Memorial Day

This Memorial Day, I will be remembering three men in particular...

American flag flying above Utah Beach, in Normandy, France

Richard F. Gustafson, Sr., United States Navy, World War II

Elmo Vermilya, United States Navy, World War II

Elwood Rodebaugh, Co. D., 106th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, KIA at Antietam, September 17, 1862.

American Cemetery at Omaha Beach in Normandy

American Cemetery at Omaha Beach in Normandy

Antietam National Cemetery

Let us thank and honor those who have served along with those who continue to serve.

"Not for themselves, but for their country"

Welcome to Memorial Day weekend at Antietam. Today, the town celebrated with a parade, visitors treked throughout the battlefield, and the Visitor Center was filled with Rangers who were busy giving talks, leading tours, and teaching others about Antietam and the Civil War. I like to think that by teaching others to respect and understand those who fought 150 years ago, we are helping to foster a greater respect and understanding for those who still bravely serve today.

Out of everything happening this weekend, if there is one aspect of Antietam I wish I could share with you, it would be a walk through the National Cemetery. So, this morning, I left for work early and did just that...

It was a beautiful morning in Sharpsburg. Coming over South Mountain from Frederick, the clouds were low enough to touch the trees. It was cloudy to the east of the mountain, but once I had crossed to the western side, the sun was shining and all of God's creation was beautifully illuminated.

One of my favorite views at Antietam. In the back of the National Cemetery, there is an area where one can look out and view a good portion of the southern part of the battlefield. What you see here are the rolling hills and fields where Union General Ambrose Burnside's 9th Corps attacked in the late afternoon of September 17, 1862. In the distance, the 9th New York Monument is visible.

The spot where most of the activity happens on Memorial Day weekend.

The cemetery gate, with part of the old lodge house visible on the right.

 Rows of state flags line the gravestones, with "Old Simon", the soldier's monument, keeping silent watch over those who call Antietam their final resting place.

 It is an amazing sight to see so many American flags adorning the graves of so many American heroes.

 The small square stones you see here mark the graves of unkown soldiers, one of whom is likely my great-great-great grandfather Elwood Rodebaugh.

 A close up of "Old Simon"

One of the most moving parts of the cemetery is the grave pictured above. For years, Antietam Cemetery was closed for new burials. However, in 2000, an exception to the rule was made. Patrick Howard Roy was a native of Keedysville, Maryland, a town just a few miles down the road from Antietam. He was member of the United States Navy. On October 12, 2000, he was killed in the Al Qaeda attack on the USS Cole. Due to his local roots, Patrick was buried at Antietam. As you can see, the flags honor the dead from both the Civil War and the wars in which America is now engaged.

While many, such as Patrick Howard Roy, have their graves well marked with their names, thousands of others are simply "unkown." However, being in an unkown grave does not mean that a soldier has been forgotten. This memorial day, remember this picture, and remember those who gave their lives so that this nation might live.

Hopefully these pictures have given you some understanding not only of how special a place Antietam truly is, but of the sacrifices that we are honoring this weekend. To close, there is only one phrase to fittingly summarize the sacrifices of so many...

"NOT FOR THEMSELVES BUT FOR THEIR COUNTRY."

Happy Memorial Day, from Sharpsburg, Maryland.

WCRF Radio Interview--Part 3

Here is the link for part 3 of my radio interview for Memorial Day which aired this week on WCRF, Moody Radio Cleveland: http://www.moodyradiocleveland.fm/rdo_programToday.aspx?id=45883

If you have been listening the past few mornings, thank you, and I hope you found some of what I had to say interesting and/or useful. I have posted links to each day's audio clips, so if you missed a day, you can still check out what I had to say.

As for Mark Zimmerman, a big thank you for having me on your program. You are a great friend, and I hope I am able to show you around Antietam sometime soon!

Today was a busy day at the park, and tomorrow promises to be even busier. More updates to come on Memorial Day in Sharpsburg. For now, a few more pictures...

Antietam National Cemetery

A few graves for unkown soldiers.

A view of the back of the 8th Ohio monument at Bloody Lane. The 8th Ohio was recruited from the Northeastern part of the state.

The 8th Ohio Monument, with Bloody Lane and the fields over which they attacked in the background

The Thursday before Memorial Day in Sharpsburg

Every year, on the Thursday before Memorial Day in Sharpsburg, Maryland, school children from the Sharpsburg Elementary school come to the Antietam National Cemetery to place a small American flag in front of every grave. This morning, I had the pleasure of visiting the cemetery with my good friend and fellow Ranger Mannie Gentile to see these kids in action. It was one of the proudest moments of my short Park Service career. There are no words to describe what it is like seeing young kids placing flags next to the graves of American soldiers who gave their lives so that these very children can grow up in a country with freedoms for all. And to think, today one of these youngsters put a flag next to a grave simply marked unknown, a grave which contains the remains of Elwood Rodebaugh, my great-great-great grandfather.


I plan on writing quite a bit about the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, as Antietam is THE place to be. Sharpsburg has the oldest continually running Memorial Day parade, stretching all the way back to the years immediately preceding the Civil War. However, as I am quite excited about the upcoming weekend, and because I spent most of today out on the battlefield taking pictures, I wanted to share some of my experience today with you.

The Philadelphia Brigade Monument in the West Woods. Elwood Rodebaugh was a Private in Company D of the 106th Pennsylvania, one of the four regiments which comprised the Philadelphia Brigade

A small flag left by a visitor at the base of the Philly Brigade monument.

