May 5, 2026
A Tribute to the Daughters of the American Revolution
(and my sister!)
Part of the DAR display at our local library, May 2026.
(The full showcase display is shown at the end of this article.)
My sister dared to, and so do thousands of other patriotic women!
Decades ago, my quiet, reserved sister became interested in researching our family’s ancestry. She fully immersed herself in the venture, and eventually, after much exhaustive work, discovered that our family lineage can conclusively and definitively be traced back to the Revolutionary War and beyond. Which then led her to dare to step out into the unknown. I state it that way because she did not know a single person involved with the organization named DAR. But she dared to take that first step to find out about them. She wanted to share with them the lineage information that she researched and had found actual members of the Revolutionary War. That daring step changed her life!
As I stated, my sister is kind of quiet and prefers to avoid the limelight. She told me that she would prefer to remain anonymous in the background of this article. But as I have been telling Linda since we were little kids, “I’m your big brother, and YOU can’t tell me what to do!” Ha! I’m just kidding, of course. Sorry, Linda, but I am so proud of you that I couldn’t resist. With your permission, I have to reveal at least your first name! Linda is now an enthusiastic, proud working member of Pittsburgh’s North Hills Kushkushkee Trail Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
So, what or who is the DAR? The Daughters of the American Revolution is a national group of thousands of patriotic women who came together to pay tribute to the founders and fighters of the American Revolution. They are descendants of those who fought for or aided in America’s independence. Their mission statement is: “For Historic Preservation, Education, and Patriotism.” The national organization is comprised of hundreds of local chapters. To become a member of the prestigious charitable organization, you must be able to prove that you are a descendant of a person who served in the American Revolution in some capacity. Don’t be afraid to take that dare because they have plenty of historic and genealogical records and great members who will help you.
I have great admiration for all of Linda’s hard work that it took to establish our family genealogy. She found that at least four of our family ancestors were military members who actually participated in the American Revolutionary War. And two more of them are currently in the pending, strict, special approval process. Because of her work, my daughters, granddaughters, and all other female family members from my maternal grandmother’s side of the family are also now eligible to become DAR members if they choose to. All of our male bloodlines are most likely eligible to join the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).
As a veteran myself, I was particularly interested in learning about the work the DAR does for veterans. Among other things, they do a lot of great work to support active-duty military as well as veterans. They are involved with and support programs such as Wreaths Across America, Bells Across America, and the Patriot Honor Flights to Washington DC. They march in Pittsburgh’s large Veterans Day parade. They organize Pittsburgh Steelers pep rallies at our local VA hospital, and so much more.
Their mission also includes supporting education as well as historical documentation and preservation. That is my sister’s chosen role. She is the Kushkushkee Trail’s chairperson for Genealogical Records and Patriot Records Project committees. Hers and the committee’s work is focused on historical preservation. Linda states, “It is extremely important to find and document the names of the less recognized soldiers, privates, drummers, seamen, etc., who fought in the war. Everyone knows George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, et al, and their vital roles in achieving independence. I believe all who participated in some way had vital roles and need to be recognized and their history preserved. One of the projects I have been working on for almost six years is transcribing and certifying names in all of the Continental Congress’s documents from 1775 to 1789. It will take me 2 more years to complete the entire project.“
That is just a small taste of what the DAR does. I don’t want to turn this article into a book (but then, maybe I should), so I’ll just list a few more of the DAR’s generous charitable activities:
- National Cemetery of the Alleghenies – The Kushkushkee Trail Chapter is forming a group of DAR members to attend funeral services to ensure that no service member is buried alone.
- Rucksacks to Backpacks – school supplies in backpacks donated to military families.
- Contact local schools for student participation in the American History Essay Contest and Patriots of the American Revolution Essay Contest.
- Volunteer at the VA Hospital.
- Plant trees in local parks.
- Participate in Citizenship programs.
- Tunnels to Towers.
- Plus, many, many more.
As an American and a Vietnam veteran, I am honored to stand and salute the Daughters of the American Revolution. It is a wonderful organization. I encourage all proud patriotic women to locate, join if eligible, or support your local DAR chapter.
Dare to DAR! I promise you, you’ll feel good about it.
And Linda, thank you for your service to the DAR’s mission!
Scroll down for DAR’s contact information.
DAR’s full library showcase display, May 2026
For more info about the Pittsburgh area Kushkushkee Trail DAR Chapter, you can visit their website here: https://www.kushkushkeetrailnsdar.org/
To locate a local DAR Chapter in your area: https://www.dar.org/discover/become-member/chapter-locator
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kushkushkeetrail/
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