As battlefield angels, the charity work of civil war nurses. He lives in gettysburg where he is a freelance writer. He has received numerous awards from the maryland delaware d. C. Press association, the associated press, the maryland state teachers association, society of professional journalists, and computed newspapers holding, inc. , for his newspaper writing. Without any further introduction, i will introduce to you james rada. Good afternoon. Today we are going to talk about a book that myself and a the lastwrote called to fall. It is about three march the marine march in 1922 that saved to the marine corps. The marines had proved themselves a Formidable Fighting force during world war i and after the fighting there to drive off the germans who were entrenched, army general John Pershing who was the commander of the American Expeditionary deadliest, the weapon in the world is a marine and his rifle. That did not stop general pershing and others from wanting to disband the marine corps after the war. Marine general john lashawn just understood that the marine corps, needed to fight a battle on the political front as well as battles like world war i. Campaign toher a save his marine corps, and part of that involved going to Civil War Battlefields instead of isolated places to perform their summer exercises. Morning of june 19, 1922, more than 5000 marines at marine cap marine camp quant marched onto waiting barges supplied by the u. S. Navy and at war 00 a. M. Those at 4 00 a. M. Those barges were towed up the river to washington dc. Tanks and artillery pieces towed by trucks rolled out along the richmond road. The march involved the entire fifth and sixth regiments, a squadron of the first marine air wing, and elements of the 10th marine artillery. Baltimore sun noted these marines were ready for anything. The 5000 men are caring the equipment of a complete division of nearly 20,000. The machine gun outfits especially, the personnel is skeletal eyes to buy the materials complete. Companies of 88 men are carrying gear for companies of about 140. Heres a shot of the encampment at washington, d. C. Is a list of some of the things they were taking along on the march. As extensive as this list is, it still does not include the 30 airplanes and four tanks that were part of the maneuvers. They were taking both livestock like mules and horses to ride on, but also more modern equipment like the trucks and cars. The marines spent their first night on the march at potomac park south of the washington monument. Once they had set up the cap, they then marched past the white were reviewed by president warren g. Harding and other dignitaries. The marine corps gazette reported observers declared this is the first time the troops have passed in review on the white house grounds since the civil war. It took those 5000 marines more than an hour to pass as 134 piece marine band play the music for them to march 2. They stayed just one night in march and can in washington. They marched onto to bethesda and spent two nights in gaithersburg, one night in bridgeville, a night in frederick, maryland, and then a night in thurmont. Encampment a full and named the camp after one of the marine corps generals. Finally arrived at gettysburg, they named that encampment after the president. As the marines would march through the small towns, crowds would gather allowed around the roads to see them coming, waved to them, cheer them on, which was the marines gather not support to help them survive in the political arena. Againstld play baseball local teams, they also sought out any living civil war veterans who were still around and invited them to come to gettysburg to watch the reenactments there. Is the march going through emmitsburg, maryland just south of gettysburg. The group of men gathered in front of the fountain. Those are the civil war veterans in the area who are still living at the time you were still living at the time. Were still living at the time. Many of these marines were decorated veterans who fought in europe during world war i and it was a mix of numeral means who had joined since the will of new marines who had joined since the war. , as veterans were reluctant are many veterans today, to talk about their experience from the war. Reporters embedded from major newspapers who were traveling along with them to report throughout the march of their activities, and these reporters continually tried to get these veterans to open up about their experiences and found they did not want to talk. Heres the encampment at gettysburg. It was set up on a farm just north of the North Carolina monument. The ultimate size of the encampment was reported to be anywhere from 65 to 100 acres. , who is theams director of the United States marine corps historical company, said 100 acres is probably closer to the actual size. Although the War Department control the parks, which allow the marines to conduct their exercises on parkland, they did not want to damage the property or the historical site, so they were careful and how they brought careful in how they brought in their heavy vehicles to minimize damage. A couple shots of the marines relaxing in camp at gettysburg, tuning up their instruments, getting a shave, things like that. Due to a plants day of president harding and his wife florence who were going to stay for a night at the camp, it was decided to erect a structure for the first couple. Also to house them and their guests. The site chosen was a high point on the field along west confederate avenue just north of the North Carolina monument. It was situated in close proximity to the mcmillan farmhouse. Describedburg times the president ial compound this way. Of the structure is of the unique design, being semicircular in shape. In the center of the building is the president s public reception room, which is 40 feet in length by 25 and with. 25 feet in width. The one on the left being allocated to the president and his wife, while the one on the right will be used by the president secretary. In the rear of each of these rooms are private baths finished