Dates Announced for Open House at Lee's HQ in Gettysburg

AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD TRUST AND SEMINARY RIDGE MUSEUM ANNOUNCE LEE’S HEADQUARTERS OPEN HOUSE DATES

Visitors to Gettysburg can immerse themselves in the history of the 1863 battle by stepping through the door of this iconic home (Gettysburg, Pa.) — History enthusiasts with an affinity for exploration and thirst for knowledge can help satisfy their cravings this summer by adding an inside look at General Lee’s Gettysburg Headquarters to their itinerary.

The American Battlefield Trust and Seminary Ridge Museum will once again be opening the building to visitors every Friday from June 2 to August 25, between 10:00 a.m. – 3 p.m EST.

Standing on Seminary Ridge, this simple stone house was transformed into an icon of the Gettysburg Battlefield over the course of the first day’s battle and beyond. To expand upon the many faces and actions that the house witnessed throughout its history, on-site interpreters will be present during open house hours.

See complete release below….

Increased Accessibility Now Available on Gettysburg Battlefield

NPS News Release Date: April 14, 2023
Contact: Jason Martz

GETTYSBURG, PA – Gettysburg National Military Park recently installed two bronze relief tactile tables, with a third to come, at key locations within the park. These new bronze relief tables depict three-dimensional landscape elevations of the battlefield. Visitors will now have access to better understand the landscape across which the battle was fought and how terrain influenced the movements of the two armies at Gettysburg in July of 1863. 

These tables, which visitors are encouraged to touch and feel, feature braille and raised lettering, making them the first such additions to Gettysburg National Military Park. “We hope these new additions to the battlefield landscape will make a visit to Gettysburg more accessible and meaningful for our visitors. We are excited for visitors to interact with them, and for Park Rangers and Licensed Battlefield Guides to utilize them in their programming,” said Steve Sims, Gettysburg National Military Park Superintendent. 

The creation of the bronze relief tactile tables is part of a larger project to update interpretive signage throughout the battlefield park, which has been ongoing since 2019. Visitors can find the tables installed at the plaza at the Virginia Memorial – Auto Tour Stop 5, the National Cemetery Parking Lot – Auto Tour Stop 16, and soon to be at the Eternal Light Peace Memorial – Auto Tour Stop 2. 

Work To Stabilize Vicksburg National Cemetery Set To Begin

April 4, 2023
From National Parks Traveler

In mid-April the National Park Service will begin a multi-year, multi-phase project to stabilize portions of Vicksburg National Cemetery in Vicksburg National Military Park to address grave disturbances and erosion caused by severe weather events in 2020 and 2021. 

Back in January 2020 unprecedented rainfall caused extreme erosion, road loss, sinkholes and severe landslides at Vicksburg National Military Park and the National Cemetery. This weather event impacted historically significant landscapes, including burial sites in the national cemetery. Additional storm activity in 2021 contributed to further impacts. 

The park will begin the stabilization project by temporarily relocating approximately 50-80 endangered burials through this summer and constructing a soldier pile and lagging wall early next year to prevent further erosion. Once stabilization is complete, the park will conduct a respectful reinterment process and complete other mitigation measures. The Park Service has committed approximately $4.7 million for the first two phases of this project.

“This project affirms our commitment to commemorate the fallen and protect one of the nation’s most sacred landscapes,” said Carrie Mardorf, acting superintendent, Vicksburg National Military Park. “Several of the impacted burials are unknown United States Colored Troops. Throughout this process, we are engaging with several communities, organizations and leaders to provide the soldiers their due honor and help give voice to undertold stories.”

All remains previously recovered, as well as those yet to be disinterred, will continue to be treated with the utmost dignity and respect. Burials must be disinterred to ensure they are protected and secured during the stabilization and construction process. A specialized facility was built within the park for the temporary care of recovered remains, burial objects and grave markers until the items can be respectfully reinterred.   

Future mitigation measures for the project will include additional research about the role of United States Colored Troops (USCT) and local African American community contributions to the cemetery. This is an opportunity to bring co-stewardship into the forefront concerning our collective histories of USCTs at Vicksburg and across the region. This effort also restores awareness of Vicksburg’s national significance during the Civil War and Reconstruction era. Future mitigation measures will also include further exploration of the Native American and Spanish colonial eras and their significance within Vicksburg National Military Park.

