Portal:American Civil War/Selected biography/20

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Edwin Cole Bearss (born June 26, 1923), a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of World War II, is a military historian and author notable for his work on the American Civil War and World War II eras and is an extremely popular tour guide of historic battlefields. Born in Billings, Montana, Bearss enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, and afterwards attended Georgetown University on the G.I. Bill, eventually gaining his masters in history from Indiana University.

Bearss served the National Park Service for over 40 years, the last fourteen as the service's chief historian. Published widely and even after retirement maintaining an active career as a battlefield guide, Bearss is perhaps most recognized for his interview segments in Ken Burns' acclaimed public television documentary mini-series "The Civil War."