Hello List, I mailed a correspondant who lives in Toronto one of the Hessian pins, and he wore it proudly to group events. It served as a way to start up a conversation with others. He descends from a Braunschweiger, and he is proud of it. Louise Hodge in VA ---------- Original Message ---------- From: "Bob Brooks" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]>, <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [AMREV-HESSIANS] Hessian Pins Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:26:20 -0500 Dan (and others thinking the same) -- I am not the list master but I have been on this list for eleven or twelve years and recall that, in the past like Dan does now, newer members to the list raised the issue of the suitability of this discussion on this list. Dan writes "These pins have nothing to do with Hessian and other groups' history in the American Revolution." Not so, Dan -- the pins are miniature replicas of the Hessian grave marker project and this whole project was strongly supported by the late John Metz, the founder of this list. Bob Fetters developed the grave-markers, pins, pendants, etc., funded their production and offered them to members at his cost. This was never a money-making project and frankly I doubt that Bob ever recovered his out-of-pocket costs let alone received anything for his time spent ordering, packaging and mailing the items. The pins are a "Hessian pride" issue and the demand comes back every couple of years as newer members see those pins owned by other descendants of the "Hessian" troops who served during the War of American Independence. .