Soldiers’ Christmas

Technically, this still counts since it falls before Epiphany, right? (In the Catholic tradition, Epiphany – the feast of the Three Kings on January 6 – is the official end of the twelve days of Christmas.)

Anyway, technicalities aside, I recently attended a Living History event at Fort Mott State Park in New Jersey called Soldiers’ Christmas. Maybe it was Soldier’s Christmas. Soldiers Christmas? Whatever.

It was my first time attending this event, although I’ve heard about it for a number of years. There were groups from a number of different eras, although the majority were from World War 2. It was great to see a lot of familiar faces from the Living History scene, and I even learned a thing or two along the way!

 

Christmas the American GI way

The Paoli Massacre … or Something

Now that I’m living in the greater Philadelphia region, and fueled almost entirely by the first 70-ish episodes of The American Military History Podcast, I’m much more aware of the Revolutionary Era sites within easy driving distance of me. Which is how last weekend happened: on my way back from a Notre Dame Alumni event, I decided to swing by the Paoli battlefield site, as I had heard there were events happening there, and I didn’t want to miss out.

For those of you who don’t know, the Battle of Paoli happened in 1777 in Paoli, PA, which today is about 45 minutes from Philadelphia Proper. Also known as the Paoli Massacre, this event immediately followed the Battle of Brandywine, the largest land battle of the Revolution and a British victory.

 

So maybe it will be useful to back up a little bit further:

The Long Road Home – Part 2

Appomattox/Birthday Extravaganza!

Day 2 began with a leisurely morning, breakfast on the go, and a return to the Court House site. This day was filled mostly with pictures and wandering around the town. Fortunately there were many interpretive signs scattered through the town to read and many people to watch/overhear/interrogate. In the back of the town was a sign that said “Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain Site” with an arrow, so naturally Mel and I had to go check it out, as our mutual affection and appreciation for Chamberlain brought us together in the first place. (It was a path that eventually led to the highway so it wasn’t very exciting.)

A Revolutionary Idea

It was either the Fort Lyons Preservation Society guy that my Civil War discussion group met on a tour of the DC forts, or it was all the history things I follow on facebook posting things. Or quite possibly, Big Brother has caught on to my search history and offered notice of this event as a paid ad on Google. Whatever it was, I was given ample notice of a reenactment at Mount Vernon.

Colonial history was my first love, long before I ever met Col. Chamberlain of the 20th Maine. When I was young, this series of books called American Girl were popular (years before the company sold out to Mattel, btw).  My favorite was Felicity and she lived in Colonial Williamsburg. She had a horse and the dress and red hair – everything I had wanted when I was that age. I read the Felicity books over and over again, but it never really went anywhere serious. (I did get to see Monticello, which was far cooler than I expected-can I say I love Jefferson?)

 

The pantheon of American gods

Memorial Day 2015 – Where It All Began. Maybe.

Is there anything more patriotic than attending the National Memorial Day Concert, hosted by Lieutenant Dan Gary Sinise, live on the Capitol Building’s Lawn while knitting socks for one’s Civil War soldier, surrounded by sirens because there was a “suspicious package” a block away? I didn’t think so.

Here There Be Learning …

… or something.

I meant to post this sooner, but, well, whoever studies art “because it’s easy” is going to get punched in the face.

First off, happy Veterans’ Day. I am currently trying to make my way through a memoir by Wild Bill Guarnere and his BFF Ed “Babe” Heffron, two US paratroopers from Easy Company, 101st Airborne. The memoir is titled “Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends,” and I picked it up last year at Ike Farm where Wild Bill actually signed it “To (me): Another Lovely Gal.” This was about 6 months before he passed away. It’s quite an enjoyable read and they are both good storytellers. My only issue is time …

Wild Bill Guarnere … he really wanted to hold that gun.

Below the cut are some things learned from Ike Farm 2014 (see previous post) as well as a small event I visited a few weeks after. Enter if you dare.

FIGTHING part 1

The annual Battle of the Bulge reenactment takes place every year at Fort Indiantown Gap, in Nowheresville, PA.  Because that is quite a mouthful, everyone has shortened it to FIG.  Which makes me giggle because of this:

Whoops.

which led to this:  

What would we do with ndmspaint.blogspot.com?

I’m easily amused.

Ahem.