Grenade On Display At Gettysburg NMP Destroyed Out Of Caution

Grenade On Display At Gettysburg National Military Park Destroyed Out Of Caution

National Parks Traveler
By NPT Staff on March 13th, 2020

Unsure whether the World War II grenade on display at the Gettysburg National Military Park was live or not, park staff removed the weapon and had it destroyed recently.

The grenade had been on display since March 2018 in an exhibit at the park's museum entitled “Eisenhower’s Leadership from Camp Colt to D-Day.”

The grenade in question was a circa 1944 Mark II Fragmentation Grenade with a M10A3 Fuse. This was a common armament that would have been used by U.S. forces during the D-Day assaults on Omaha and Utah Beaches in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, but was not owned by Dwight D. Eisenhower, according to park staff.

Region 1 - North Atlantic-Appalachian Office of the National Park Service is currently compiling information about historic armaments maintained in park museum collections within Northeast United States units. During that survey, Eisenhower National Historical Site staff identified that the grenade in question could not be conclusively proven to be active or inactive and it was properly disposed of on February 28 by certified technicians at an undisclosed location.

POSTPONED - Pulitzer Author Doris Kearns Goodwin's Presentation at DeSales

World-renowned presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin scheduled Lecture for Monday, April 20, at DeSales University has been POSTPONED due to the virus. DeSales is working on rescheduling - possibly in September.

Goodwin is the author of seven critically-acclaimed and New York Times bestselling books, including her most recent, Leadership in Turbulent Times, which incorporates her five decades of scholarship studying Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Baines Johnson.

Goodwin was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in history for No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II. She worked with Steven Spielberg on Lincoln, which was based in part on her award-winning Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. She also recently served as executive producer on Washington, a History Channel miniseries that chronicled George Washington’s journey from soldier to statesman.

Established in 1983, the Furphy Lecture Series is named in memory of Fr. Thomas J. Furphy, OSFS, who distinguished himself as a teacher of “National Problems” during his 38-year career in education. The theme of the series is “National and International Problems.”

Reserve your ticket online

Gettysburg National Military Park plans prescribed fires at Little Round Top and Munshower field in late March or April 2020

Gettysburg, Pa. – Gettysburg National Military Park is preparing to conduct a prescribed fire in late March or April, weather permitting. The park plans to burn portions of the west slope of Little Round Top (52 acres) and the Munshower field (36 acres) immediately north of Little Round Top. Prescribed fire activity will be completed no later than April 30.

The Park’s overall objectives are to maintain the conditions of the battlefield as experienced by the soldiers who fought here; perpetuate the open space character of the landscape; maintain wildlife habitat; control exotic invasive species; reduce shrub and woody species components; and reduce fuels in wooded areas to reduce fire hazard. The park contains over 1,000 acres of open grassland and prescribed fire is a successful tool in managing invasive plants and promoting native species, especially when used in conjunction with other treatments. Several national parks in Pennsylvania and Civil War battlefields regularly utilize prescribed fire, including Valley Forge National Historical Park, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Monocacy National Battlefield, Antietam National Battlefield, and Manassas National Battlefield Park.

Field and weather conditions will ultimately determine the exact dates and duration of the operation, as we only conduct prescribed fires under specific parameters to ensure public safety. Vehicle traffic in the area may experience delays due to smoke, but fire operations will be scheduled to minimize impacts. Some visitor facilities, trails, and public roads will be temporarily closed during the prescribed fire.  However, the public will be invited to view the fire from designated areas.

Temporary Road Closures

To ensure the safety of all firefighters and park visitors, multiple roads will be closed to all traffic for the day(s) of the prescribed fires and possibly for multiple days after the fires. These will include:

·       South Confederate Ave.
·       Sykes Ave.
·       Warren Ave.
·       Crawford Ave.
·       Wright Ave.
·       Sedgwick Ave.
·       Wheatfield Rd. will be closed to all vehicles from Ayres Ave. to Taneytown Rd.
·       Additional roads and trails may need to close temporarily if smoke conditions reduce visibility to ensure firefighter and public safety
·       See attached map for more details.

