GETTYSBURG, PA.

G ov. Paul LePage paid a visit

Wednesday to Little Round Top, where 150 years ago Mainers and Alabamans fought for the high ground and a place in history.

LePage, historian Thomas Desjardin, National Guard Gen. Frank Grass, and officers and members of the National Guard and Air National Guard gathered Wednesday at Little Round Top, where Union soldiers won a pivotal battle in the War Between the States on July 2, 1863.

LePage traveled to the spot to remember and honor those who passed before, and also to look forward and celebrate the nation that survived.

He spoke of the heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the legacy of service Chamberlain and other Mainers who fought at Gettysburg provided Maine.

“We look at him (Chamberlain) and we see a warrior, statesman, and scholar. One of Maine’s finest,” LePage said. “He will forever be known as the hero of Little Round Top, but many Mainers fought here.”

LePage lauded the members of the Maine and Alabama National and Air National Guard who made the trip to Gettysburg and who currently serve.

“In Maine, we are dedicated to a strong National Guard and Air National Guard,” LePage said. “I thank God that we can come here today as a unified country. We are now as one.”

Desjardin — a Lewiston native and Bowdoin College professor — spoke of Chamberlain’s bravery and read this quote from Chamberlain, a 1852 Bowdoin graduate who went on to become the school’s president, a Civil War hero and a Republican governor:

“In great deeds, something abides. On great fields, something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear; but spirits linger, to consecrate ground for the vision-place of souls. Generations that know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them, shall come to this deathless field, to ponder and dream; and lo!, the shadow of a mighty presence shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the vision pass into their souls.”

In 1893, 30 years after the battle that made the 20th Maine Regiment famous, Chamberlain was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Gettysburg. The citation commends him for his “daring heroism and great tenacity in holding his position on the Little Round Top against repeated assaults, and carrying the advance position on the Great Round Top.”

After LePage’s remarks, a letter was read from Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley by Col. Charles Keith.

In his letter, Bentley noted the courage of the Alabama soldiers who fought and died at Little Round Top.

“It is good that the soldiers of Alabama and Maine can meet again at this site and meet as friends,” wrote Bentley.

Adjutant General Brig. Gen. James D. Campbell reminded the assembled guardsman of the 20th Maine. He noted that they were a group of soldiers brought together, not from the same town or region, but rather, they were a mixture of people from all walks of life and when they needed to they came together and worked as one.

“They were no different than we are today,” Campbell said.

Maj. Gen. Perry Smith echoed that comment, adding that the Alabamans who fought at Gettysburg 150 years ago were militia. “Citizen soldiers,” he said. “And these Alabama units that are here today can trace their lineage back to the militia that fought here 150 years ago.”

“You are the citizen soldiers who keep this nation united and free and that is pretty impressive,” he said. “It’s the citizen soldier, you people right here, who steps up to the plate and do what’s right for this nation.”

Grass, chief of the National Guard Bureau and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke of the heroism of those that fought at Gettysburg 150 years ago and the heroism that the members of the National Guard still embody today.

“These men sprang into action after marching for a day,” said Grass adding that members of the National Guard are still stepping forward as heroes. “I met with the troops that, after marching the entire Boston marathon route, had just crossed the finish line when they heard the explosions. They were the ones who sprang into action and knocked down that fence so the wounded could be treated. They jumped into the action without hesitation.”

The event came to a close with “Taps” played by Maine National Guardsman Vilia Burbank.

Prior to Wednesday’s ceremony, LePage joined the Maine National Guard and the Alabama National Guard on a joint tour of the battlefield. These tours are also known as “staff rides” are a traditional military training event, helping soldiers understand the tactics and leadership skills employed by soldiers during the Civil War and incorporating those skills into present day military operations.