Alexander F. Barnes served in the Marine Corps and Army National Guard. He retired in 2015 after thirty years of service. He is currently the Virginia National Guard Command historian. Al is the author and coauthor of several books, including Let's Go!: The History of the 29th Infantry Division 1917–2001; To Hell with the Kaiser, Vol. I: America Prepares for War, 1916–1918 (2 volumes); Forgotten Soldiers of World War I: America's Immigrant Doughboys (with Peter L. Belmonte); and Play Ball!: Doughboys and Baseball during the Great War (with Peter L. Belmonte).
Today’s lecture at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture was drawn from his most recent book Play Ball. He shared vintage photographs enlarged and enhanced so you could see the smallest detail of games, players, umpires and troops. His delivery was informal and humorous, and we were all sorry when the hour drew to a close. I learned a lot about the game of baseball and its place in our culture and history.