Temporary Hiking and Horse Trail Closures
·       All hiking and horse trails to the east of Sykes and Sedgwick Avenues will be closed for visitor and animal safety.
·       The horse trail that runs south of United States Ave. from the Trostle farm to the intersection of United States Ave. and Sedgwick Ave. will also be closed.
·       See attached map for more details.

Viewing Area and Parking for News Media and Public
·       For interviews, coverage, and public viewing of the Little Round Top prescribed fire, the designated area will be on Ayres Avenue. Please park along Ayers Avenue only.
·       See attached map for more details.

Learn More

Learn more about our long-range fire management plan and view photo albums and videos of past prescribed fires on our Prescribed Fire web page at https://go.nps.gov/PrescribedFires.

American Battlefield Trust and Gettysburg National Military Park join forces for 5-year initiative, benefiting over 1,000 young leaders

News Release Date: February 19, 2020

Contact: Barbara Sanders, 717-338-4422
Contact: Mary Koik, 202-367-1861 x7231

In his immortal Gettysburg Address, President Abraham Lincoln challenged all Americans to advance the ideals of the Declaration of Independence – “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us.” In the spirit of Lincoln’s most famous speech, Gettysburg National Military Park created the “Great Task” Youth Leadership Program. Geared for at-risk student and youth organizations, from grade levels 7 to 12, the Great Task offers intensive leadership and character-building experiences that go beyond traditional curriculum-based field trips. By utilizing the battlefield as an outdoor classroom, participants are immersed in the stories of leadership, heroism and civic responsibility embodied by those involved in, and affected by, the battle. 

And thanks to a new partnership with the American Battlefield Trust, and the multi-year financial commitment of the Bowe Stewart Foundation, this already successful and award-winning program will be substantially expanded — virtually, geographically and thematically — between 2020 and 2025. Peter Bowe of the Bowe Stewart Foundation commented that “The mission of these two great organizations is so clear, the opportunity so valuable, and their teams so strong, that we are fortunate to partner with them.”

Garry Adelman, the Trust’s Chief Historian explained, “The education goals of the American Battlefield Trust and the National Park Service at Gettysburg are one and the same: to create model programs for the next generation of leaders to learn directly from America’s battlefields. We are proud to join forces to make that happen for an ever-broadening circle of youth.”

Alongside Park and Trust educators and living historians, youth will explore the 7,000-acre battlefield park, and participate in hands-on learning activities that bring the past to life, while illuminating the possibilities of the future. Expansion plans for the partnership include: a virtual component designed for those who cannot physically make it to Gettysburg, but that will also better prepare those who can; the addition of at-risk youth from Baltimore, Maryland, and Chicago, Illinois, among other key cities and regions; classroom and library materials for participating organizations; and the application of this leadership and service model to other American battlefields. 

“A visit to a historic site can be a life-changing event, and history can do much more than instruct; it can inspire! The Great Task offers young people the chance to get into an outdoor learning environment, where they will be immersed in history and civics, while exploring their roles as leaders in their schools, communities and throughout their lives,” explained Barbara Sanders, education specialist for Gettysburg National Military Park, National Park Service. 

Applications for the program will be accepted through April 30 for one or two-day excursions from July through October, customized to match the mission and objectives of each youth organization. Limited travel and accommodation scholarships will be available through the financial support of the American Battlefield Trust and the Bowe Stewart Foundation. To learn more about these opportunities, group leaders and teachers can email the Education Office at Gettysburg National Military Park at e-mail us or visit the American Battlefield Trust at https://www.battlefields.org/great-task .


About the American Battlefield Trust
The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 52,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War — including 1,183 acres at Gettysburg. Learn more at battlefields.org/great-task.

About Gettysburg National Military Park
Gettysburg National Military Park preserves, protects and interprets for this and future generations the resources associated with the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, during the American Civil War, the Soldiers' National Cemetery, and their commemorations. Learn more at nps.gov/gett.

