As Seen on ABC's Live 'Kelly & Ryan'

The #1 Southern U.S. Biography On Amazon!

Get Your Hardcover, Paperback, Or E-Book Today!

There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come by those who will come after.

Ecclesiastes 1:11
In hindsight, I had only six months, but I worked on my tree, on his tree, with a focus and level of endurance, as if tomorrow might be too late.

Chapter 2

John 3:16
About 18-20 inches down, the thin metal rod found it’s mark with a “dunk, dunk, dunk.”

Chapter 13
“It must be admitted that the expression of religious sentiment and habit was more common and more earnest in the Confederate camp than in ours.”

Joshua Chamberlain
As the Bible Belt South hurled itself against the Union center at Gettysburg, Protestantism in America had reached its high-water mark.

Trae Zipperer

Button
These final resting places of our DNA are like the homeless on a street corner, unshaven, disheveled, unbathed, with an empty plate on the ground in front of them.

Chapter 14

Button
For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Matthew 24:27

Button
An enemy soldier’s helmeted head at 300-yards, a duck’s head on Lake Okeechobee.

Chapter 17

Button
Every child born on the North American continent between 1619 and 1865, a period of 246 years, was born into the institution of slavery.

Chapter 20

Button

They Face East vs. Hillbilly Elegy

A Comparative Analysis By Trae Zipperer

Dive into the compelling parallels between Trae Zipperer's They Face East and J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Both authors share their journeys from tumultuous childhoods to prestigious academic and political careers. Raised in environments marked by struggle and substance abuse, they each took paths through military service to the Ivy League, culminating in influential roles in venture capital and politics. Discover how their stories of perseverance reflect broader themes of American life and resilience.

READ THE COMPARISON

About The Book - They Face East

Uncover America's Buried Truth:

An American archeological discovery hiding in plain sight, they face east. A spiritual compass, the graves of our ancestors provide foundational guidance as the ongoing war for America’s soul rages. A memoir spanning 400 years, Harvard Business School graduate Trae Zipperer dusts off the pages of Civil War history to reconcile the contexts of Protestantism and Patriotism found within his Deep South family tree. Indelible to our shared past, topics boldly include Jesus, persecution, Indians, slavery, the Constitution, Confederate Soldiers, and Yankee prisons. This unbelievable life changing story inspires Trae to launch the veteran headstone cleaning initiative By Memorial Day landing him in the national spotlight!

Determined descendant Trae Zipperer travels to ancestor grave sites in search of a Confederacy connection to Civil War Gettysburg. His epic journey to uncover Southern heritage stretches genealogy research, cemetery road trips, and DNA testing to Harvard graduate standards. Trae’s exhaustive efforts reveal an unanticipated family history tree! This American South book articulates United States Southern life before, during, and after an entire generation of Protestant warriors outnumbered 4-to-1 clad themselves in butternut and gray.

Trae stops at nothing to find a grandfather who fought at the Battle of Gettysburg. Names of his people are found while staring into Ancestry.com, asking family questions, and listening to oral history. Clues are discovered within family history books shelved long ago inside county libraries throughout the Southern states. But Southern graves, white and black, point eastward toward the Christian faith foundation upon which the United States is established. Traveling from one Bible Belt church cemetery to the next, Trae begins to question the demonization placed upon these sources of his DNA. Slavery as the reason the North started the American Civil War did not add up. Read Chapters 25 and 26 for a disturbing U.S. history lesson in chronological order hidden from us by enemies of liberty. Pronounced Fort Sumpter, newly inaugurated President Abraham Lincoln effectively fired the first shots there by sending a resupply armada. Ignoring the fact no injuries occurred during the Southern response, Lincoln rallied 75,000 Northerners to avenge Fort Sumter!

BUY ON AMAZON

READ A FULL CHAPTER

Slide title

Write your caption here

Button
Slide title

Write your caption here

Button

CONTACT TRAE

About Trae Zipperer:

Author of They Face East

Harvard Business School graduate and Navy veteran Trae Zipperer launched a nationwide mission to clean every veteran headstone in America by Memorial Day. His headstone cleaning videos went viral with more than 5,000,000 views following his guest appearance on the #1 daytime talk show: LIVE with Kelly and Ryan. The catalytic moment setting into motion his unanticipated adventure of a lifetime into America’s forgotten past was at Gettysburg National Battlefield. Trae gazed out across Pickett’s Charge envisioning 12,500 Southern men in mile-long formation, “Was one of my grandfathers among them?” To find out, he dug deeper, traveled farther, and expended resources beyond any genealogical quest ever attempted. When not volunteering in a cemetery somewhere, Trae can be found selling real estate in Fort Myers, fishing in the Florida Keys, or carrying his corgi dog home after a short walk.

Check Out Trae's Important Initiatives

Preserving History, Honoring Heroes

BY MEMORIAL DAY

By Memorial Day is an initiative focused on the upkeep and restoration of veteran headstones across the country. Its mission is to ensure that the sacrifices of our veterans are remembered and respected in perpetuity. Volunteers can participate in cleaning events or donate to support the cause. Visit www.bymemorialday.com to learn how you can make a difference this Memorial Day.

CLEAN A HEADSTONE

HONOR YOUR DNA

Honor Your DNA is Trae’s YouTube channel that delves into genealogy and the personal histories of families, especially those with military backgrounds. The channel aims to educate viewers on how to uncover and cherish their own ancestral stories. Support this mission by watching, sharing, and subscribing. Visit and subscribe to Honor Your DNA on YouTube to start discovering your own family’s legacy.

SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE

VETERAN GRAVES

Do you know a deceased veteran whose story deserves to be recorded before it's lost? Veteran Graves is a dedicated platform for volunteers who want to document and preserve the gravesites of military veterans. Our mission is to provide a lasting digital memorial that highlights their lives and services. Nobody knows your veteran better than you do. Record your veteran's story in fine military detail and add their grave at www.veterangraves.com to honor their legacy forever.

ADD A VETERAN'S GRAVE

Trae's Schema For Patriotism

Trae aboard USS Nimitz

Uncle Griffin, Killed In Action

Gold Star Family Telegram

Gigi before Utah Beach

Papa before Pearl Harbor

Every American’s Schema

What’s Your Schema for Patriotism?

Subscribe for early access

Follow Our Socials:

America’s Schema for Patriotism

The #1 Southern U.S. Biography On Amazon!

There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come by those who will come after.

In hindsight, I had only six months, but I worked on my tree, on his tree, with a focus and level of endurance, as if tomorrow might be too late.

About 18-20 inches down, the thin metal rod found it’s mark with a “dunk, dunk, dunk.”

“It must be admitted that the expression of religious sentiment and habit was more common and more earnest in the Confederate camp than in ours.”

As the Bible Belt South hurled itself against the Union center at Gettysburg, Protestantism in America had reached its high-water mark.

These final resting places of our DNA are like the homeless on a street corner, unshaven, disheveled, unbathed, with an empty plate on the ground in front of them.

For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

An enemy soldier’s helmeted head at 300-yards, a duck’s head on Lake Okeechobee.

Every child born on the North American continent between 1619 and 1865, a period of 246 years, was born into the institution of slavery.