Learning more about an individual who paid with their life for our safety has been an eye-opening experience. Getting to know Bencosky, to understand his daily life, whether a success or hardship, places the war in perspective within the period. Now, in the 21st century, its extremely difficult to fathom the sheer panic that a war of such size could cause. But following an individual's battles corrects that. The draft was an unfortunate but necessary solution to the country's problem but it truly highlights how important freedom is and allows us to understand all that we have currently. Knowing how Bencosky felt when he received his draft address and picked up his draft card would create the most clarity on what we value as a society. Our freedom. Digging through newspapers allowed me to follow Bencosky's earliest movements into induction. Also, the census provided a lot of information that was used to identify people in newspaper articles. They allowed me to use context clues and verify the accuracy of each source. Gratitude is an abstract term that takes the clearest form in times of crisis. Walking the life of Bencosky showed where my interpretation of the word was lacking. How gratitude can be for broad rights or specific people. How the people in the United States are so lucky to have the freedom that our soldiers, our family members, sacrifice their lives for.