The Maryland monument with the Dunker Church in the background.

The 14th Connecticut Monument, with the Mumma farmstead in the background.

Antietam National Cemetery

One flag for each gravestone.

As I said, there is much more to come on this blog regarding Memorial Day in Sharpsburg. I have plenty more pictures of the cemetery and American flags, and hope to have some video footage to capture how powerful the scene is. This evening, I simply wanted to share with you just a small taste of what it is like to have the great honor to work at one of our nation's finest and most important national parks. I spent today working at the Visitor Center, driving through the field, and walking on hallowed ground. No other job in the world is as cool as this one. There is no better place to work than at Antietam, and there is no better time to work here than Memorial Day and Anniversary Weekend in September. Hope you enjoy the pictures, and check back here soon for more to come!

WCRF Radio Interview--Part 2

Here is the link for part 2 of the radio interview I did that is airing this week on WCRF 103.3, Moody Radio's Cleveland affiliate. As I have said previously, the interview is with my good friend and fellow tribe fan Mark Zimmerman on WCRF's morning program to commemorate Memorial Day and the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War. You can find the audio for segment 2 of the interview here.

As I posted yesterday, you can listen to the interview live online even if you don't get WCRF in your neck of the woods. The station's website is http://www.moodyradiocleveland.fm/. You can listen live by clicking on the "Listen Live' link under the "What's Playing Now" on the left side of the screen. There is also a "Listen Live" header at the top of the screen with options for listening.

Tomorrow, the final segment of the interview will air on WCRF at 6 and again at 8. I will post a link to the audio for that segment as well.

Lincoln's Letter to the Parents of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth

I had hoped to post something regarding this yesterday, but in the course of my busy day it simply slipped my mind. As I posted two days ago, this May 24 was the 150th anniversary of the death of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth. While the death of one soldier in a war which claimed the lives of over 600,000 may seem trivial to some, Ellsworth's death was a major rallying cry in the North during the early months of the conflict.

On May 25, 150 years ago yesterday, President Abraham Lincoln, a close personal friend of Ellsworth's, wrote the following letter to the grieving parents of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth. Not only is this one of the most heartfelt letters that Lincoln ever wrote, but it should also be noted that it would not be long before Lincoln himself would occupy the seat of the grieving parent for the second time. In 1850, Lincoln's son Edward Baker Lincoln, or "Eddie" for short, passed away at the tender age of four. In February of 1862, Lincoln's 11 year old son Willie passed away in the White House, most likely from Typhoid Fever. Clearly, Lincoln understood the pains of losing a child, and this letter below is one of the more remarkable messages that he wrote during his presidency.

To the Father and Mother of Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth:
My dear Sir and Madam,

In the untimely loss of your noble son, our affliction here, is scarcely less than your own. So much of promised usefulness to one's country, and of bright hopes for one's self and friends, have rarely been so suddenly dashed, as in his fall. In size, in years, and in youthful appearance, a boy only, his power to command men, was surpassingly great. This power, combined with a fine intellect, an indomitable energy, and a taste altogether military, constituted in him, as seemed to me, the best natural talent, in that department, I ever knew.

And yet he was singularly modest and deferential in social intercourse. My acquaintance with him began less than two years ago; yet through the latter half of the intervening period, it was as intimate as the disparity of our ages, and my engrossing engagements, would permit. To me, he appeared to have no indulgences or pastimes; and I never heard him utter a profane, or intemperate word. What was conclusive of his good heart, he never forgot his parents. The honors he labored for so laudably, and, in the sad end, so gallantly gave his life, he meant for them, no less than for himself.

In the hope that it may be no intrusion upon the sacredness of your sorrow, I have ventured to address you this tribute to the memory of my young friend, and your brave and early fallen child.

May God give you that consolation which is beyond all earthly power.

Sincerely your friend in a common affliction--
A. Lincoln

Radio Interview on WCRF-- Part 1

This morning, segments of an interview I did with WCRF morning host Mark Zimmerman aired on WCRF, 103.3 FM, the Moody Radio affiliate in Cleveland. While part 1 aired this morning at 6 and again at 8, parts 2 and 3 will air tomorrow and Friday mornings, again first at 6 and again at 8.

Mark, or Mr. Z as I have known him for quite awhile now, is a good friend of mine, and we have been neighbors for many years. He and I recorded the interview the week before I left for Antietam after taking in an afternoon Indians game (they lost unfortunately). We covered several topics in the interview, including my family story and interest in Antietam and the Civil War, Ohio soldiers who served during the war, and most importantly, the religious history of the Civil War. The interviews are a part of a week long series of segments where Mark has been talking about the American Civil War in commemoration of Memorial Day and the conflict's 150th anniversary.

Here is a link to the Moody Radio Cleveland webpage, where today's program and interview have been archived: Moody Radio Cleveland--Morning Program for May 25 You can find the audio of my interview, as well as a link to this blog, by simply looking for my name.


I will post links to the audio for the segments which will air tomorrow and Friday as well. If you interested in listening live for either day, you can go to the Moody Radio homepage http://www.moodyradiocleveland.fm/. On the homepage, simply click "Listen Live" underneath the header "What's Playing Now" on the left side of the page. If you have trouble, there is a heading at the top of the page titled "Listen Online" which gives you more listening options.


Hope you enjoy!