Coaching for Pizza: Huntington Beach Civil War Days

Sunday, September 4, 2022

The heat wave in Southern California continued but we had an event to attend.

The Annual Huntington Beach

Civil War Days Celebration

It is held yearly during the Labor Day weekend and the Company E of the 49th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteers were in the house!

Since our son Michael is a private in the 49th Regiment and our grandson Jacob is the Regimental Mascot and designated Do Everything Lad for Company E, we were off at 8:00 a.m. for the days two battles.

Because of Jacob's Camarillo Stingers game yesterday, we all missed the first day of the event.

Michael getting Jacob

dressed in the parking lot

Fully dressed in their period

authentic WOOL uniforms

Wearing wool in this weather

is not the ideal situation

We arrived at Huntington Beach's Central Park about 90 minutes before the day's first battle at 11:00 a.m.

Many of the re-enactors who spent the night camping out in the park were still stirring in their attempt to face two more battles today.

A morning cup of coffee helps

The ladies were up early

getting ready to properly get their

men folk off to war

A Sewing Circle

Colored Troops fighting

for the Union

Sentries near the 49th Ohio's campsite

An 1860's style gun rack

The Cavalry was getting ready too

Resting? Wounded? Dead?

I could not tell and I was not about to investigate any closer.

The Zouaves fought for the Union

These soldiers wore AWESOME red uniforms that offered EXCELLENT targets for the Confederate soldiers.

Love those Zouaves red pants!

The calm before the battle

These ladies were still discussing

what to make for breakfast

16th New York Regiment Recruiter

This cannon may be small

but it is still LETHAL!

As I wandered about the Union and Confederate camps plus the many specialty tents selling and/or informing the spectators about any and everything to do with America's fateful Civil War that lasted from 1861 to 1865, I ran into an old friend.

With Ed Canales who was an outstanding

WR/DB on the first team that I ever coached

Ed played on our 1970 Thousand Oaks H.S. Junior Varsity club and we would be reunited in 1972 when I was chosen to become an assistant on the TOHS Varsity Coaching Staff.

As you may recall, that 1972 team won the Marmonte League Championship and many of us gathered two weeks ago for a 50th Anniversary Reunion of the team to celebrate our shared success.

It was probably the first time that I had seen Ed in 50 years.

Now here, just two weeks later, we bumped into each other again.

As it turns out, his son Jesse, is also part of the 49th Ohio Regiment with Michael and Jacob.

Small world indeed!

The Union cannons were

at the ready . . .

. . . so was this somewhat

questionable establishment

French Ladies?

What could that possibly mean?

What did this guy do to deserve

this on a fine Sunday morning?

The Confederates were known

for being great horsemen

The Confederates saying prayers

before the fighting started

I was a bit surprised that there

was not a protest because of the

Confederate Stars and Bars

flag being on display

The fighting was imminent

Skirmish lines were formed

FIRE!

The 49th Ohio led the Union

march onto the battle field

Normally at these re-enactments the soldiers must wear their heavy woolen coats into battle.

The officers informed their troops that, due to the heat, the coats were optional during both of today's planned battles.

GREAT LEADERSHIP!

The 49th was greatly exposed

the rebel firepower

Fortunately for both sides, not many soldier on either side were being hit by these full scale volleys.

The 49th Ohio with Jacob and his young

buddy Max behind the fighting men

The Union cannons were getting

ready to add to the battle scene

GREAT MUSTACHE!

This cannon volley was

THUNDEROUS!

The weather was hot

and the fighting was HOTTER!

The cigar smoking scribe sent to

the fight as a War Correspondent

for Harper's Weekly

Harper's Weekly was a political journal that was a main source of Civil War news during those dark days.

The South turning the tide

of the battle

Here a Union soldier is dragging a wounded comrade back to the safety of the Northern lines.

These Rebels fired a volley . . .

. . . that killed all of these Union soldiers

It was interesting to see that the whole squad died in the shade of this tree.

The Union is definitely on the run!

The South won this battle

Time to tend to the wounded,

gather the dead and regroup

for the 2:00 p.m. battle

It was sad to watch both Jacob and Max go down during the skirmish. I think that they were mortally wounded.

