John A. Walsh

Early on, when I was writing the songs for “The Fields of Gettysburg,” the thematic backdrop of “the field” anchored itself into my thought process.  Like a canvas on which to paint the picture, the field is terra firma for the entire piece. 

As the title of the project suggests, there are multiple fields at play here.  Indeed, the Gettysburg epic was the intersection of a complex matrix of fields, both literal and figurative.

Dictionary.com provides the following definitions of “Field:”

- An expanse of…

The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, began as an important fortress during the American Revolution. George Washington, who kept headquarters there, considered West Point to be the most important strategic position in America. Washington and several of his contemporaries, after the Revolutionary War, conceived of a military institution to produce the leadership and military skill sets needed of officers during wartime. In 1802, Thomas Jefferson signed the legislation making the United…

I did not come to fully appreciate the gravity of the sacrifices made by our American ancestors – especially during wartime – until my time serving in the U.S. Air Force (1987-1996).  For me, becoming a part of the U.S. Military and, then, standing in the long shadow of that particular swath of American history was a game-changer. 

Upon joining the officer trainee ranks, my classmates and I were first instilled with discipline and a sense of duty; from there we were made to understand the mission – to…