Gettysburg Foundation Newslettter Volume 26, Issue 1

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Gettysburg Foundation Volume 26, Issue 1 Page 39
Jim Dietrich by: David R. Cooper,
Chief Development Officer
difference, he wanted to leave a legacy for
generations to come.
Jim worked with the staff at the
Gettysburg Foundation to find just the
right project, the restoration of the barn
at the George Spangler Farm Civil War
Field Hospital Site, which served as a field
hospital during and after the battle. As a
first responder, Jim certainly understood
the value of on-site emergency medical
care. He also was moved by similarities
between the care that medical personnel
gave the wounded after the battle and the
care he himself received from medical
staff while he struggled with ALS. Jim’s
family said that “Jim got tears in his eyes
talking about how the soldiers were cared
for at Spangler just as those around him
were caring for him.”
Gettysburg Foundation president Joanne
Hanley says “He was an inspiration and
wanted to be part of the rehabilitation
of the Spangler Farm. His good humor,
interest, and courage never failed as he
planned for his legacy at Gettysburg.”
The gift that Jim made from his estate
helped us cross into the final threshold of
our fundraising for the barn. Because of
Jim and several other donors and Friends,
the start of the restoration work will
occur in the near future. For generations
to come, the stories of heroism and
sacrifice will be shared where they
happened, and they will not be forgotten.
This is Jim Dietrich’s legacy at Gettysburg.
The Gettysburg National Military
Park lost a true Friend earlier this
year when James “Jim” Dietrich
passed away on April 11, 2014 at the age
of 54 after a battle with amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou
Gehrig’s disease. Before the disease took
its toll, Jim was a 19-year veteran EMS
first responder with the Pennsylvania
Turnpike Commission. Besides his
family and friends, Jim had two great
passions in his life, hiking and Gettysburg
National Military Park.
Jim grew up outside Lebanon, PA. He
visited Gettysburg for the first time as
a child thanks to his mother who made
sure he and his family visited historic
sites across the region. Jim loved the
experience right away. He was always
active, becoming an avid hiker in his
early 20s. In fact, on summer trips to
visit family in New England, Jim hiked all
48 of the official peaks over 4,000 feet in
the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Jim’s love for hiking impacted his visits
to Gettysburg,too. In any of the four
seasons, Jim could be found hiking on the
battlefield. Jim loved coming out to the
Park with family and friends but just as
frequently could be found alone enjoying
the beauty of the countryside or lost in
reflection. Like many who care about
Gettysburg, Jim was an avid reader of
books and articles about the battle. He
refused to let family call him an “expert,”
but he found great inspiration in the
stories of the individual soldiers who
engaged in battle the summer of 1863.
Before he passed away, Jim made a
provision for both the ALS Association
and the Gettysburg Foundation in
his will. Jim was not a very wealthy
person, but he cared deeply about these
organizations and wanted to make a
According to Jim’s cousin, Emily
Marshall, “The best gift Jim gave [her]
son was Gettysburg.” Here Jim works
with his nephew on his Junior
Ranger workbook.
If you would like more information on
how you could include the
Gettysburg Foundation in your will or
estate plans, please contact David Cooper
at
or at 717-339-2134.