My Valley Forge Story: Joe Warner

 In 1970, six years before Valley Forge became a National Historical Park, my eighth-grade class went there on a field trip with chaperones. Among them was Mrs. Becker, a teacher who was genuinely liked by all the students because of her wit and sense of fun. On the school bus, four of us smuggled a small plastic kickball painted flat black. During our snack break, when many were seated on wooden benches, including Mrs. Becker, we four struggled out of the woods imitating great weight and announcing that we had found a cannonball buried in the leaves. We strained to carry the cannonball to show Mrs. Becker, but within a few feet of her, we "tripped" and flung the ball into her lap. Not surprisingly, she emitted a blood-curdling shriek, as she leapt to her feet but upon her realization that it wasn't a real cannonball, she roared with laughter.   

I am pleased to learn that Valley Forge National Historical Park still offers ranger-led curriculum-based education programs for students in grades 3 to 12 in the form of in-park field trips.

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