In a message dated 2/20/2004 2:24:33 PM Eastern Standard Time, Kienzle@aol.com writes: Anyone related to these men and would relate what G. A. R. was and stood for. GAR was the Grand Army of the Republic, an association of Civil War veterans. Sort of a forerunner of the American Legion, you might say. The GAR was nationally organized and a rather prestigious organization in its time. They had annual "encampments" at the state and national levels, I believe. The GAR died out in the late 1930s or 1940s as taps was sounded for the last of the CW veterans. You should be able to Google out a good bit of info on the organization. Regards, Ted Snediker