What happened to the white stars?

Jacob and Max were found

ALIVE AND WELL!

They had both been hit by Southern gunfire but, thanks to the miracle of 1860s medicine and surgical techniques, they were back and spoiling for another go at the Confederates.

During the lunch hour, I checked in with Laurie who had stayed at home a tad under the weather. She was feeling better but the weather in Camarillo was quite unusual.

I'LL SAY IT IS!

We've lived in Camarillo since 1976 and during that time temperatures in the 90s have been rare.

Maybe there really is something to this whole global warming mumbo-jumbo.

Michael heading back to the

49th Ohio's campsite

He suffered nary a scratch in the morning's fighting.

Once back at camp, I met . . .

. . . the 49th Ohio's Jesse Canales

The son of 1972 Thousand Oaks H.S. teammate Ed Canales who we saw earlier in the day.

I repeat, small world indeed!

The fight started right on time

with skirmish lines signaling

the commencement of combat

The Union was more aggressive

this afternoon still stinging from

the morning's defeat

The rebels fought hard but the

Union's resolve was overwhelming!

There was solid grub

awaiting the victors

I was happy to see Max and Jacob,

in the brown hat, as war survivors

Michael, safe again, is directly in front of Jacob.

Michael, white blouse and gray pants,

marching back to camp

Jacob bringing ups the rear of

the parade to campsite comfort

Two battles finished, both alive

and kicking, ready to head out

We had been invited to the home of Ryan and Karli Bucker in nearby Irvine for a dip in their backyard pool and a BBQ. We were ALL IN!

Everybody named Brucker that we know was there including our dear and longtime friends Loren and Sandy who we've known for over 56 years. They are Ryan's parents.

What a great way to end a long, hot day!

On to some of the weekend's American football odds and ends . . .

Good Advice

Updates from Week #2

of the Gold Coast Youth Football League's Freshman level American Division

WEEK #2 RESULTS

Camarillo Stingers 28 - Oxnard Knights 0

LA City Ducks 2 - 805 Warhawks 0

Santa Barbara Saints 32 - Fillmore Raiders 16

GCYFL FRESHMAN DIVISION

AMERICAN CONFERENCE STANDINGS

Camarillo Stingers 2-0

LA City Ducks 2-0

Santa Barbara Saints 2-0

805 Warhawks 0-2

Fillmore Raiders 0-2

Oxnard Knights 0-2

WEEK #3 GAMES

Saturday, September 10, 2022

LA City Ducks (2-0) at Camarillo Stingers (2-0)

Oxnard Knights (0-2) at Fillmore Raiders (0-2)

BYES

Santa Barbara Saints (2-0)

805 Warhawks (0-2)

BEAT THE DUCKS!

The excitement of Saturday's Stingers win threw me a bit off my American football game reporting. Let's look back at a few other games on Saturday.

An interesting regular season

ending game in Barcelona

It was an important game for the 10-1 Hamburg Sea Devils as a win insured them of the ELF Playoffs' #1 seed.

For the Barcelona Dragons (8-3) the game had little playoff implications. Win or lose, the Dragons would be the #3 playoff seed meaning a road trip in opening playoff game against the #2 seed.

If the Sea Devils were to beat the Dragons, then the Dragons would travel to Austria next week to play the Vienna Vikings (10-1).

In Seattle, our Washington Huskies

were hosting the Kent State Golden Flashes

DAMN!

With the loss to the now 11-1 Hamberg Sea Devils the Dragons dropped to 8-4.

The four Barcelona losses came by a combined total of 19 points.

The Huskies fared

MUCH better!

Up next for Washington (1-0) is a non-conference home game next Saturday against the Portland State Vikings (0-1).

ELF's Final Regular Season

Game Results

It looks like the Vienna Vikings (10-2) who played on Sunday, the day after the Hamburg Sea Devils clinched the #1 seed, may have rested some of their key players to preserve their health before next week's playoff match-up with the Barcelona Dragons (8-4).

The Vikings won their previous two meetings with the Dragons this season, 27-20 in Vienna and 24-18 in Barcelona.