For those that don't know who he is he is the Chief Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service. Opened and documented many of the Historical National Parks. Found and raised the Cairo that is on display at Vicksburg. Said he didn't have a photographic memory but he did have one. Was one of the talking heads on Ken Burn's Civil War, wrote the definitive history on the Vicksburg Campaign and Brice's Crossroads among several other books. Was a Marine Raider in World War II and was shot up so bad at Suicide Creek that he had one useless arm. Up until about two years ago he could out run and go places men half his age couldn't.

One of the best battleground tour guides you ever saw. Went to the first All Star game in 1933 and threw out the first pitch in 2018 when the game was at the National's stadium.

Got to meet and talk with him several times ( one time over dinner at boss' house) when I worked at Petersburg NBP in the '80's. You want to talk ACW history, this was the man.

https://www.battlefields.org/preserve/champions/rememberingbearrs

I like in the top photo he is wearing the Texas Star made from a Mexican Reale, like the Texas troops wore on their caps during the war, that we presented to him years ago.

Mom is big into civil war round table. She knew Ed very well and I met him many years ago Luckily in 2018 I went on his last tour of the normandy invasion. Spent 8 days in france with him and 10 others covering the landing +7. He had already led them around germany for a week. Talk about an absolutely incredible experience. He got to lower the flag at the cemetery which was cool to see. The curator was on phone when we got there and when he heard Ed was there he dropped the call to cater to him. So many stories from that trip. The french would see him and come thank him for his service. The places we got to go bc of him, his insight, his ability to get around at his age. And did he love bourbon and the aggies. Spent couple hours alone just visiting with him at Mont St michel (the one climb he wouldn't do). An encyclopedia of american history and national treasure if you ask me. We were supposed to go to DC this summer and were going to take him to gettysburg for a day and I could only imagine how impressive that would have been