ProRanger friends and followers,
Recently, several ProRangers took part in multiple special
events throughout the Northeast and National Capital Regions. On the weekend of
September 8th, ProRangers Jenn Pflugfelder, Renee Benson, Mark Clarke, Meaghan Bauder, Jay
Copper, and Wayne Lamb were detailed to Fort McHenry National Monument and
Historic Shrine for their annual Star-Spangled Banner Weekend and Defenders Day
event. Defenders Day commemorates the defense of Baltimore from the British on
September 13-14, 1814. During the bombardment of Fort McHenry, Francis Scott
Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner from an American truce ship in the Patapsco
River. Scott's song would later become the official National Anthem on March 3,
1931. This year marked the 198th Anniversary of the defense of Baltimore and
the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner.
During the Defenders Day event, ProRangers conducted a
variety of tasks ranging from parking vehicles, welcoming visitors, and
securing the fireworks safety zone. These duties were all necessary to insure
that the event was enjoyable for all, and that visitors remained safe during
the event. Following an afternoon rain-shower hours before the event, visitors
returned to Fort McHenry to witness several speakers and a spectacular
fireworks display. The event also included a tactical demonstration by the Fort
McHenry Guard and the Fort McHenry Fife and Drum Corps, as well as the firing
of National Guard Howitzers.
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| ProRangers Clarke, Lamb and Benson with Ranger Steve Lowe |
The weekend following the Fort McHenry event, Prorangers
once again travelled to work a weekend detail. This weekend, ProRangers Renee
Benson, Jay Copper, Mark Clarke, and Wayne Lamb assembled in Harpers Ferry,
West Virginia. Our mission for this weekend was to assist the staff at Harpers
Ferry National Historical Park with their Civil War 150th Anniversary Commemorative
event.
The Battle of Harpers Ferry took place September 13-15,
1862. Led by Major General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, Confederate
troops seized the Union Garrison at Harpers Ferry. This Battle was part of
General Robert E. Lee's Special Orders 191, which played a major role in his
first invasion of the North. The surrender of 12,700 Union troops at Harpers
Ferry is the largest surrender of Union troops during the Civil War, and the
second largest surrender of Federal forces in United States history.
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| ProRangers with Harpers Ferry Staff |
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| ProRanger Clarke directing traffic |
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| ProRanger Benson directs a vehicle into the lot, as a shuttle bus takes visitors to Bolivar Heights |
While at Harpers Ferry, ProRangers were assigned to the
Parking Crew at the Caviler Heights Visitor Center. ProRangers and Park Staff
were responsible for directing traffic into the parking area, and then
directing them into an open section of the parking lot. As the crowd began to
grow, the Parking Team had to open and close parking areas and insure that all
visitors were parked in a safe and orderly fashion. In addition to our parking
duties, ProRangers assisted Law Enforcement Rangers at traffic barricades in
Lower Town, and assembled/disassembled barricades and coned traffic patterns.
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Antietam National Battlefield
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Following our Saturday detail at Harpers Ferry, ProRangers
Renee Benson and Jay Copper traveled to nearby Antietam National Battlefield
for their Civil War 150th event. Located a mere 20 miles from Harpers Ferry, the
Battle of Antietam was fought on September 17, 1862, days after the capture of
Harpers Ferry. Considered to be a tactical draw, Antietam was the single bloodiest
one-day battle of the Civil War. 23,000 causalities (dead, missing, wounded)
were recorded at Antietam. Although both forces held their ground during the battle,
Confederate forces were forced to retreat South following Antietam, allowing President
Lincoln to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.
During the 150th Anniversary event, ProRangers Benson and
Copper were stationed at various locations to assist with parking and visitor
safety. Due to the large crowds at Antietam, shuttle bus services and
additional parking areas were required in order to allow visitor access. In
turn, several National Park Service employees and volunteers were needed at
each bus stop and parking area to insure safety. ProRangers also provided
answers to visitor questions and directed them to the event areas.
The last few weekends of National Park Service special
events have provided the ProRangers with priceless experience that will be
extremely valuable in the future. Special events always pose a unique challenge
to NPS personnel, and working them is always extremely rewarding. In addition
to the practical skills learned "on the ground", the ProRangers were
also exposed to the Incident Command System and the various functions of an
Incident Management Team. These ICS skills are fundamental to the planning and
implementation of NPS events, and will continue to be used by ProRangers
throughout their careers.
We would like to thank all of the National Park Service personnel
and volunteers that made our attendance at these special events possible.
Without the cooperation of these excellent partner parks, the ProRanger program
would not be successful. Opportunities such as these are a huge factor in the
success of the program, and truly make it a "one of a kind"
experience.
Thank you all for continuing to follow the ProRanger blog.
The next few weeks hold more exciting stories as ProRangers continue to recruit
new candidates here at Temple University!
Until next time,
Jay Copper