The largest Union cemetery in the nation, Vicksburg National Cemetery sits on 40 acres overlooking the Yazoo River Diversion Canal. It was established in 1866 to serve as the final resting place for United States soldiers. After its inception, the War Department led an effort throughout the South to locate the graves of Union soldiers who died during the Civil War so they could be reinterred in the national cemetery. More than 17,000 troops — 13,000 of which are unknown soldiers — are buried in Vicksburg National Cemetery. These burials include the final resting place of more than 5,500 USCTs who served with distinction in the Civil War. 

The Grounds of the Wisler House Are Now Open!

The grounds of the Wisler house are now OPEN.

As of March 28, 2023, the new gravel parking lot and driveway have been installed and visitors are now welcome to drive to, and park, at the site.

On the morning of July 1, 1863, the 8th Illinois Cavalry established a vidette post at the home and blacksmith shop of Ephraim Wisler. From its position on Knoxlyn Ridge, the Wisler House was an ideal location from which to spy any Confederate advance toward Gettysburg down the Chambersburg Pike. At 7:30 am, Union cavalrymen detected the advance on Henry Heth's Confederate division, which had departed their Cashtown bivouac to conduct a reconnaissance in force toward Gettysburg. Lt. Marcellus E. Jones, who commanded the picket line of the 8th Illinois, borrowed the carbine of Sgt. Levi Shafer, rested the weapon on one of the Wisler's fence posts, and from the western yard of the home fired the first shot of the Battle of Gettysburg. The Ephraim Wisler home would become enshrined in Gettysburg lore as "The First Shot House"...the location from which the great Battle of Gettysburg was inaugurated.

CLICK ON THIS LINK FOR DETAILS OF THE COMPLETE RESTORATION OF THE WISLER HOUSE

National Vietnam War Veterans Day - March 29

National Vietnam War Veterans Day

 
Join us on 29 March,
National Vietnam War Veterans Day,
as Americans unite to thank and honor
Vietnam veterans and their families
for their service and sacrifice.

The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 was signed into law by 45th U.S. President Donald J. Trump, designating every March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
This special day joins six other military-centric annual observances codified in Title 4 of the United States Code §6, among them Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day.

29 March is a fitting choice for a day honoring Vietnam veterans. It was chosen to be observed in perpetuity as March 29, 1973 was the day United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam was disestablished and also the day the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam.  In addition, on and around this same day Hanoi released the last of its acknowledged prisoners of war. 

The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration honors all veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time from November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, regardless of location, and their families.

November 1, 1955 was selected to coincide with the official designation of Military Assistance Advisory Group-Vietnam (MAAG-V); May 15, 1975 marks the end of the battle precipitated by the seizure of the SS Mayaguez.

The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that today there are more than 7 million U.S. Vietnam veterans living in America and abroad, along with 10 million families of those who served during this timeframe. 

We make no distinction between veterans who served in-country, in-theater, or who were stationed elsewhere during the Vietnam War period.  All were called to serve and none could self-determine where they would serve.

Additional Background:  U.S. involvement in Vietnam started slowly with an initial deployment of advisors in the early 1950s, grew incrementally through the early 1960s and expanded with the deployment of full combat units in July 1965.  The last U.S. personnel were evacuated from Vietnam in April 1975.

This national commemoration was authorized by Congress, established under the Secretary of Defense, and launched by the President to thank and honor our Nation’s Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice.  

In 2007, the 110th Congress incorporated language in House of Representatives (H.R.) 4986 authorizing the secretary of defense to conduct a program commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War.  

H.R. 4986 was signed into law as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2008 by 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush on January 28, 2008.

44th U.S. President Barack Obama officially inaugurated this Commemoration at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. on Memorial Day, May 28, 2012.

Section 598 (Public Law 110-181) of the 2008 NDAA specifically addresses Commemoration activities.

Congress outlined a total of five objectives for The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, with the primary objective being to thank and honor Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the Nation, with distinct recognition of former prisoners of war and families of those still listed as missing in action.  