with all of the fittings of a modern bath and the added convenience of hot and cold water. The first couple were really roughing it for their one night in camp. House as itwhite was dubbed unofficially was completed on june 29 and the last part of the installation were six porcelain bathtubs. These bathtubs had to be flown in strap to the bottom of bomber planes. It had the concern to be done that way because they were concerned about damaging them if they were taken by truck. Be the firstved to time bathtubs were ever carried by airplanes. , so is a shot of the planes you can see why the bathtubs had to be strapped to them instead of what into a big cargo bay like the planes of today. Weeklong military demonstration in gettysburg, much of the Aviation Group was here. They had light bombers, fighters, observation aircraft, and they also had two observation balloons similar to blimps. These balloons were inflated with highly explosive hydrogen gas. Captain George Hamilton was in command of a squadron of fighters providing scout duty well at while escorting the marine infantry along with George Martin on the right. 4b andre flying a dh left thurmont, maryland and headed north. It was at the rear of a formation of four planes. On the journey up, nothing seemed amiss. They traveled fine. It was as they approached the camp that spectators noticed something wrong. Hamiltons plane went into a nose dive from about 3000 feet, which turned into a tailspin. As the plane crashed on a farm 1 05ne oh 5 p. M. P. M. The crashed into a carnival set up where we are at right now. Hamilton died at the scene and martin died a short time later at warner hospital. The accident is believed to be notresult of a problem with registering the change of altitude properly. It was showing them being at a lower altitude than they were. Who of the marine officials conducted the investigation said they believed that hamilton did his best to avoid the spectators at the circus and stayed with his plane longer than he should have. He wanted to keep it away from the carnival and minimize casualties, which turned out to be him and his gunnery sergeant. Theite the tragedy, exercises had to continue. The bulk of the marines were arriving in camp. Education portion of their training that week. They were taking classes on military tactics, the battle of gettysburg. They would run through drills that would prepare them for the reenactments. Harding arrived on july 1 which was a saturday. Among his party besides the ,irst lady was general pershing charles dawes, Brigadier General charles sawyer, the president ial physician and george christian. Among the other guests who came eventr this reenactment with the pennsylvania governor, the virginia governor, the acting secretary of the navy, andtor george pepper, general assumed was there. Marine general neville,rigadier general butler senator joseph mccormick, the speaker of the house and foreign governments send representatives to watch to see how the marines conducted themselves. From thesome shots historical side of the reenactment. It was a threeday presentation. Was probably very similar to what whether we just had. It was torrential rain area in the quartermaster had given each regiment a bushel beets. S they cut them up to simulate blood. They were also issued bandages to apply to the fake wounds. As the time of the battle approached it was estimated that 100,000 people had shown up. To see this historical reenactment which opened up with two confederate guns which was the signal for the opening artillery barrage. This continued for half an hour. With the marines who had been designated as confederates as they began their advance. They were preceded by a skirmish line of sharpshooters. Flags that bore the or theirheir general Commanding Officer created so that spectators could see who they were representing and the battle. With here is another shot of the reenactment. Here is a marine faking. As with weapons of the time smoke was a big problem. Progressed the smoke cloud grew and grew. Haze some said it looked like ghost soldiers returning from the past. In your tribune wrote they began to move forward through the watchers as if the ghosts once more came for victory. Mene were six lines of stretching along the battlefront. Thdead like this one felt or wounded. What they would have work shotguns filled with black powder that they would shoot into the ground. Rounds simulated artillery explosions. If a marine happen to fire and the ground the other marines would be expected to fall dead or wounded. Here is a shot of the president left after the reenactment. Brought day the marines out their airplanes, the howitzers, the observation balloons, tanks, machine guns, antiaircraft guns, all of that modern stuff. Even their big monitoring devices which look like the big horn with the dog. This was before radar. This would allow them to hear approaching aircraft. They brought out there monitoring equipment. Battle thankht the its way to style. The only time there was a Confederate Air force fighting the union air force. One did it fighting around of the hydrogen filled observation balloons which is a interesting story because as the spectators were watching the battle go on around the balloon. Because they had to use blanks for fear of accidentally harming someone on the ground the only way they were going to be able to hit the balloon was have someone detonate from beneath. They had a marine in a gondola who i do not know if it was manned or not. Decimateddecimated he threw a dummy from the balloon. That was maybe not the best of taste with the marines who had just died before. He detonated the balloon to simulate the bullies the planes hitting it. Their is him floating down in a parachute and the remains of the balloon. Multiple different variations of the story appeared in newspapers. A lot of people thought he was dead. They finally got straightened out eventually. Here is a shot that shows a good angle of all of that smoke generated from the fighting. This would be on the road here. With the balloon down the fighting began