Events

First a brief report on my latest outing...On Tuesday August 17 I spoke to the Outer Banks Civil War Round Table at the gorgeous Duck Woods Country Club in Southern Shores, NC, about the Battle of New Market. Had a good crowd of about 30+ on-hand. Turned it into a day-trip, as it had been years since I had visited the Outer Banks. Went over to Roanoke Island - Lost Colony is still lost...and somehow I have a knack for visiting NC Nat'l Park Service sites when they are renovating their Visitor Centers - last time on the Outer Banks, the Wright Brothers VC was closed for renovations and they had set up temporary shop in a painfully small modular. Ditto that this time around for the Fort Raleigh site. And eavesdropping on other, shall we call them 'less than properly informed' visitors made me long for the days of being an interpreter (This particular visitor made the stereotypical 'why aren't there bullet holes in the monuments?' question seem tame in comparison to some of the wonderful questions and misperceptions she had...kudos to the Ranger at the desk for keeping her cool.)

Now, for the upcoming events:

Saturday August 21 - I'll be signing books at the Civil War show at the Richmond (VA) Showplace 10-4 with old reenacting buddy Marc Ramsey. Find me at the Owens & Ramsey booth.

Sunday September 5 - Back to New Market for "Rat Day." If you've never seen this ceremony, it's definitely worth a trip. This is where the incoming freshman - "Rat" - class at VMI takes their cadet oath, after charging up Bushong Hill from the Bushong orchard, as their predecessors did on May 15, 1864. For many years former Secretary of the Army John Marsh gave the keynote address; I'm not sure who has taken those reigns from him. I'll be set-up at 8 am that morning and going until...?

Next week I'll post the highlights of my St. Louis trip for the 2010 reunion of Douglas MacArthur's Honor Guard ...