About The Bowe Stewart Foundation
The Peter Bowe and Barbara Stewart Foundation funds organizations located primarily in Baltimore and Chicago that share the goal of helping individuals improve their lives and their communities. The Foundation’s primary focus is closing the opportunity gap for the working poor by supporting organizations that emphasize education, training, and work experience, creating opportunities for “earned success.” Learn more at Bowestewartfoundation.com.

89th Annual Bryn Mawr-Wellesley Book Sale including MILITARY HISTORY

89th Annual Bryn Mawr-Wellesley Book Sale - March 13-17 in Princeton, NJ- including MILITARY HISTORY

The Bryn Mawr-Wellesley Book Sale, a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1931 is the oldest and largest sale of its type in the US, renowned for the number, diversity and quality of its used books. This volunteer-run sale raises scholarship funds for young women attending Bryn Mawr and Wellesley Colleges. The Sale also recycles huge numbers of books and provides a place for bibliophiles to purchase good quality publications at reasonable prices.

Our 89th Annual Sale will be held during the period 13-17 March at Princeton Day School, 650 Great Road, Princeton, NJ 08540. Hours of operation and directions can be found at the following link:  bmandwbooks.com Please note that March 13th is a Preview Day, requiring the purchase of a $25 entrance ticket. Admission on all other days is free. 

We expect to bring more than 90,000 books from across 66 diverse categories to this five-day extravaganza, genres ranging from Art, Archaeology and Architecture through Cooking and Food, History, Economics, Mysteries and Novels, Science Fiction, Music, Politics, Science and Mathematics, works for Children of all ages, all forms of Media and books in more than 30 languages and dialects.

We are very pleased to offer a truly impressive selection of works on MILITARY HISTORY: well over 1,800 hardcover and paperback publications covering virtually every aspect of this topic, including popular and scholarly works on single incidents, protracted campaigns and much broader eras in history, as well as tomes on historical personages as diverse as Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Davis, Lincoln, George I, Mary Queen of Scots, Shaka kaSenzangakhona, Peter The Great, Lenin, Genghis Khan, and Bernardo O'Higgins.

By way of example, we have a broad selection of works on the American Revolutionary War and the American Civil War, including books on early American settlements, the development of government, interactions with native peoples, the role of slavery, early agriculture and the rise of trade, religion, industry and manufacturing. We have tomes covering topics ranging from the Genesis of these conflicts through politics, policy, reconstruction, strategy, armaments, tactics, uniforms, food and cooking, tools, logistics, period furniture, and clothing. and many works on military battles, including Lexington, Concord, Quebec and Yorktown. We have books on the battles of First Bull Run, Vicksburg, Chickamauga, The Wilderness, Antietam, the Petersburg Campaign, and Cold Harbor and multiple tomes on the Union and Confederate navies from authors as diverse as Adams, Carrington, Mitchell and Ward to Lincoln, Davis, Swinton, Cozzins, McPherson and Freeman. 

In addition, we have works of certain interest on the American West, native American tribes, the Spanish-American War, the Great War, WW II, Korea, Vietnam and  the Middle East, books on global and regional conflicts from Greco-Roman times, the Dark / Middle Ages, the Crusades and on, through works on weaponry, spycraft, codes and code breakers, the Long March and the history of weapons and armor. Plus, we have just over 7.000 works on British History, Continental History, US History, World History and Historical Fiction.

We invite you to attend and ask that you please let others know about this important opportunity.

Lincoln Lecture at Heritage Museum on Sat Feb 8 at 1pm

Saturday, February 8, 1:00 p.m
Abraham Lincoln Birthday Celebration
Featuring noted Lincoln Scholar Professor Matthew Pinsker
Speaking on “Lincoln's Greatest Moment: Aug 23, 1864”

Leading Lincoln scholar Dr. Matthew Pinsker will explore Abraham Lincoln’s famous 1864 “Blind Memorandum.”

Come celebrate Lincoln’s birthday with a taste of his favorite cake and learn more about one of the most mysterious documents written by Lincoln.

FREE to members; non-members $8 adults, $3 children. 

Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum
432 W. Walnut St.
Allentown, PA 18102
Phone: 610 435-1074

“The Ridley/Fox Shooting and Aftermath: An American Tragedy”- Feb 23 at LaMott

Presentation: “The Ridley/Fox Shooting and Aftermath: An American Tragedy”

Info by USCT.org

Presented by Dr.Thomas Wieckowski: Author, historian, educator

This unfortunate incident at Camp William Penn not only resulted in the death of a local resident, but altered the life of Private Ridley and affected the lives of the Fox family for generations.

This presentation will review current research on the circumstances of the shooting and the devastating impact on Ridley and the extended Fox family of La Mott.

Joe Becton, Antoine Watts and Crystal Kemp, musicians and USCT re-enactors, will bring Civil War era music.

Kerry Bryan in attendance as Lucretia Mott.

Sunday, February 23, 2020
3:00 PM
La Mott Community Center
7420 Sycamore Ave.
La Mott, PA 19027

Steven D. Sims begins as Superintendent of Gettysburg NMP and Eisenhower NHS – Kristina Heister as the acting Dpty Superintendent

Steven D. Sims, began his new duties on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 and as a first order of business will welcome Kristina Heister as the acting deputy superintendent of Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site. She will serve in this position for 120 days beginning on February 2, 2020.

Heister currently serves as the Superintendent of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, a unit of the National Park Service that extends 73.4 miles along the Delaware River from Hancock NY to Port Jervis NY. 

Heister is familiar with both park units having recently served as the acting superintendent from mid-April to mid-August 2019. “I am very appreciative of the opportunity to serve as acting deputy superintendent for Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site. I feel truly honored to assist, even for a short time, with the protection of sites that are so important to the preservation of the United States, telling the American story, and that are loved and treasured by the American people” said Heister. “I look forward to working with the new Superintendent, my NPS colleagues, park visitors, partners and the local community.”

She began her National Park Service career as a biologist at Valley Forge National Historical Park (NHP) in Pennsylvania. Since then she has served in a variety of natural resource management positions in parks and regions throughout the country, including Appomattox Court House NHP. In her next NPS post, she spent six years with the inventory and monitoring program working collaboratively to design a long-term monitoring program for parks in the Great Basin and Mojave Desert. In 2006, she returned to Valley Forge NHP as the chief of natural resources where she led an interdisciplinary effort to develop a highly controversial White-tailed Deer Management Plan and created a complex network of partnerships that integrated work with local non-profit organizations, youth programs, volunteerism, teachers and students. Heister also served as the Chief of Natural Resources for the Northeast Region between 2012 and 2014, where she led a multidisciplinary team of subject matter experts to promote science-based management in parks and increased park involvement in decision-making.

Heister graduated in 1989 with a bachelor’s of science in biology from Salisbury State University and received her masters of science in wildlife and fisheries science in 1995 from The Pennsylvania State University.

"Lincoln" - a free movie at Sellersville Theater on Monday February 17th

Free Movie: Lincoln

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17

Show at 7:30pm // Doors open 7pm

Sellersville Theater
24 West Temple Avenue
Sellersville, PA 18960

215-257-5808

Join us for a free showing of the movie Lincoln on President’s Day. With the nation embroiled in still another year with the high death count of Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln brings the full measure of his passion, humanity and political skill to what would become his defining legacy: to end the war and permanently abolish slavery through the 13th Amendment. (2012)(PG-13) Directed By Steven Spielberg

Winter Ranger Programs at Gettysburg NMP (Lectures Series & Reading Series)

Winter Lecture Series: January 11 - March 22, 2020

(SEE BELOW FOR CHILDREN’S READING SERIES)
National Park Service rangers and leading historians from across the country offer free hour-long talks exploring important aspects of the American Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg.

Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center.
Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 pm.
These programs are free of charge.
Limited seating is available on a first come - first serve basis.
Subject is schedule to change.

