Ed Bearss' 100th

[Desolu64]

Ed Bearss would be 100 today.

RIP, sir. What a legend. Semper Fi.

 

[Norman Dasinger Jr]

he was the BEST

 

[danny]

Ed Bearss would be 100 today.

RIP, sir. What a legend. Semper Fi.

Hoo Rah

 

[Tony Z]

I was fortunate to have been on a visit toHarpers Ferry with Ed as the guide. Superb!

 

[Desolu64]

I was fortunate to have been on a visit toHarpers Ferry with Ed as the guide. Superb!

My roundtable had him for South Mountain, 1st Bull Run, and Spotsylvania (that was after I became a member, the roundtable had him before that as well).

 

[ErnieMac]

I recently completed reading a book titled Target Rabaul: The Allied Siege of Japan's Most Infamous Stronghold March 1943 - August 1945 by Bruce Gamble. The book deals with the Allied (U.S., Australia, New Zealand & Great Britain) campaign in the New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Bismarck Archipelago during WWII. One paragraph in the book piqued my CW interest.

It reads "During an eastward push through that nightmare of jungle, swampland, and concealed bunkers on January 2, 1944, marines of the 7th Regiment encountered fierce resistance at a place called Suicide Creek. Among the many casualties that day was Pfc. Edwin C. Bearss, hit by enemy gunfire in the left forearm, right shoulder, left, and left buttocks. But not all in one burst; rather, the Japanese gunner kept shooting Bearss after he fell. He survived due to the heroics of fellow marines and navy corpsmen, and believes his wounds had a positive influence on his postwar career as a battlefield interpreter.

 

[JackADriscoll]

I recently completed reading a book titled Target Rabaul: The Allied Siege of Japan's Most Infamous Stronghold March 1943 - August 1945 by Bruce Gamble. The book deals with the Allied (U.S., Australia, New Zealand & Great Britain) campaign in the New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Bismarck Archipelago during WWII. One paragraph in the book piqued my CW interest.

It reads "During an eastward push through that nightmare of jungle, swampland, and concealed bunkers on January 2, 1944, marines of the 7th Regiment encountered fierce resistance at a place called Suicide Creek. Among the many casualties that day was Pfc. Edwin C. Bearss, hit by enemy gunfire in the left forearm, right shoulder, left, and left buttocks. But not all in one burst; rather, the Japanese gunner kept shooting Bearss after he fell. He survived due to the heroics of fellow marines and navy corpsmen, and believes his wounds had a positive influence on his postwar career as a battlefield interpreter.

Respect. For many reasons

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

I was fortunate to have been on a visit toHarpers Ferry with Ed as the guide. Superb!

I've related this story many times, but I saw him once while he was conducting a tour.
(Mr. Bearss was mesmerizing)

Some on this forum knew him and other CWT members met him.

While I can't claim either, I have always said the man was authentic.
From what I saw that afternoon, Ed Bearss was the same "in person" as the nation saw
on film ... especially during the Ken Burns series.

 

[VaMtLady]

He led our round table on a tour of Manassas. Unforgettable! We couldn't keep up with him.

 

[Sowbelly and Hardtack]

Rest In Peace Old Friend.

 

[turner ashby kidd]

I talked about him just this week while discussing great history teachers,those who make it come alive.
Sadly never saw him in person only in video. Just captivating beyond words.
Thanks for the posts, learned something new as always.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Sadly never saw him in person only in video. Just captivating beyond words.

Among the many casualties that day was Pfc. Edwin C. Bearss, hit by enemy gunfire in the left forearm, right shoulder, left, and left buttocks. But not all in one burst; rather, the Japanese gunner kept shooting Bearss after he fell. He survived due to the heroics of fellow marines and navy corpsmen,

For younger members that may not be familiar with Mr. Bearss, here's a short interview that gives a good picture of his knowledge & personality. The wounds he suffered to his left arm in World War II are clearly visible :

 

[Rhea Cole]

I have never known anybody exactly like Ed Bearss. I was his "local guy" in Murfreesboro. I rode along on the bus tours because I was supposed to know about any changes in the local roads. Rutherford County is one of the fastest growing in the country.

When Ed was speaking to a group, he had an interesting way of dealing with questions that he knew that my Forrest worshiper (their word) friends did not actually want to hear his answer to.

Ed would cock his head to the side & close his eyes. What followed was an astonishing flow of facts. How he kept all that stuff straight was ever a wonder. In private over supper on our screen porch I asked him what his answer to the importance of Forrest's famous New Johnsonville Raid was. It was a complete waste of a precious resource. All of West TN & Mississippi was a strategic backwater of no significance whatsoever. Forrest wore out his men & horses. Joined Hood in no real condition to give his full support to the advance.

Ed was actually very funny. People were in fact very disrespectful toward him. They asked questions as a sort of sporting event to see what he would come up with. It was a dog & pony show for them. He was hyper naturally gracious. Which is not to say that he did not strike some sly jabs. He had a way of looking out the corner of his eye at me that was unmistakable.

Those of us who focus on the Civil War tend to not be aware that Ed, true to his buckaroo upbringing, focused a great deal of time on the Western Frontier. I was astonished when he added something very valuable to my arcane Eastern Dakota interest.

What a lot of folks did not grasp is that Ed & wife were a team. Her scholarship is greatly admired by historians. As a man blessed with a very intelligent, creative, & insightful wife I can attest that is a powerful thing. I don't if any of you all are familiar with Margie Riddle Bearss' work, but she was the real deal.

Ed was the historian at Stones River during the Centennial expansion of the black powder parks. He helped sew the uniforms for the original living history programs. I have some of the hats & uniforms that were surplussed… our girls were the only ones small enough to wear them.

Away from the fawning fans Ed was seriously funny… think on that.

 

[R. Porter]

I noticed that Mr. Bears pronounced the ship's name as Kay-row the way the folks in that part of the country pronounce the town name in Illinois rather than Ky-row (where "ky" sounds like "sky") the way the city in Egypt is pronounced.

 

[Norman Dasinger Jr]

he is the standard for knowledge and interpretation

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

I noticed that Mr. Bears pronounced the ship's name as Kay-row the way the folks in that part of the country pronounce the town name in Illinois rather than Ky-row (where "ky" sounds like "sky") the way the city in Egypt is pronounced.

The vessel was named for the Illinois town:

One of seven shallow-draft City Class river ironclads, The U.S.S. Cairo was commissioned in January of 1862. Named after towns along the upper Mississippi and Ohio rivers

So yeah ... Mr. Bearss was using the correct pronunciation.

 

[R. Porter]

The vessel was named for the Illinois town:

One of seven shallow-draft City Class river ironclads, The U.S.S. Cairo was commissioned in January of 1862. Named after towns along the upper Mississippi and Ohio rivers

So yeah ... Mr. Bearss was using the correct pronunciation.

I figured as much. I have a sister that's been living in Cape Girardeau for decades. I thought I'd mention it for those who didn't know since I had been among that bunch long ago.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

I figured as much. I have a sister that's been living in Cape Girardeau for decades. I thought I'd mention it for those who didn't know since I had been among that bunch long ago.

It really is a small world.

I have more than a few friends from Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area.
(met them in college at Ole Miss)

As the crow flies, the Missouri bootheel is not that far from north Mississippi.

 

[R. Porter]

It really is a small world.

I have more than a few friends from Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area.
(met them in college at Ole Miss)

As the crow flies, the Missouri bootheel is not that far from north Mississippi.

My sister and her husband both taught at the university there. When they ended up there I thought it was the middle of nowhere. It's a bit different from the East Coast.