Two employees of a local state park have garnered national honors for the work they do in preserving the history of the region and helping others.
On Saturday, Sycamore Shoals State Park Manager Jennifer Bauer and Historic Interpreter Chad Bogart were presented with the State Guard Association of the United States’ Civilian Exceptional Service Award.
Tennessee State Guard Capt. Alan Bagley presented special certificates to Bauer and Bogart on behalf of the national organization during the Old Christmas event at the park on Saturday.
Bauer and Bogart were nominated for the award by the TSG for their assistance in the State Guard’s annual training event in 2015 — Operation Heritage.
The purpose of the event was two-fold, Bagley said. First, the State Guard used the grounds at Sycamore Shoals State Park for their emergency response disaster drills. Secondly, it gave members of the TSG a chance to reflect on the organization’s heritage.
“This is the only award that civilians can get through the State Guard, so it’s a big deal,” Bagley said before handing the awards over to Bauer and Bogart.
In front of a crowd of volunteer historic interpreters and park visitors attending the annual Old Christmas celebration at the park on Saturday, both Bauer and Bogart humbly accepted their awards, thanking Bagley and the State Guard.
The Tennessee State Guard is the oldest formed militia still in existence in the United States, Bagley said, adding the group traces its roots back to the mustering of the Overmountain Men at Fort Sycamore Shoals in 1780.
“Basically that weekend we used the park for our training and to enjoy the nostalgia,” Bagley said.
As part of the weekend, members of the State Guard participated in the recreation of the historic crossing of the Watauga River by the Overmountain Men. For many of the Guard members, it was their first time attending or taking part in the annual event.
“From a personal standpoint, it was almost a spiritual experience for me,” Bagley said. “I thought back to 235 years ago and what would have happened if I was here.”
Both Bauer and Bogart played a key part in helping the State Guard complete their annual training and also helping to keep the group’s heritage alive through their work at the Park, Bagley said.
“If it weren’t for these two helping us, our event would never have happened,” Bagley said.
The certificates awarded to Bauer and Bogart proclaim that both were “an invaluable resource in assisting the Tennessee State Guard in planning and executing their annual training mission at the park’s campus.”
The annual crossing of the river in 2015 marked the 235th anniversary of the original muster of the Overmountain Men and their crossing.
The annual commemoration of the march to Kings Mountain celebrates the formation of the Overmountain Men — a 1,000-man volunteer frontier militia that formed the basis of today’s Tennessee State Guard.
While hoping for a few hundred militiamen, Colonial commanders John Sevier and Isaac Shelby were delighted and surprised with the large turnout of colonial volunteers. So many men turned out to go to battle that a lottery was held to determine which men would remain behind to protect the homesteads.
These militiamen hailed from Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and their 330-mile march ended with their victory over British forces under the command of Col. Patrick Ferguson.
The success of the Overmountain Men forced British General Cornwallis to postpone his invasion of North Carolina, and many historians believe it was a turning point in the American Revolution.
The annual crossing is led by the Overmountain Men Victory Trail Association, and “old” and “new” Tennessee volunteers shared this tradition by crossing the Watauga River together. After crossing the river, Brigadier General Kenneth Takasaki, Commanding General of the TNSG, presented in review both the 2015 Tennessee State Guard and today’s Overmountain Men to Major General Terry M. “Max” Haston, and Tennessee State Commissioner of Tourist Development Kevin Triplett.