Mark Day, Senior Vice Commander of the Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park in support of the park’s education programs.
His support made it possible for the park to buy replica civil war “gum” blankets to use when sitting on hillside lecture and demonstration sites during visits to the state park, where the last major battle of the civil war in Virginia was fought.
Mark Day Vice Commander of the Chesapeake Department of the
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
His generosity helps to preserve the landscape for the park by enabling portable and mobile “seating” for young visitors who, as a result leave, no lasting environmental footprint of their visit, because permanent seating construction is no longer required for school visits.
Mr. Day is currently chair of the history department at Liberty High School in Bedford, VA, where he has taught for the last 17 years. There he has earned numerous awards and recognitions for his outstanding teaching, including multiple awards of Who’s Who in American Education.
The 20-year U.S. Navy combat veteran, who retired after 20-years of honorable service in 1995, has been highly active in educational, cultural, and historical circles in Virginia, as well.
The park's staff and living historians offer educational programs, whether historical, nature or environmental, to park visitors throughout the year.
He has chaired the Lynchburg Civil War Roundtable, consulted on movie and film treatments of the American Civil War, guest spoke at Thomas Jefferson’s tomb at Monticello, and has been active in both public and community college education performance evaluation, applying his expertise as a “U.S. veteran crossover teacher” of distinction.
He has also been or continues to be a living historian in at least three different American Civil War reenactment units, embracing both sides of the conflict.
Virginia State Parks and especially Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park are deeply grateful for Mr. Day’s support and the support of others who donate their money and time to park education programs.
Donations similar to Mr. Day's and others help preserve the landscape of the park.
Other contributions to this unusual Blue-Gray effort in support of park education included the generous support of Lee Scouten, of the Friend of Sailor’s Creek and distinguished member of several American Civil War Societies, who prompted this particular campaign to support education programs at Sailor’s Creek.
The purpose of Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park is to preserve the cultural landscape as it was in 1865, and to provide historic setting to tell the story of the last major battle of the Civil War in Virginia, before the surrender of Robert E. Lee’s Army at Appomattox Courthouse, and its impact on the citizens of Southside Virginia. Both the state park and the Overton-Hillsman Farm House Museum are on the National Historic Landmark.
For more information on the park and their education programs, email.
The park is located at 6541 Saylers Creek Road, Rice, Va. From U.S. 460, take Route 617 (Saylers Creek Rd.) to Sailor’s Creek Battlefield State Park. From U.S. 360, take State Route 307 (connecting highway between U.S. 360 and U.S. 460) to Route 617 North (Saylers Creek Rd.).
Drive Time :Northern Virginia, three to three and a half hours; Richmond, one to one and a half hours; Tidewater/Norfolk/Virginia Beach, two and a half to three hours; Roanoke, two hours.