"Known Only To God" - Part 3

 The Field Work: Rescue of the Remains - Summer 1996


🙡 The Park Watch Volunteer Program 🙣


In 1996, Gettysburg National Military Park suffered from a more than 50% increase in vandalism in just six months. Sixteen incidents causing damage to monuments and structures of almost $10,000 occurred between January and July, up from only nine such incidents during the same period in 1995. 
These incidents continued a pattern of malicious damage inflicted on monuments over the previous five years, during which the following occurred:
  • The head of the sculpture on the 2nd Andrews Sharpshooters monument was taken off by a swung tree limb.
  • A saber handle was broken off and stolen from the 4th New York Cavalry monument.
  • The figure on the 4th New York Artillery monument was toppled from its pedestal.
  • A marble bench at the Pennsylvania monument was smashed.
  • Satanic symbols were painted on three monuments at Barlow's Knoll.
In order to fight this problem, the park began a volunteer Park Watch program. Twelve area residents were trained an put on patrol, and logged 320 hours of service in the first four months of the program. (From a July 18, 1996 Morning Report by the Park Service)

Park Watch volunteers have been awarded the Governor’s “Citizen’s Crime Prevention Award” on seven occasions.  Park Watch has also received the Gettysburg Adams Chamber of Commerce “Someone Special Award” and the National Park Service Northeast Region’s “Protection Award for Excellence.”

I was one of those original twelve volunteers and, because I had minored in Archaeology in college, when the opportunity to participate in the recovery of the remains in the railroad cut arose in the summer of 1996, I immediately volunteered for it and was accepted. It was an experience I will never forget.

🙡 Related Links 🙣