Update for two 150th National Reenactment beneficiaries

The Gettysburg Anniversary Committee had previously announced that $5 of every Reenactor registration fee will be donated to five local beneficiary's on behalf of the 150th Gettysburg National Civil War Reenactment. They are the Adams County Historical Society, The Gettysburg Museum At Seminary Ridge, Land Conservancy Of Adams County, The SGT MAC National Wreath Project and Preservation and Improvement Of The Eisenhower Iron Bridge and Sachs Mill Covered Bridge. Even thought the event is still six months away we are proud to provide an update and progress on two of these projects. Within the next month the unique and historic 1886 Eisenhower Iron Bridge will be re-opened again to foot and bicycle traffic. In a public/private partnership trees have been trimmed and all new oak planks have been installed. Painting will be done this spring. Approximately $4000 for the materials was donated by The Gettysburg Anniversary Committee and The Tim Shields Family.


The SGT MAC Foundation, National Wreath Project and Scholarship has been supported consistently by GAC since local Marine Sgt. Eric McCollley was killed in a helicopter crash off the coast of Africa in 2006. GAC Operations Manager knew Eric well. He was an Eagle Scout in Randy's scout troop, was on the high school swim team with Randy's daughter and lifeguarded at the local pool. SGT MAC board member, and local veteran's advocate Marine Stan Clark, facilitates the very popular Patriotic Area at the event each year. Visitors write comments of appreciation on numerous banners and the banners are delivered to appreciative combat troops. Included are photos of the almost completed Eisenhower Metal Bridge, combat unit displaying their banner that was taken into battle, a scene from last Friday's distribution of 1800 wreaths in Gettysburg's Soldiers National Cemetery and GAC Operations Manager Randy Phiel pausing last Saturday beside Sgt McColley's gravesite after helping to distribute and place 5400 wreaths at Quantico National Cemetery. Over 150 volunteers at Gettysburg, and 500 volunteers at Quantico participated in the placement and commemoration on November 30 and December 1. Despite Giant Food providing wreaths at cost and ABF Freight donating transportation the cost the year was $56,000. There is no overhead or administrative fees. Every penny goes to the project. The goal is 10,000 wreaths by the 10th anniversary in 2016. If you would like to consider donating to or participating in this patriotic project contact Stan Clark at scmb@embarqmail.com or go to http://www.sgtmac.org We urge your contribution and participation. If you have the opportunity in the next six weeks to walk through the Soldiers National Cemetery or drive through Quantico and see the results - it will be a visual and emotional experience. The photo collage documents: Improvements at the Eisenhower 1886 Iron Bridge - The National Wreath Project at Gettysburg Soldier's National Cemetery, Friday November 30, 2012 - Sgt Eric McColley Gravesite, Quantico National Cemetery, December 1, 2012 - Patriotic Area Banner, Combat Unit of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment in Marjah, Afghanistan.

150th Gettysburg National Reenactment Participant Medallion update

The 150th Gettysburg National Reenactment is a very special event and the Participant Medallions should be very special as well. After consulting numerous Reenactors it was determined that a Participant Medallion on a campaign ribbon was most desired to be displayed both on and off the uniform. The campaign ribbon will appropriately be blue & gray. The one side of the draft concept shown here conveys: the iconic Gettysburg Reunion Hands At The Wall image, 150th Gettysburg Participant and denotes 150th Anniversary The Battle Of Gettysburg, July 1863-2013. The other side of the medallion conveys the iconic Friend To Friend image, and denotes the chronology from top to bottom of Brother Against Brother, Friend To Friend and One Nation Under God. The 150th Gettysburg National Reenactment July 4-7, 2013 is also engraved on this side.

These medallions will only be available to registered Reenctors at event registration and will not be made available to the general public. We want every registered Reenactor to receive a Participant Medallion. Due to the need to order these custom made special Participant Medallion in advance, there will be an announced Reenactor registration cut-off date for guaranteeing a Participant Medallion. Organizers will provide ample notice.

A rare opportunity for unique Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary skirmishes

Planning is progressing very nicely between The Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary, Generals Baldwin/Gesuero and GAC with highly anticipated results for two exciting and unique skirmishes prior to the 150th Gettysburg event on July 4-7 - camping and living history at The Lutheran Seminary on June 29 & 30.

The skirmishes will be on the actual ground and around these historic buildings. Military Command and the organizers are also involved in planning a Cavalry Battle in Hunterstown. One skirmish will be on Saturday morning June 29 and the other Sunday afternoon June 30. The Calvary Battle in Huntertown will be either Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning. Participating units will also be providing ceremonial responsibilities for the Monday grand opening of The Gettysburg Museum At Seminary Ridge - home of The Historic Old Dorm and its famous cupola. Schmucker Hall is called the most historic privately held building in Gettysburg.

Besides the two skirmishes there will also be limited opportunities for camping and living history from Friday, June 28 through Tuesday July 2. These are rare and unique opportunities only made possible through local contacts, resources and a track record of responsibility.

Please contact Colonel Rorhbaugh (cpldlr160@comcast.net) regarding these opportunities.

Civil War Christmas events

Ohio reenactors! Looking for family Civil War period activities this holiday? Don't forget these locations and dates!