at it started with a smokescreen. This new fighting commenced where they used their tanks, machine guns firing, on the ground they used live ammunition so they used tracer ammunition. They mature to fire in embankments. It was great a site quite a sight. As the battle approached the conclusion. The confederates had stiff opposition around the farmhouse. Arms fire ormall machine gunfire could get them out. The four tanks rolled into action. The Baltimore Sun said the tanks went up to the farmhouse around the barn through the backyard, up the front porch firing through theells windows. In a few moments they wobbled away and you could almost rearne them headed to the until there was no more killing to do. The enemy was silenced forever. Only one tank became a casualty in the battle. Fought the they. Attle the modern way after the reenactment the marines began breaking down their camp the following day. Of the another shot modern reenactment you can see with the guns set up. So they hiked back on the same route they came from. With one change they had sent to night on the way back. Marylandy up frederick had been so eager to spend that the marines decided they would spend two nights at frederick. It is a shot of the in canada and the fairgrounds. Here they saw the president for a third time. They had seen him with the president ial review, then when he came to the historical reenactment, this time he was on his way back after he left the marines and they went on to do their fighting and started to martone. He went on to a vacation. And heardhis way back the marines were at the fairgrounds. He stopped in just a impromptu stop. Of the generals and the Commanding Officers were not around when he came in. The marines that were there through together a band and serenaded the president and first lady. The president talk to them for about half an hour and then he headed back down to washington dc. The marines then headed back. And a couple of our days they made the return to kournikova. Of the 90sstory like to marine march. Because of the two marines who were killed in the aircraft were active duty at the time the crash occurred at the battlefield they are considered the last death here on the battle of gettysburg. Even though marines did not fight in the civil war they are the last official debts on the battlefield. There is going to be a monument dedicated next year to their service and to their sacrifice. It will be done right out back here. Can you hear me all right . Can you put up the slides again . We thought it would be appropriate to memorialize these guys think we got a group and we went to the farm where the crash. The Marine Corps League has been raising money for this. Something that you will see in the national park. All of the information will about these two fires. So far we have raised 4500. Get 7,500 we can put a nice patio in. Once we have enough money we will put it up. If you would like to donate please go to our gofundme page. Under hamilton. Theirll be able to donate generously agreed we would appreciate anything you can do. If you have any more questions i can show you what it will look like out in the lobby. Does anybody have any questions or would like to see anymore slides again . Going over the north in that exercise . When they did the reenactment it was dictated by historical events. When they were fighting the war 1920 to style it was open to whatever tactic they could use. The south of the better tactics going on and were able to pull off a victory. Had that been thought again maybe it would have turned out differently. It was not planned that way. It was just how things worked out with the attacking and fighting. It is fun to try and find pictures of the event. I know my coauthor has a interesting shot that we put in the book, he said it was identified as the battle of gettysburg and it was pretty dramatic. Of bodies pile on one another. The problem is if you look at the picture you can see the monuments in the back. Being a sharp guy he was able to figure out that was not from the civil war it was from the 1922 battle. Is historical reenactment one of the earliest remembrance on the battlefield. This stuff like they are doing this weekend with the reenactments of the battle that they do every year. This was well before that was being done. It is not a wellknown occurrence. Thedid you first discover reenactment . But people came at it in different ways. Was kathyor and it who found it his wife had come across this with the of another topic. I knew a marine who was part of the marine historical company. He told me about this story. It caught my attention. It seemed fascinating, he had some of the pictures that we used in the book. He showed me these battle pictures, and i thought it was pretty impressive. I thought i would write a book. We used to Work Together so we reallyppened dead weight is the have the same story going on and we decided to combine our efforts to do it. It is the only book that we have discovered that was written on the subject. It was inring the day all the newspapers. They had all of these reporters giving daily reports about the march and how things were going on. Articles been a few within sense then. Rarely havey been able to bring it all together. Anybody else have any questions . Any other pictures you want to see . It is interesting to speculate about the bad feelings between the north and south simmering for another 50 years or so or may be marketed the confrontation between them would with the modern type of military equipment. Genrere is a full sub called alternative history. One of the things that has been explored in the series one i was the civil war fighting to a standstill. The Confederate States were established. That eventually escalated into a Second World War second civil war around world war i. President wilson was of the confederacy and president roosevelt was president of the arctic states. They were the commanders in chief fighting this war. Kind of like you are envisioning there. It is interesting to see how different it would have been fought with tanks and