Going to Manassas...

When I was growing up, I remember many long vacations spent in the car going to Civil War battlefields and historical sites. I remember my Mom driving 11 hours in one day down to Charleston so I could see Fort Sumter and the Hunley, as well as Savannah, Georgia, Andersonville, Atlanta, Chickamauga and Chattanooga. I also vividly remember traveling to Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania, the Wilderness, Antietam, Gettysburg, and last but not least, Manassas.

If you would have told the younger version of me when he first visited Manassas that he would be working there as a Park Ranger for the 150th Anniversary of the battle of First Bull Run, I doubt he would have believed you....

Henry House, one of the several places I will be stationed on this Saturday, July 23

Stonewall Jackson's statue, sitting along the line he held on the afternoon of July 21, 1861, earning his famous name.

This week and upcoming weekend, I, along with many of my other colleagues from Antietam, will be traveling south to work at Manassas to assist our NPS friends down there with their events for the 150th anniversary of the battle. I will be working at Manassas on this upcoming Saturday, July 23. It is a great honor and privilige for me to get this opportunity. I will be out on Henry Hill, moving between several different interpretive stations, speaking to visitors about the battle of Manassas and the American Civil War. While it will be hot (forecasts are ranging between 96 and 102 for Saturday), I won't be complaining, as this is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I plan on taking as many pictures as my camera can possibly hold, and blogging extensively about the event and all that happens. It will truly be a remarkable day filled with incredible experiences. The fact that I get to wear a Ranger uniform and talk to visitors as an official representitive and NPS Ranger makes it so much more amazing.

If you are in the area and are free, stop by on Saturday to say hello. There will be a crowd of several thousand, so get there early, bring water, and be prepared for lots and lots of Civil War buffs.

I hope you can make it out to Manassas for the 150th this weekend, but if you can't, stay tuned here for full coverage!