The four remaining objectives highlight the service of our Armed Forces and support organizations during the war; pay tribute to wartime contributions at home by American citizens; highlight technology, science and medical advances made during the war; and recognize contributions by our Allies.

By Presidential Proclamation, The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration will continue through Veterans Day, November 11, 2025.

McAllister's Battery Day And Artillery Weekend At Shiloh National Military Park

Demonstrations of cannon fire will be offered at Shiloh National Military Park this weekend/NPS file

Compiled From NPS New Releases
By National Parks Traveler - March 28th, 2023

The impact of 24-pound Howitzers that the Union Army deployed during the Battle of Shiloh will be discussed this coming weekend as Shiloh National Military Park marks the 161st anniversary of the battle.

“The Shiloh battle anniversary activities from April 1 through April 15 will be our first signature event for 2023, and we invite everyone to come out to the park and remember the epic battle and the Americans who fought here in 1862,” said Acting Park Superintendent Stacy Allen.

On Saturday, April 1, Shiloh will present McAllister’s Battery Day at the park. Battery D, of the 1st Illinois Light Artillery, was one of the most conspicuous Federal artillery units that participated in the Battle of Shiloh. Led by Captain Edward McAllister, the unit also had the singular distinction of being armed with 24-pounder Howitzers.

Historians will portray McAllister's battery and teach visitors about the unique 24-pounder Howitzers they used in the battle. The crew will display the drill, the movement, and the ammunition used on an original 24-pounder Howitzer from the Starkville Civil War Arsenal.

Park rangers will lead car caravan tours to McAllister’s Monument twice on Saturday. Participants will learn about actions of McAllister’s Battery during the battle of Shiloh. All kids who attend this program will receive a McAllister Civil War trading card.

Cannon firing demonstration will be provided by the Shiloh Cannon Crew firing a 6-pounder Field Piece on Saturday, April 1, and Sunday, April 2. Visitors will learn about the implements, projectiles, and tools cannoneers used during the Civil War. Everyone is invited to see and hear a cannon being fired on the battlefield 161 years after the battle. The presentations will be 20 minutes in length with the gun being fired twice during each demonstration.

Artillery Weekend - McAllister’s Battery Day Saturday, April 1

10 a.m. – Organization of McAllister’s Battery (at Howitzer)
(Hear about the birth of the battery and its service through the battle of Fort Donelson)

10:30 a.m. – Introduction to the 24-pounder Howitzer (at Howitzer)
(Learn about the cannon and its projectiles and see cannoneers maneuver the gun)

11 a.m. – Firing the 6-pounder Field Piece (demo area)
(Experience a firing demonstration by the Shiloh Cannon Crew)

11:30 a.m. – Organization of McAllister’s Battery
(Hear about the birth of the battery and its service through the battle of Fort Donelson)

12 p.m. – Introduction to the 24-Pounder Howitzer
(Learn about the cannon and its projectiles and see cannoneers maneuver the gun)

12 p.m. – Car Caravan to McAllister’s Monument and talk “Action at Shiloh”
* Meet in front of the Visitor Center

12:30 p.m. – Firing the 6-pounder Field Piece
(Experience a firing demonstration by the Shiloh Cannon Crew)

1:30 p.m.– Organization of McAllister’s Battery
(Hear about the birth of the battery and its service through the battle of Fort Donelson)

2:00 p.m. – Introduction to the 24-pounder Howitzer
(Learn about the cannon and its projectiles and see cannoneers maneuver the gun)

2:30 pm – Firing the 6-pounder Field Piece
(Experience a firing demonstration by the Shiloh Cannon Crew)

3 p.m. – Organization of McAllister’s Battery
(Hear about the birth of the battery and its service through the battle of Fort Donelson)

3 p.m. – Car Caravan to McAllister’s Battery and talk “Action at Shiloh”
* Meet in front of the Visitor Center

3:30 pm – Introduction to the 24-pounder Howitzer
(Learn about the cannon and its projectiles and see cannoneers maneuver the gun)

4 p.m. - Firing the 6-pounder Field Piece
(Experience a firing demonstration by the Shiloh Cannon Crew)

