archive <http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/> Schenectady County (NY) Public Library