Courtesy of Salem Museum
On Saturday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Salem Museum will present Military Living History Day. Admission is free.
Living historians will be on hand to share what soldiers and civilians experienced during the major military conflicts in American history, from the Revolutionary War through Operation Desert Storm. These historic interpreters will be in uniform or civilian attire and will display unique artifacts and touchable objects, including weapons and other military equipment.
Military Living History Day is sponsored by SERVPRO of Roanoke, Montgomery & Pulaski Counties.
Special talks are planned throughout the day:
“Surgeon, Soldier, Patriot: The Life of William Fleming” at 10 a.m.
Born and educated as a doctor in Scotland, William Fleming immigrated to Virginia and became a noted physician and statesman. He fought alongside George Washington and Andrew Lewis, served as a surgeon throughout the Commonwealth, and became the third Governor of Virginia. Learn about his storied life and surviving legacy. Talk is presented by Garrett Channell, the Salem Museum’s director of education and archives, and a Revolutionary War living historian.
“That Awful Spring: The Battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House, May 5 – May 21, 1864” at 12 p.m.
Union General Ulysses S. Grant’s Overland Campaign set the tone for the fighting that would take place in Virginia during the end of the American Civil War. Grant’s Overland Campaign would result in nearly 90,000 casualties in only 52 days of fighting. That Awful Spring overviews the first two engagements in this important chapter of Civil War history and examines the impact they had on the soldiers who suffered through them. Talk is presented by Alex Burke, the Salem Museum’s assistant director and Civil War scholar.
“Crisis in Europe: How the World Got to World War II” at 2 p.m.
Between the aftermath of World War I and the global effects of the Great Depression, Europe was facing harsh conditions by the end of the 1930s. Join historian John Long as he explores the causes of World War II, and how these conditions in Europe built up to the start of the War in 1939. John Long is the director of education at the National D-Day Memorial.
On July 4, 2026, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In preparation for this significant anniversary, the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission (VA250) is encouraging programming to commemorate the Revolution. Military Living History Day is a VA250 event.
-The Salem Times-Register