Artillery Weekend Continued Sunday, April 2

11 a.m. – Firing the 6-pounder Field Piece
(Experience a firing demonstration by the Shiloh Cannon Crew)

1 p.m. - Firing the 6-pounder Field Piece
(Experience a firing demonstration by the Shiloh Cannon Crew)

2:30 p.m. – Firing the 6-pounder Field Piece
(Experience a firing demonstration by the Shiloh Cannon Crew)

Honoring Service Across Generations

Saturday, March 25, was Medal of Honor Day — marking the 160th anniversary of the first medals being awarded to Andrews’ Raiders, whose irregular operation exploits 200 miles behind Confederate lines were immortalized as The Great Locomotive Chase.  

Since then, a total of 3,516 men – and one woman – have been awarded the nation’s highest honor for valor, their individual citations describing an act far beyond the call of duty. When viewed collectively, as on a map, they tell a much broader story about the exceptional Americans who, generation after generation, have answered the nation’s call to service.  

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society's John Falkenbury and Medal of Honor recipient Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Pitts (Ret.) were among the first to interact with the new display at the Medal of Honor Museum at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum.

Few Americans can visit Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir or the mountains of Afghanistan, but the American Battlefield Trust and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society are committed to marrying history with the latest technology to allow anyone to get to know these patriots. We’ve teamed up through the Medal of Honor Valor Trail™ initiative to place a first-of-its-kind interactive exhibit at the Medal of Honor Museum at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, outside Charleston, S.C., allowing visitors to explore these places of valor around the globe – and the warriors who hallowed that ground with their exceptional actions.

Exciting in its own right, the new exhibit is also the precursor to a broader reimagining of the Society’s Medal of Honor Museum in the coming years, thanks to a major leadership gift from the Medal of Honor Leadership and Education Center announced last week. We are thrilled to be part of this dynamic and forward-thinking museum community and hope you will pay the exhibit a visit, should you find yourself in Charleston!  

More than 20 Medal of Honor recipients came to Washington, D.C., to mark the anniversary with a special wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Trust leadership and staff were honored to join that august group as special guests, including at a welcome luncheon.

Medal of Honor Day Events

During an evening dinner ceremony, the Society presented six ordinary Americans with its 2023 Citizen Honors Awards, demonstrating that the values inherent in the Medal of Honor — courage, commitment, integrity, sacrifice, citizenship and patriotism — can be embodied by each of us. Congratulations to this year’s winners!

Medal of Honor Recipient and Congressional Medal of Honor Society President Leroy Petry commented, “Ordinary people do extraordinary things. There are inspiring acts of service, sacrifice and heroism happening every day all over our country. Service and sacrifice don’t require wearing a military uniform.”

Eisenhower NHS - Spring/Summer 2023 Hours of Operation

News Release Date: March 16, 2023
Contact: Jason Martz

GETTYSBURG, PA – Eisenhower National Historic Site is pleased to announce that tours of the Eisenhower home will resume on Saturday, April 1, 2023, for the Spring and Summer season. Individuals, families, and groups with fewer than 20 people can now drive directly to the site.

April Tours of the Eisenhower Home

• House tours will be offered Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

• Tour times will be at 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 2 pm.

May Tours of the Eisenhower Home

• House tours will be offered Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

• Tour times will be at 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 2 pm.

• Special Memorial Day tours will be available on Monday, May 29.

June 1 to August 13 Tours of the Eisenhower Home

• House tours will be offered Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

• Tour times will be at 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, and 3:30 pm.

June 1 to August 13 - Free Ranger led programs

• Free Ranger led programs will be offered Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

• Tours of the grounds will begin at 9:30 am and last approximately 45 minutes. Tours begin near the gravel parking lot.

New for 2023: Individuals, families, and groups with fewer than 20 people are no longer required to make advanced reservations or take a shuttle bus to the site. Visitors may now drive directly to the farm. Access is via the Emmitsburg Road at 250 Eisenhower Farm Lane, Gettysburg, PA. General visitor parking and accessible parking is available. Once onsite, please follow directions to the appropriate parking area.

All tours of the Eisenhower home will be offered on a first come, first served basis to the first 40 visitors during each time slot.

