B&G is 25 Years Old

With this issue Blue & Gray reaches an important milestone. It all came about because I like to tramp battlefields without a tour bus and a guide. In the 70s when my buddies and I used to take a week of our vacation and travel to Civil War sites, it was the event we looked forward to all year. We always camped. It was a way of getting closer to soldier life, we thought, even though we seldom got shot at. We were a motley crew, letting our beards grow, not bathing, and drinking lots of beer around the campfire. I used to plan the annual trip, so they got to calling me “the General.” Now you know where that came from.

It was exactly ten years ago that my wife and co-founder of the magazine, Robin, passed away from pancreatic cancer. She was such a strong force in the business, and her passing left me with two daughters then 10 and 13, I had some doubts that we could continue publishing. Our son Jason stepped up and took over for his mother, and we kept going. He’s the computer whiz who brought us into the 21st century. As the girls got older they did their share helping in the office too. Robin would be proud.

She would also approve of my wife Karen, since they were friends. I think Robin did some matchmaking from above. Karen and I were married in 2003. She’s not a Civil War buff yet, but likes to look at the maps and pictures to see where I’ve been, and is becoming more conversant in names, dates, and places of the period. Lots of guys never find the right woman. I’ve been blessed to find two.

It’s been a great ride and I like to think the best is yet to come. There’s plenty of battlefields we haven’t covered yet, and others that we’ve featured but could use updating. Thanks for making it all possible.

editor