The unsung heroes of 1775

In April 1775 , William Thompson became the first commissioned colonel in the Continental Army of a rifle battalion in the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment .

The men who served with him were fiercely independent frontiersmen, farmers, and artisans who had settled in the wilds near the forks of the Allegheny , Pennsylvania .

The war, which destroyed the French Empire in North America , sparked the fire that would eventually lead to the American Revolution .

Their names, deeds, daring mistakes, and accomplishments that formed who we are today are often long forgotten in dusty diaries and ancient history books. However, as the Nation approaches celebrating our 250th birthday, we should think about the common man who has contributed so much to the luxuries, freedoms, and opportunities we enjoy today . We are not perfect, but neither were the men and women who came before us..