machine guns. Things with the marines represented the union troops. Ok, anyone else . How you saw the monuments. Did they use live ammunition . Not that we ever came across. Particularly with the machine and did not want to hit anybody. They just wanted to be able to see without tracer fire was. Even though they had tracer fire they were just shooting into a berm. The guns of the time could not fire blanks. There was aming park service. They were in charge of the military fight. Antietam, those were sites under the War Department at the time. That is why they were able to come up and use it. The park service had been in control. I am sure they would have said no. Bulletfind a machine gun on the battlefield you will know where it comes from. I have seen people who have come up to me after talks and said i found a sharp of a plate that had 1922 on it. I always wondered why it was on the battlefield. That is why. China thate and marine officers use was inscribed with the insignia and the date. There are relics still floating around that pop up. What they have this world war i artifact from the marine corps on the gettysburg battlefield. Ok, thank you. [applause] interested in American History tv . Visit our website we spend visit our website cspan. Org history. American history tv. Usually things run smoothly. Every once in a while they are pressed into Emergency Action. Her example lets go back in time back to 1992. It is august 1992. The b52s released a new album. In minneapolis the mall of america opens for business with 300 stores it is the largest Shopping Mall in the country. Meanwhile a major hurricane is moving directly towards florida. That the storm is going to be in our neighborhood hereby early on the day monday. 24 the stormgust was at full force caring wind that reach 120 miles per hour. Local airports shut down, much out power gridth devastation that is near total. I put all of the money and the house. Everything. Tuesday, august 25. Nearly Everybody Needs food and emergency supplies. We are selling generators, oil, gas. The only people so if things come from out of town. They do not accept checks or credit card. There is a huge demand for cash. Local banks are running short. That triggers Emergency Action by the miami branch of Federal Reserve. The miami branch is part of the Federal Reserve bank of the southeast. The bank manager was there soon after andrew struck. We started going all of the institutions and started talking we wanted to ensure that they had cash available. We would do whatever possible to get the cash. Based on their need. Have an account, they deposit their exit card extra cash and work on credit. In this case it was needed immediately and in great quantity. The Vice President of the First National bank homestead. People had to walk out of the and 5,000 in0 cash. Many people needed far more than that and that far more than that. Absolutely nothing. Owns a servicean station. The town was hit especially hard can that there was no water, no , residents had to drive out of town and wait in long lines. He needed a emergency generator. Cash. Ad to pay 2000 no credit cards, no checks, cash treated they would not summit anything. They were ine fed charge of shipping cash to local banks. Tuesday, it was the busiest day on record. It was a very heavy day. Hectic, everything was done manually. There were no computers. The 99 million was sent out to local banks throughout southeast florida. Including the First National bank of homestead. We got deliveries every day, every morning, we had large amounts of cash and a lot of large bills. They gave us whatever we wanted and whatever we needed. Seven,sday, august 5 florida is just beginning the long process of rebuilding. Left peopled or has without homes. It is the most extensive Natural Disaster in u. S. History. Many people did everything they could to help their neighbors including workers. Is likeederal reserve the main bank for all these banks. You go to them for help and that is what they are doing. The banks were in need of cash. Because people were in need of cash. We were there for all of the banks and the people. Coming up this weekend on American History tv on cspan3. Tonight at 10 00 p. M. Eastern on real america in 1970s film on the mission and operation of the detroit news. We are liberal and others we are conservative. We have to answer both sides of the question. It gave our readers a balanced diet. Sunday at 11 00 p. M. Eastern, the former park service chief historian on the immigration of new england abolitionists. Had a new england so upsetan he was by the whole affair that he wrote a letter to his uncle. They wanted to wear oldfashioned ways. Historian spencer crew on the integration of africanamericans after world war i. We found to be the case that they had a lack of workers to help prepare supplies for the war effort. One thing they got to do was to figure out where else to find people with all of these jobs are you for the First Time Ever positions for africanamerican begin to become available. A reason to move to other parts. There are jobs. American history tv, all weekend every weekend only on cspan3. American history tv is on cspan3 every weekend. Ours,ing museum to archival films, programs on the presidency. The civil war and more. Here is a clip on a recent program. This maybe gives us a window into what is happening in the 19th 70s. It was easy for audiences to relate to what was happening with the rest of the city. Images or haver dealt with similar problems. Albeit with a tamer fashion. Shortages, with the here is where people are waiting in line to get their water canisters filled you have to wait in line and wait a line and hope that they still have them by the time you get there. The same thing is happening with gas stations all across the country. Shortages, gase was giving out. You might be able to go to the gas station if you have a even license plate one day. If you had a license plate you would have to go on another day. Gas stations were people would wait for hours and then they would get their and they would be out. We are