Airmen help restore battlefield to its former glory

by Airman 1st Class Zachary Cacicia
436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

5/27/2014 - GETTYSBURG, Pa. -- The hallowed grounds of Gettysburg have seen their fair share of beards; from the beards of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Union Lt. Gen. George G. Meade, to Master Sgt. Jamie Beard, 436th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment flight chief, who helped coordinate a volunteer effort to help the National Park Service restore the battlefield at Gettysburg to its historic appearance.

Forty-Five Team Dover Airmen traveled three hours to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, May 16, 2014, to volunteer their time and muscle to clean-up and restore one of America's most historic sites, Gettysburg National Military Park, to its 1863 appearance.

"For us in the military, it's huge for us to be able to come through and clear this area out so that people can still see the view of the battlefield," explained Beard.

The volunteer trip was organized by members of the Air Force Sergeants Association, Chapter 201 and the Dover Air Force Base First Sergeants Council. The team Dover volunteers came from all ranks and career fields.

"We [National Park Service] love having the Airmen come out; they really help restore the landscape to what it looked like during the battle," said Amanda Whitmore, NPS: Gettysburg National Military Park Adopt-A-Position Program volunteer coordinator. "Every time Dover comes, they just do excellent work; they're very fast and efficient, and we are really pleased with everything they do."

Due to heavy rains and minor flooding, the Team Dover volunteers' original site on the battlefield was inaccessible. So the volunteers were split up into two equal groups. Both groups worked at the same task of cutting down and clearing small cedar trees and brush from clearings. One group worked near the Pitzer Woods section of the battlefield, where fierce fighting took place on the first and second days of the battle. The second group worked at Oak Ridge, a site used to fire artillery by the Confederate Army, and would later be home to the Eternal Light Peace Memorial.

"It makes me feel good seeing everyone that wants to give back to the community," said Airman 1st Class Matthew James Ohliger. "Dover isn't a big base and seeing this many people come out for one event is pretty good."

This trip was Staff Sgt. Derek Larue's, 436th Maintenance Squadron test cell, third year volunteering at Gettysburg and he plans on continuing to do so for as long as he is stationed at Dover AFB.

"It's really nice for the Airmen to get out and dedicate their time and a lot of hard work; lots of manual labor," said Larue. "Helping restore something that our forefathers fought on gives us a chance to give back a little bit."