Trouble in Gettysburg?

[Sober Poet]

Long post, oh well, it happens, what can you do? Ok, in earlier posts I mentioned that I worked at Gettysburg College for about 7 years.

 

I am also in possession of a Civil War Library of over 300 volumes, about half of which deal with the Battle of Gettysburg. I worked next door to the Civil War Institute, and was friendly with the director, Pete, a Robert E. Lee expert (I always thought it was fascinating that they hired a Lee guy, the battle really is all about Lee). I would congratulate him after his appearances on the history channel, that kind of thing. I also used to know the previous director, Gabor Boritt, an esteemed Civil War scholar of the highest rank (he received the National Humanities Medal from G W Bush). And, I used to give battlefield tours as part of my job (did NOT take the licensed guide test though).

 

So, I'm gonna claim a certain level of expertise here.

 

This is the Fox News story about protesters in Gettysburg recently. I have two things to say. First of all, they have the right to do what they did, period.

 

Second of all, it appears from some of their own comments and emerging facts that they may have been played, that is trolled. Confederate monuments are being removed in many locations around the country, and at least part of their reason for visiting was that they had concerns that the monuments at the battlefield would be desecrated or eventually targeted for removal.

 

Let me just address that one angle. The citizens of Gettysburg would burn the bulldozers if someone tried to take away those monuments. They are the life blood of the town. Never going to happen in my opinion. Bill at the Cigar Store on the square, Jake at the Ragged Edge Cafe on Chambersburg Street, every bookseller, art gallery owner and purveyor of fine food and drink and all of the historians (and even many of the college professors) would show us all a real protest. For God's sake, the school's mascot is the Bullets. Yes, Billy Bullett. Who else can get away with that these days?

 

Funny story...South Mountain is just west of Gettysburg. I was taking some photos at a lake with my wife and we drove over the back roads to a friend's house, then the world turned into Hogan's Heroes.

 

No kidding, General Burkhalter comes driving up in a period Nazi general's car, complete with staff. Everyone in full Nazi regalia, little Nazi flags on the car, decked out. Holy crap, right?

 

ME: Good God, you have to let me get some pictures of you guys.

 

GENERAL: You gotta get out of here! We got troop transports and half tracks coming! You gotta get out of here!

 

My wife and I look at each other and I got back in the car, passed the general's staff and came to a T in the road. Sure enough, down the road comes a full Nazi half-track with troops marching on either side. "OK, we are not going that way" so I go straight instead and run right into two more troop transports who have just parked and are blocking the road. Nazi soldiers start filing out on either side of the car, dozens and dozens of them. Crazy.

 

We eventually get by and run into a five point intersection. All the road signs had been covered over with those WW2 era signs from Europe. You've seen them in the movies, black lettering on a white field, and all of the names are names of European towns. "What the hell is happening?" my wife asks.

 

Then we remember, General Eisenhower was once President of Gettysburg College (and had even studied tank warfare there at Camp Colt with George Patton). That HAD to be the cause for the Nazis.

 

So, we got the idea to attend a WW2 reenactment at the Eisenhower house in Gettysburg, totally worth it. Check it out if you ever go, but you better hurry... before those monuments disappear...

[calfoxwc]

for a minute I thought that was a joke story like my bull story on the other forum...

 

attacking everything that is... is their way of fighting for their emotions, and they "feel"

like they are each darth vader in their own little worlds.

 

Been there - Gettysburg has taken awesome care of that memorial - truth is, I think

the left wants our entire American history to disappear... they can

replace it with "glory to the left" nonsense. It's like a plague that turns

intelligent people into leftist liberal zombies.

[Sober Poet]

for a minute I thought that was a joke story like my bull story on the other forum...

 

Nope, I had friends go watch and send me pics/vids.

 

The KKK protests there nearly every year. Common knowledge to Gburg residents.

 

Perhaps a little-known fact, presidential candidate Ron Paul is a Gettysburg alum. So, is Newt Gingrich's step-father.

[mjp28]

Interesting. I like any war or memorial chit-chat.

[DieHardBrownsFan]

History is history, whether you approve of it or not.