Sat. January 11 – Ranger Matt Atkinson ~ Freemasonry at Gettysburg: Fraternal Bonds Tested by Battle

Sun. January 12 – Ranger Bert Barnett ~ Gettysburg – Recovery, Memorialization, Preservation, & Commercialization

Sat. January 18 – Historian Codie Eash ~ Pray for Oblivion to His Memory: Frederick Douglass on the Legacy of Robert E. Lee

Sun. January 19 – Prof. Kent Gramm ~ Gettysburg: The Living and the Dead

Sat. January 25 – Ranger Steve Phan ~ The Defenses of Washington during the Gettysburg Campaign

Sun. January 26 – Historian John Heiser ~ Neglected Heroes of Gettysburg: The Army Mule

Sat. February 1 – Artists Pat Bauer and Dave Geister ~ Tales from the Little Log House on the Emmitsburg Road

Sun. February 2 – Ranger Angela Atkinson ~ The Second Middle Passage: An Examination of the Antebellum Interstate Slave Trade

Sat. February 8 – Ranger Troy Harman ~ Is Gettysburg the High Water Mark?

Sun. February 9 – Ranger John Hoptak ~ "With Eagles on their Buttons and Bullets in their Pockets:" South-Central Pennsylvanians in the 54th Massachusetts Infantry

Sat. February 15 – Ranger Daniel Vermilya ~ "These Honored Dead:" World War II Burials in the Gettysburg National Cemetery

Sun. February 16 – Ranger John Nicholas ~ What you don’t know can hurt you: The Information War and the Gettysburg Campaign

Sat. February 22 – Ranger Tom Holbrook ~ If These Things Could Talk: Treasures from the Collection of Gettysburg National Military Park

Sun. February 23 - Historian Christopher Gwinn ~ Memories of Battle – Union Veterans Remember Culp’s Hill

Sat. February 29 - Ranger Barbara Sanders ~ Beyond Lincoln: How Veterans, Politicians, Poets and Filmmakers Address the Changing Meaning of the Civil War

Sun. March 1 – Licensed Battlefield Guide Mary Turk Meena ~ The Messy Business of War: Civil War Runs Headlong into Politics as Politicians Fight for Power and Breed Jealousy, Self-Promotion and Self-Preservation Among Military Leaders

Sat. March 7 – Ranger Zach Siggins ~ The Flying Dutchmen: The 11th Corps on July 1

Sun. March 8 – Artist Wendy Allen ~ Searching for the Exact Location of America’s Soul: An Artist’s Pursuit

Sat. March 14 – Ranger Matt Atkinson ~ Earl Van Dorn: The Life and Death of a Confederate Cavalier

Sun. March 15 – Ranger Karlton Smith ~ Soldier in Training: James Longstreet and the Mexican War

Sat. March 21 –Ranger Troy Harman ~ Scouting the Union Right: Lee and Culp’s Hill, July 1-2

Sun. March 22 – Ranger Bert Barnett ~ Personal Turning Points: Jefferson Davis and George Thomas

Winter Reading Adventures: January 4 - February 29, 2020

Join a park educator who will read aloud two different children's books and then lead an indoor activity or outdoor adventure.

Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center.
Saturdays at 11 am.
These programs are free of charge and recommended for families with children ages 4-10.

January 4 ~ America’s Civil War - B is for Battle Cry: A Civil War Alphabet and Pink and Say

January 11 ~ Civil War Mascots - The Legend of Old Abe: A Civil War Eagle and The Eternal Soldier: The True Story of How a Dog Became a Civil War Hero

January 18 ~ Civil War Musicians - The Last Brother: A Civil War Tale and Civil War Drummer Boy

January 25 ~ The Underground Railroad - I Am Harriet Tubman and Henry’s Freedom Box

February 1 ~ Abolitionists! - Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History and Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth

February 8 ~ Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln - I Am Abraham Lincoln and Just a Few Words, Mr. Lincoln: The Story of the Gettysburg Address

February 15 ~ The Battle of Gettysburg - Billy and the Rebel and The Soldier’s Tree

February 22 ~ Women of the War - Mary Walker Wears the Pants and Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds

February 29 ~ Bonus Book for Leap Day in anticipation of Women’s History Month - She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World