Studying the life and service of Charles Rippon has taught me a lot about what it means to serve, and especially give the ultimate sacrifice in the name of your country. Rippon had a family, and life, and yet he chose to put his life on hold in order to become a member of the United States Navy, and do his part keep America, and the free world, just that- Free. In history class, we often study death tolls throughout various wars and extraordinary battles in American history, and as such it can be easy to disregard those numbers, and the names of those numbers, as mere byproducts of the tragedy of war. This project has taught me that every name has a story, and every story is worth looking into. If I had the ability to talk to Charles today, I would want to know more about his early life in the states, and why he wanted to get involved in the war personally. I would of course thank him for his service and sacrifice as well. The most important source for me in this journey was ancestry.com. Ancestry really helped me to know more about Rippon's family, and allowed me to identify obituaries, a census, and other artifacts. 

When we think about gratitude, I believe that often times many people are content with the expression of a passive "thank you" or internal gratitude. Being grateful is important, and yet after completing this project I feel that I view gratitude in a new light. Being grateful is more than just being happy that someone did something for you. True gratitude is a continuous process of remembering that act, commemorating that act, and making sure that above all, you never forget.