Meet Doug Mac Adams of Varina, N.C.

“One of the things I love about being a Color Bearer is the continuous response I get, "thank you for your service" even though I am not wearing any symbol of the 20-year service in the Army. .”

Color Bearer Doug Mac Adams

American Battlefield Trust: How were you first introduced to the Trust, and what motivated you to donate?

Doug: Ever since grade school, I've always been fascinated by military history. Growing up in California, I didn't have the ability to walk the battlefields. When I moved to Washington DC in 1993, I was finally able to visit Civil War battlefields. I got involved with the Trust around 2001 when I received an invitation to join. I had a cousin on my father's side of the family who came to this country from Scotland. He fought for the Union at Antietam where he was wounded. Since then, I have been contributing to the acquisition of land for over 20 years. It was only a few years ago that I became a Color Bearer. 

What part of our work resonates most with you?

Visiting battlefields where I can walk the land where the battle occurred. For example, I never had an appreciation of Vicksburg until my wife and I visited in 2022. 

What's your favorite part of being a Color Bearer?

One of the things I love about being a Color Bearer is the continuous response I get, "thank you for your service" even though I am not wearing any symbol of the 20-year service in the Army. 

Which battlefield sites that you've visited have left the most profound impact on you?

Vicksburg. I visited it in 2022. The terrain that the Union was fighting on was extremely difficult to maneuver and lends credence to Grant's decision to lay siege to the city. Gettysburg is another battlefield where you can see how the Union managed to use Cemetery Ridge & Culp's Hill to their defensive advantage. Finally, visiting Burnside Bridge at Antietam. Stand on the Union side of the bridge and look up to where 600 Confederates held off a Union Corps. I was teaching military history at Ft. Huachuca and used this picture during my lecture on Antietam. 

If you could meet any historical figure, who would you choose and why?

Colonel John Buford. His actions at Gettysburg on Day 1 were crucial to the eventual success of the Union. If another cavalry leader had been at Gettysburg instead of Buford, I do not believe the Union would have won. The Union cavalry was evolving and would have greater success in 1864, but it in 1863 it was just starting to take those lessons and put them into practice. 

What would you like to pass on to future generations?

If you study how events of key leaders/decision makers created the thinking of historical figures, then you have much better insights into why things happened in history.  

Is there anything else you'd like to share?