Confederate Marines Living History Weekend at Port Columbus

Several units of Confederate Marines will appear at Port Columbus this weekend for a special Cool History program called "Marines of the South." March 20-21 will feature training of these marines in various Civil War era tactics including crewing large naval guns, small arms drill and firing, and amphibious landings. Three big cannon firings per day are scheduled. The event is included in normal admission fees at Port Columbus.

For more information, go to: http://www.portcolumbus.org/ or http://portcolumbuslivinghistory.blogspot.com/2010/03/draft-schedule-for-march-cool-history.html

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE (subject to change):

DRAFT Schedule

Saturday
9 a.m. Raise flag on Water Witch

11a.m. Cool History Begins
Cannon Firing and Drill

11:30 0r s0 till 1 Small Arms, Drill and On-Ship Activities

1 p.m. Cannon Firing and Drill

1:30 CSMC Birthday Party on USS Water Witch (Weather Permitting)

2:30 River Activities - Landings etc.

4:00 Cannon Firing and Drill

Sunday
Morning Boat activities if desired

Noon Cannon Firing and Drill

Afternoon Daily Sailor Activities

On August 13

On this day in ...
... 1918 (90 years ago today), Private Orpha Mae Johnson became the 1st woman Marine; specifically, she enlisted in a program "named 'The Marines of Reserve (F).'" During 1918 "some 300 women first entered the Marine Corps to take over stateside clerical duties from battle-ready Marines who were needed overseas" World War I. After the war, the program was disbanded, and all women were discharged. (image: Women Marines Association logo)
... 1961, residents of Berlin awoke to find the city divided. Overnight, East German troops had "sealed the border between East and West Berlin, shutting off the escape route for thousands of refugees from the East." The troops then "stood guard at the Brandenburg Gate, main crossing point between the Eastern and Western sectors." (credit for photo of Gate on this 1961 day that construction of the Berlin Wall began)