Kathy In Gettysburg

I just spent a week at FEMA's National Emergency Management Institute that is actually in Emmitsburg, MD, but just a short drive from Gettysburg. I was attending the "Advanced Public Information Officer" training to prepare me (and the 39 others who attended) to set up a joint information center (JIC) in the event of an emergency.

When a disaster occurs, local PIOs from the police, fire, Red Cross, Public Works, etc., set up a JIC that puts them all together in the same room so they can coordinate information given to the public. Being in the same room makes it easy to talk to one another about differing information and figure out what's really happening. It was very intense, but also effective in helping everyone feel more prepared to handle an emergency...but now about Gettysburg.

If you ever get the chance, you should go. In this relatively small area - about the size of a golf course - more than 50,000 people died in the three-day battle - three days! Incredible! The managers of the site have done a good job providing information that really makes the battles come alive. It was quite emotional learning about it all. In the decisive battle, at "Little Roundtop", which is a small hill, there were three or four attacks and counter attacks. it was finally won by the New York soldiers who had run out of amunition, but still charged relying only on hand-to-hand combat. Both Yankee commanders (one 30 years old, the other 23), were killed.

States whose soldiers faught in the battle have monuments around the edge of the battlefield. This is a picture of the Pennsylvania monument.

The Kevrekians will be heading east again next month for Gregor's graduation. We'll be vacationing in South Carolina the week before. We'll post info on that when we return!

Kathy