Hale Farm and Village - Bath, Ohio
Holiday Lantern Tours
December 1, 7, 8, 14-16, 19-23
Reservations: http://www.wrhs.org/Properties/Holiday_Lantern_Tours

Farnam Museum - Richfield, Ohio
The Spirit of Christmas Past - A Farnam Family Holiday
December 7, 8, 14, 15, 22, 28, 29
Reservations: http://www.olhs.org/2012/11/the-spirit-of-christmas-past-farnam.html

Birney's Division 2013 Event Schedule

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Birney's Division Annual Meeting, in person or on the conference call, last Friday in Gettysburg. So many of you have been giving feedback throughout the year about events for 2013 and we are happy to have boiled it down.

You can review the 2013 event calendar for the organization at http://www.birneysdivision.org/schedule. Not all websites for next year's events have been updated so please keep checking back. For LARGE events such as the 150th Gettysburg (July 4-7), take a moment to review the registration deadlines as listed on their website.

If anyone has questions regarding events on the schedule, please contact your Battalion Commander or staff member.

A note from Colonel Smith, 2d Battalion HQ:

You will also notice that the schedule is broken down into events where the Division is participating as a whole, and regional events where our two infantry battalions are involved individually. Last year, 2nd Battalion's schedule including an inordinately large number of events. In many cases, we were unable to attend Division activities because of scheduling conflicts. After feedback from various units, the 2d Battalion staff fleshed out a schedule with an equal focus on Division and regional events. The staff felt that this, as well as concentrating on a smaller number of events, would enable stronger participation by member units.

As you will also note, 1st Battalion has a Spring Muster planned for April. At this time, the 2d Battalion staff is discussing the best approach for this season's early training. Participation in Spring drills has been poor over the last few years and the staff wants to provide the best instructional solution. More to follow.

Prelude Events To Offer Unique and Special Opportunities

From the 150th Gettysburg Anniversary Committee:

In the process of attempting to facilitate additional and unique opportunities for Reenactors as part of the 150th National Reenactment, Command Staff and the Gettysburg Anniversary Committee have been working to secure a few special venues for skirmishes on historically significant property. These skirmishes will occur the weekend prior to the event. This is the same group of individuals that were able to set up skirmishes on Baltimore St. and the Seminary property last year as an opening to the 150th Anniversary in Pennsylvania.

We are proud and honored to announce at this time there will be a two skirmishes at the Seminary on Saturday morning June 29th and Sunday afternoon June 30th associated with the 150th Gettysburg National Civil War Reenactment. Also, on Monday morning July 1st at 8:00 a.m. we will be providing troops and artillery for a First Shot Commemoration on Seminary Ridge; and at 10:00 a.m. for the Official Opening Ceremonies of the Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum. There will also be some limited camping and living history opportunities on Seminary Ridge. Schmucker Hall -- deemed by many as the most historic building in Gettysburg, with its iconic cupola and the historic exchange between Generals Buford & Reynolds -- has undergone a meticulous historic $15 million renovation to become The Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum. Besides being utilized as an observation post the Old Dorm housed approximately six-hundred dying and wounded from both armies with over seventy succumbing to their wounds in the building. The museum will feature three floors of exhibits that include interpreting the First Day Battle that swirled around the building, Civil War Medicine as the largest Field Hospital in Gettysburg during the battle and Civil War Religion that both inspired and divided our nation in the 19th century. Tours of the cupola, four major video productions, twelve original commissioned murals, sixteen audio programs and interactive children's stations. There are also plans for some exterior interpretative opportunities such as the Barricade to the west of the museum.

We are also working with the Hunterstown Historical Society and landowners to provide a "Battle of Hunterstown" cavalry opportunity in Hunterstown. "Springing the Trap" will be Saturday afternoon/evening June 19 or Sunday morning June 30.

GAC Is Highly Respected For Eighteen Year History Of Community Event Responsibility, Planning and Execution

The Gettysburg Anniversary Committee (GAC) is known in this historic community for unsurpassed event planning and execution. They have been routinely permitted by Freedom, Cumberland and Straban Townships, 18 years in a row. Each year, planning details become more improved and effective. This year is no exception. In fact this year planning has voluntarily reached even higher levels due to the scope of this 150th National Event. Besides the normal coordination of inter-agency planning with other local/state agencies and entities, GAC is also coordinating their planning with the Department of Homeland Security, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Federation.

Working with these agencies, in addition to all the other agencies GAC normally works with, takes a significant amount of extra commitment and time. Even with that elevated level of planning - the entire process is almost complete. As a result, both Cumberland & Straban Townships have already issued Letters Of Intent to GAC for the July 4,5, 6, and 7 150th National Event. Included below are excerpts of those letters from both townships Code Enforcement Officers expressing their intent to issue the permits and their utmost respect for the level of planning, permitting and execution performance that has been obtained over the previous eighteen years.

Straban Township

Our office is familiar with the event and the event management as well as the planning involved, coordination and local support. We have reviewed similar events in the past for your organization and have found the planning and execution of those events to be exemplary. Please consider this letter as our indication of Straban Township's intent to issue the necessary permits and approvals providing that you have completed a successful review of all necessary submittals. 

We appreciate your attention to the necessary planning and execution detail and look forward to working with you and your staff on this historically significant and culturally important anniversary. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Cumberland Township

Please consider this as your Special Event Permit Letter of Intent in regard to the 150th Gettysburg Anniversary National Civil War Re-enactment scheduled for July 4 thru 7, 2013. Your past performance over many years of re-enactments in Cumberland Township has shown excellent compliance regarding our requirements and for the safety of the participants and the general public. Upon formal review of your 2013 application you will receive the final permit at that time. We look forward to working with you on this and any other future endeavors.