The traditional Decoration Day service of the Grand Army Meade Post #1 will be recreated at historic Laurel Hill Cemetery, the site of the first Memorial Day Observance in Philadelphia in 1868. The entourage will gather at the resting place of General George Gordon Meade, hero of the Battle of Gettysburg, to perform the traditional service honoring all veterans who fell defending the nation. A wreath-laying, speeches and honor guards will enhance the ceremony.  New grave markers for unmarked servicemen of all wars dedicated. The event is co-sponsored by the General Meade Society of Philadelphia, the Friends of Laurel Hill Cemetery and the Kearney Kommissary Complimentary beer and refreshments will be served after the service. Admission to the event is FREE and open to the public; a $5 donation in support of Laurel Hill Cemetery’s work to preserve and honor its veterans would be appreciated.  Laurel Hill is located at 3822 Ridge Ave.  Free Parking across street.

On March 14th and the Washington, DC Yacht Club i presented the One Day at a Time project. Here is a link to the video:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/9135091538290629635

I am presenting my 1918 Influenza talk at the One Health Academy on Wednesday March 14 . . .

What? Tim Stephens and colleagues Jessica Taaffe and John Walsh at Prospero Analytics have been documenting the 1918 Influenza since the beginning of 2018, https://www. prosperoanalyticsllc.com/1918- onedayatatime/  They are creating a record, One Day at a Time, how the outbreak was reported in the American press. The press and Americans were subject to the Sedition and Espionage Acts during the Great War. The record describes fuel and food rationing, social and military regulation of the entertainment and sex industries, an unhealthy male population unready for war, and the hasty creation of new camps all across the country. Tim will present from the documentary record, and draw lessons for current pandemic planning. Tim has been a proud attendee of the One Health Academy for 10 years. He is President of Prospero Analytics and CEO of Ballpark. He has had an accidental public health career spanning 30 years back to his time in North Carolina. For the last 15 years his focus has been on bioterrorism and infectious disease policy, starting at ASTHO and subsequently as an independent entrepreneur. His MA in Journalism is from the University of North Carolina. For more information, visit our website here which includes links to other One Health events and recordings of previous speakers. Also, link to us on social media below: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter (@OneHealth_DC)

Where? Capital Yacht Club 800 Wharf St SW, Washington, DC 20024 DINNER IS BACK – Cost is $25 for the evening ($15 for students). For parking and directions, click here. If unable to attend in person, One Health Commission is sponsoring live webinar access. To register, click here.

Ric Murphy (ricmurphy.com) and Timothy Stephens will discuss the history of Section 27 at Arlington National Cemetery. One of the most historic areas in the famous cemetery, Section 27 is home to numerous graves of Civil War soldiers and African American refugees who sought shelter within Union lines during the conflict. 

Location: 437 7th Street, Washington, DC

Time: 6pm, February 15, 2018

On Saturday April 21 at the Philadelphia National Cemetery with support from the Mutter Museum (http://muttermuseum.org) the Camp William Penn Museum and the 3rd Regiment USCT Re-Enactors will be unveiling a storyboard at the Philadelphia National Cemetery. Join the dedication ceremony at 6901 Limekiln Pike, Philadelphia, PA 19138. For more information: pt@usct.org, 215-885-2258.

I will be working all year with colleagues John Walsh and Jessica Taaffe on a review of the 1918 Influenza from contemporary sources, primarily US newspapers digitized and cataloged by the Library of Congress (https://chroniclingamerica.gov). The project – One Day at a Time – will be a representative narrative of 1918, the fear, rumor, wartime accommodations and despair brought on by the biggest death event in our history. 

Just published – “Rear Admiral Larry Chambers,” Ric Murphy’s (ricmurphy.com) new biography of his uncle. Murphy’s third historical book is already out of stock on Amazon, pre-order for all your holiday gifting.

The first African-American aircraft carrier commander, Rear Admiral Lawrence Cleveland Chambers (1929- ) played a prominent role as captain of the USS Midway during the Vietnam War. During the evacuation of Saigon–known as Operation Frequent Wind–he famously ordered several UH-1 helicopters pushed overboard to make room for an escaping South Vietnamese Air Force major to land his Cessna. Chambers, who had only commanded Midway for a few weeks, gave the order believing (wrongly) that he would be court-martialed for the $10 million loss.

I will be presenting with Ric Murphy (http://ricmurphy.com) on Section 27 at the 25th Annual Conference on Civil War Medicine:

Conference Schedule

The conference starts on Thursday September 14, we present on Saturday the 16th. We will be discussing the history of the Arlington Plantation and its transformation in public health emergency in DC during the Civil War. Today it is the most sacred of ground honoring the sacrifice of our fighting heroes. The story starts with it being built up by the enslaved.