Dean Smith and The Civil War

Join me and my guest Dean Smith on Monday, June 10th from 1-2 PT on this episode of the Born To Talk Radio Show Podcast. As my title indicates, this show is going to be about the Civil War and the volunteer organizations that Dean belongs to and why.

Meet Dean Smith.

Dean is a third generation Los Angeles native. He graduated from George Washington High School in 1964 and earned Bachelor of Arts (1968), and Master of Arts (1970), degrees in Political Science, from the University of California, at Riverside.

His career in public service, with Los Angeles County, began in 1970. Over his 34 years with the County, Dean managed a variety of administrative functions in five different departments. After retiring, Dean held several part-time jobs, including consulting and working on the 2010 Census.

Dean’s interest in the Civil War began on a trip to Virginia, in 1999, where he visited the Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville battlefields. Since then, he has visited battlefields at Antietam, Harper’s Ferry, Gettysburg, and Spotsylvania Courthouse, as well as Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, and Port Hudson, in Louisiana.

What are the organizations Dean belongs to?

Dean is the President for the past 7 years of The Los Angeles Civil War Round Table. An Organization Dedicated to the Study and Preservation of Our Civil War Heritage.

“The Los Angeles Civil War Round Table was founded in 1977. Over the years, interest waned, but the Round Table was revived in the 1990s, and it has had a sustained membership, of about 30, for the last several years. We are a very welcoming group, and our meetings are open to the public, free of charge. You need not be a Civil War expert, just someone who is interested in our Nation’s history.”

Dean is the Camp Commander of General W.S. Rosecrans Camp No. 2 Sons of Unions Veterans of the Civil War serving Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.

“The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is a patriotic and educational organization, similar to the Grand Army of the Republic. It was founded on November 12, 1881, and incorporated by Act of Congress on August 20, 1954. The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is the legal heir to and representative of the Grand Army of the Republic.”

“The General W. S. Rosecrans Camp No. 2 of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War was named after an original Sons Camp which was organized March 3, 1898, and which in turn was named for Gen. William Starke Rosecrans (1819-1898). The current Camp was organized and reactivated on August 21, 1999.”

Dean is the Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Drum Barracks Civil War Museum.

“Located in Wilmington, California, Drum Barracks Civil War Museum is housed in the last remaining original wooden building of the 22 structures built as a military post during the Civil War in the Los Angeles area. Drum Barracks, named after Lt. Col. Richard Coulter Drum, Adjutant General of the Department of the Pacific in San Francisco, served as the Union Army headquarters for Southern California and the Arizona Territory from 1861-1871.”

The Show.

It’s easy to see that Dean is a volunteer with a mission of inviting others to be part of the Civil War legacy. Tune in to hear why he feel this is important and how you can learn more. Dean will be sharing his stories about each of these organizations.