Groups with 20 or more individuals should contact visitor services at 877-874-2478.

Note: Due to tight turns and cattle guards, no oversized vehicles (RVs, campers, trailers, coach buses, etc.) are permitted on site.

The grounds of Eisenhower National Historic Site are open daily throughout the year from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

Eisenhower National Historic Site preserves and interprets the home and farms of the Eisenhower family as a fitting and enduring memorial to the life, work, and times of General Dwight David Eisenhower, 34th president of the United States, and to the events of far-reaching importance that occurred on the property. Learn more at www.nps.gov/eise.

New Parking Measures at Gettysburg Visitor Center

News Release Date: March 14, 2023
Contact: Jason Martz

GETTYSBURG, PA. – Gettysburg National Military Park (NMP) announces new parking measures will take effect at the Museum and Visitor Center on April 1, 2023. These measures are necessary due to the ongoing road construction on Visitor Center Drive from Taneytown Road to the Visitor Center.

NOTE: Parking staff will be onsite to direct visitors to the closest available parking area at the time of their arrival.

Visitors will proceed to the next available parking lot, depending on weather conditions. Please see attached map for more details.If recent, and current, weather conditions have been DRY, visitors will follow these directions:
 

1. Visitors will be able to park in the main Museum and Visitor Center parking lot. This lot is referred to as Lot

2. When Lot 1 fills up, visitors will be directed to the adjacent Bus parking lot (Lot 2).

3. When the Bus parking lot (Lot 2) fills up, visitors will be directed to the grass lots at the corner of Hunt Avenue and Taneytown Road (Lot 3a) and along Taneytown Road (Lot 3b). Visitors will be able to access the Museum and Visitor Center via the walking path that begins at the corner of Hunt Avenue and Taneytown Road.

4. When the two grass lots fill up, visitors will be directed to park at the Gettysburg National Cemetery parking lot (Lot 4) along Taneytown Road. Visitors will be able to access the Museum and Visitor Center via the walking path that connects the National Cemetery parking lot to the walking path that begins at the corner of Hunt Avenue and Taneytown Road.

5. When the Gettysburg National Cemetery parking lot (Lot 4) fills up, visitors will be encouraged to park along the entire stretch of Hancock Avenue from the Pennsylvania Memorial to the Gettysburg National Cemetery parking lot. Visitors will be able to access the Museum and Visitor Center via the walking path that connects Hancock Avenue near the High Water Mark, Auto Tour Stop 16, down the ridge to the Lydia Lyster house, to the walking path that begins at the corner of Hunt Avenue and Taneytown Road.

A free shuttle bus will run between the Museum and Visitor Center, the Hunt Avenue grass lot (Lot 3a), the Gettysburg National Cemetery parking lots (Lot 4), and back to the Museum and Visitor Center. The shuttle will operate on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm ONLY. During wet conditions, the shuttle will bypass Lot 3a along Hunt Avenue. 

If recent, and current, weather conditions have been WET, ONLY paved parking areas will be available, to include Lots 1, 2, 4, and Hancock Avenue.

These parking measures will continue until the Visitor Center Drive construction project from Taneytown Road to the Visitor Center is completed this summer.

Ken Burns Gets Taste of the Gettysburg Battle He Chronicled

Washington Post
Michael Ruane
March 11, 2023

GETTYSBURG, Pa.
Filmmaker Ken Burns sits at a small table in a shuttered dining room built to re-create the evening of July 1, 1863. Two whale oil lamps cast a dim light. The floor boards shake from the sound of artillery outside.

A coffee cup is overturned on the table. Flashes of light from explosions come through the shutters and illuminate the dark.

It is the close of the first day of the Civil War’s Battle of Gettysburg, and public television’s renowned student of the war has come to imagine what it was like, not for the soldiers, but for the terrified residents as the conflict raged around them.

The location was the Adams County Historical Society’s new state-of-the-art museum that focuses on the experience of people as bullets flew through homes, buried themselves in mirror frames and bedsteads, and in one case killed a young woman while she was making bread.

Called the Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum, it is located at a spot north of town where the Confederate army overran Union forces and stormed into Gettysburg on the first day of the three-day battle…

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