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LifeEvac Virginia to Help Commemorate Chimborazo 150th RICHMOND, Va. - On Saturday, October 29, Richmond National Battlefield Park will welcome LifeEvac Virginia as the park commemorates the opening of Chimborazo Hospital in the first year of the Civil War 150 years ago. The LifeEvac helicopter will be one part of the programs offered by the park, in addition to living history programs and National Park Service Ranger-led walking tours on the site of what would become the Confederacy's largest hospital during the war. Programs will look at the delivery of medical care on and off the battlefield and the way that military medicine impacts civilian medicine, both during the Civil War and in our world today. Displays will include a Civil War-era hospital tent and ambulance, a modern National Guard ambulance and medical tent, and a LifeEvac Virginia helicopter, as well as the Virginia Sesquicentennial Commission's HistoryMobile. "As we know from our own times, as horrific as battlefield injuries are, the lessons learned from the care of our wounded military men and women are often carried into civilian medicine," says park superintendent David Ruth. "This was true during the Civil War as well. So we look forward to exploring that with our visitors this weekend. And we are grateful that the LifeEvac Virginia team will be with us for a little while on Saturday morning to help interpret this unique medical innovation that began on the battlefield." Programs also include tours of the site of Chimborazo Hospital, exploring Civil War medicine in camp and on the battlefield, military medicine then and now, military medicine today, and the expanding role of women in medicine during the Civil War, including the efforts of Civil War-era personalities Phoebe Pember and Sally Tompkins. Kids will be able to complete scavenger hunt activity sheets and receive a certificate and reward. On Sunday, October 30 at 2:00pm, Park Ranger Mike Gorman will lead a special 1 ½ hour walking tour exploring some of Richmond's wartime hospitals and the transformation of Richmond into a major hospital center. The walking tour will begin at 20th and Cary streets. Street side parking is located nearby. In addition, the story of Virginia during the Civil War will be told by the Sesquicentennial HistoryMobile, an interactive "museum on wheels" housed in a 53-foot expandable tractor-trailer. Provided by the Virginia Sesquicentennial Commission, the HistoryMobile will visit museums, parks, fairs, schools, and other sites throughout the Commonwealth and beyond as the Sesquicentennial unfolds. Schedule of Events 10:00 Changing roles of women in medicine during the Civil War - interpretive talk 11:00 Life Evac Virginia helicopter - military techniques adopted for civilian use 12:00 Military medicine in camp, on the battlefield, and now - interpretive talk and demonstration 1:00 Ranger-led interpretive walking tour of the Chimborazo Hospital site 2:00 Military medicine in camp, on the battlefield, and now - interpretive talk and demonstration 3:00 Ranger-led interpretive walking tour of the Chimborazo Hospital site 4:00 Changing roles of women in medicine during the Civil War - interpretive talk 5:00 Camps close About Richmond National Battlefield Park. Richmond National Battlefield Park protects 13 Civil War sites in Hanover, Henrico, and Chesterfield counties. Experiencing the park's battlefield sites and visitor centers usually takes a full day. The main park visitor center is located at Historic Tredegar (470 Tredegar Street in Richmond) and provides museum exhibits, audio-visual programs, and orientation services to help plan a visit to the battlefields. Additional visitor centers are open at Chimborazo and at the Cold Harbor battlefield. For additional information, please contact Richmond National Battlefield Park at 804-226-1981. Park information and updates about programs and events are also available on the park's website at www.nps.gov/rich and on Facebook (Richmond National Battlefield Park). |
Last updated: February 26, 2015