Musters – Events
The First Defenders meet at 6:30 PM on the second Tuesday of each month from April through December. Meetings include dinner and a speaker who may be a guest or a member. Meetings are held at Giannotti’s Country Restaurant on Pricetown Road in Alsace Manor.
A book raffle is held each month with all proceeds donated to battlefield preservation, and members who attend virtually will have the opportunity to participate even if they cannot attend a program.
Guests and new members are welcome. Space is limited in the restaurant, so please contact a board member or the First Defenders by email (see the Regimental Staff page).
MEMBERS ONLY! Sign up to attend the upcoming event!
David Farragut & Chester Nimitz
presented by Dr. Craig Symonds
David Farragut and Chester Nimitz served their country in the United States Navy 
nearly a century apart. The former would become the very first U.S. admiral while the latter would be one of only five who would achieve five-star rank. Farragut would win the Civil War on the water from the deck of a ship while Nimitz would direct his armada from shore to defeat Japan in World War II. Different men who approached their duties from different perspectives, both facing leadership challenges that had commonalities and disparities. Possibly no historian is better versed or positioned to provide an in-depth analysis of these two naval legends than Craig Symonds.
Dr. Craig Symonds is a professor emeritus of history at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. Upon his retirement from the academ
y, he accepted a professorship at the Naval War College from where he has also retired. A prolific author, Dr. Symonds has specialized in both the Civil War and World War II, and has hosted The Great Courses+ video series on both the War in the Pacific and the United States Navy.
Brandywine: the Battle that Lost Philadelphia but Saved America
presented by Michael Harris
The Philadelphia Campaign of 1777 was a major British offensive during the American Revolutionary War aimed at capturing Philadelp
hia, the government seat of the rebellious colonies. Along the meandering Brandywine Creek, a mere 25 miles from the colonial capital, British General Sir William Howe sought to deliver a coup de main against the ragtag Americans. The bitter fighting on Birmingham Hill would eventually drive Washington's army from the field, but its heroic defensive stand saved it from destruction and proved that the nascent Continental foot soldiers could stand toe-to-toe with their foe. Despite capturing and occupying Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Campaign highlighted the resilience of the Continental Army, the limitations of British military strategy and set the stage for a more global conflict with France joining the war in 1778.
Michael C. Harris is a military historian with degrees from the University of Mary 
Washington and American Military University. He’s known for his accessible yet deeply researched works on Revolutionary War battles, and is the author of , a richly illustrated and detailed account of the British military campaign to capture Philadelphia during the American Revolutionary War.
