Spring 2011

Since being laid off last summer life has gotten quite hectic. I did enjoy the vacation from work (paid for by an unexpected nine weeks of severance pay). I worked at the Boy Scout National Jamboree at Ft. A.P. Hill Virginia (missing the annual CW event at Ft. Stanton New Mexico) and made significant progress on a couple other impressions (Swiss mercenary Pikeman of 1598 vintage and Italian WWII Partgiano). And just as the money was about to run out, a new job found me.

We're now at the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War and just a year away from the commemoration of the battles fought in New Mexico, and I find myself the newly elected V.P. of the 1stNMVI, primarily because I expressed the willingness and availability to attend the monthly meetings of the NM CW Commemorative Congress.

"Battlefield New Mexico" aka the Civil War Weekend at El Rancho de las Golondrinas was held on May 14-15. I decided this time out that I would take the opportunity to photograph the battle's aftermath - namely, the 'dead' and wounded. Sort of a 'Matthew Brady Moment' (though I refrained from repositioning the 'corpses').

The images are perhaps a bit disturbing. Still, scenes of this nature are part and parcel of war; a reminder that there's plenty of 'guts' to go around, often without a comparable measure of 'glory' to go with it. Reenacting is fun; but I shall not forget that countless thousands gave, give, and will yet give, "...the last full measure of devotion...."