Sunday, April 10, 2005
The Holy City... and other things
We just returned from the Holy City (Charleston, South Carolina) where yesterday I served on a panel for the Society of Professional Journalists' annual conference. The panel was related to covering military operations and the relationships between reporters and military public affairs officers: Despite the long-windedness of one of the panelists (though he was a sharp guy), it was great fun, and the audience's questions were superb.
Prior to the conference
I made my annual (perhaps frequent is the optimum word) pilgrimage to Sullivan's Island, specifically Fort Moultrie (Yes, the fort where South Carolina earned its sobriquet, the Palmetto State, during the American Revolution.).
Stationed in Charleston 20-something-years-ago, I was a regular on Sullivan's Island and made many trips to Fort Moultrie: Ran on the beach, swam, brought girls, and enjoyed the quietude away from my wild, adrenaline-jacked Marine buddies.
Since then, I've often returned: Even spent one night two-years-ago in a gorgeous beachfront mansion built in 1869 less than one-tenth of a mile from the fort's huge stone-and-brick walls.
Strolling the beach with the fort behind me, I would always - as I did yesterday - have Charleston’s vast and storied harbor in front of me, and Fort Sumter positioned in the center of the harbor... a magnificent vista to say the least.
In fact, had I been in command of a single battery - 144 years ago - I easily could have assisted General Pierre G.T. Beauregard from my position. Had it been 80 or 90 years prior to the firing on Fort Sumter, I easily could have assisted Colonel (later Major General) William Moultrie who would’ve been behind his works, then known as Fort Sullivan, commanding the batteries exchanging shots with the 250-plus guns of the King’s flotilla.
Aside from its history, there's something uniquely familiar and comforting about the fort's surroundings: Swaying palmetto trees, tall grasses, a few gorgeous old homes, and always a zillion seabirds of varying types flitting about the rooftops and trees.
Several hundred yards behind the fort is the grave of General Moultrie. There, yesterday, we paused momentarily, contemplated his role in saving South Carolina - ultimately the new nation - and prayed for his soul.
Later at the conference
Met with Holly Fisher - the incredible coordinator of everything and a grad student at USC (in fact, one of my sterling students) - and the moderator of my panel, Lisa Hood Skinner.
Thanks ladies, for doing a marvelous job!
Also met Larry Peterson - author of City Editor and an editor with THE SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS, who wrote a marvelous review of my own book, American Airborne Forces - his Morning News cohort, Mike Fabey, and a charming U.S. Army Public Affairs Officer (PAO), Major Josslyn Aberle.
Speaking of charming PAOs
I must tell you about my friend, U.S. Marine Sergeant Mary E. "Beth" Zimmerman, a correspondent/broadcaster based in New York.
Beth has again posted one of my pieces. This time my latest at MilitaryWeek.com on the Vatican's Swiss Guard.
See it here on the official website for Marine Corps Public Affairs, New York City.
Also, let me draw your attention to a few of Beth's pieces here, here, and here. She is indeed a talented writer, reporter, and photographer (I'm including a pic of her with camera).
Anyway, look for many, many more great stories and photos by Sgt. Beth Zimmerman, here on my site, at nymarines.org, and elsewhere.
WTSjr
Prior to the conference
I made my annual (perhaps frequent is the optimum word) pilgrimage to Sullivan's Island, specifically Fort Moultrie (Yes, the fort where South Carolina earned its sobriquet, the Palmetto State, during the American Revolution.).
Stationed in Charleston 20-something-years-ago, I was a regular on Sullivan's Island and made many trips to Fort Moultrie: Ran on the beach, swam, brought girls, and enjoyed the quietude away from my wild, adrenaline-jacked Marine buddies.
Since then, I've often returned: Even spent one night two-years-ago in a gorgeous beachfront mansion built in 1869 less than one-tenth of a mile from the fort's huge stone-and-brick walls.
Strolling the beach with the fort behind me, I would always - as I did yesterday - have Charleston’s vast and storied harbor in front of me, and Fort Sumter positioned in the center of the harbor... a magnificent vista to say the least.
In fact, had I been in command of a single battery - 144 years ago - I easily could have assisted General Pierre G.T. Beauregard from my position. Had it been 80 or 90 years prior to the firing on Fort Sumter, I easily could have assisted Colonel (later Major General) William Moultrie who would’ve been behind his works, then known as Fort Sullivan, commanding the batteries exchanging shots with the 250-plus guns of the King’s flotilla.
Aside from its history, there's something uniquely familiar and comforting about the fort's surroundings: Swaying palmetto trees, tall grasses, a few gorgeous old homes, and always a zillion seabirds of varying types flitting about the rooftops and trees.
Several hundred yards behind the fort is the grave of General Moultrie. There, yesterday, we paused momentarily, contemplated his role in saving South Carolina - ultimately the new nation - and prayed for his soul.
Later at the conference
Met with Holly Fisher - the incredible coordinator of everything and a grad student at USC (in fact, one of my sterling students) - and the moderator of my panel, Lisa Hood Skinner.
Thanks ladies, for doing a marvelous job!
Also met Larry Peterson - author of City Editor and an editor with THE SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS, who wrote a marvelous review of my own book, American Airborne Forces - his Morning News cohort, Mike Fabey, and a charming U.S. Army Public Affairs Officer (PAO), Major Josslyn Aberle.
Speaking of charming PAOs
I must tell you about my friend, U.S. Marine Sergeant Mary E. "Beth" Zimmerman, a correspondent/broadcaster based in New York.
Beth has again posted one of my pieces. This time my latest at MilitaryWeek.com on the Vatican's Swiss Guard.
See it here on the official website for Marine Corps Public Affairs, New York City.
Also, let me draw your attention to a few of Beth's pieces here, here, and here. She is indeed a talented writer, reporter, and photographer (I'm including a pic of her with camera).
Anyway, look for many, many more great stories and photos by Sgt. Beth Zimmerman, here on my site, at nymarines.org, and elsewhere.
WTSjr
# posted by W. Thomas Smith, Jr. @ 7:24 AM 
