The car lurches into gear and starts its trek on the long and winding road through the Vicksburg National Military Park. The radio is off, but the air is quiet only long enough for David Harris to take a breath.

The white-haired 64-year-old riding shotgun spits out a steady stream of facts, figures, trivia and stories about nearly every monument the red Toyota Camry passes, about the park itself, about the men who fought and died steps away a century and a half ago.
As a licensed tour guide for the park, it’s Harris’ job to know these things, but it’s also in his blood — his great grandfather fought for the Confederacy in the 15th Georgia Infantry Regiment — and his passion.
“I was a Civil War re-enactor for 17 years. I’ve been interested in the Civil War since I was a kid,” Harris said. “I’ve re-enacted most of the major Civil War battles at one time or another. Wherever we lived, I’ve given talks. I have a collection of Civil War weapons, small arms and swords. My dad was a big-time Southerner, and he took me to a lot of the Tennessee battlefields when I was a kid.”

Harris is so passionate about the Civil War, in fact, that he moved to Vicksburg specifically to become a battlefield guide. His various re-enactments included repeat trips to Gettysburg which, along with Vicksburg, is one of only two Civil War battlefields that have licensed tour guides.
Harris, a retired U.S. Navy captain, got to know the guides at Gettysburg during his visits and felt a calling.
“The more I talked to them, I said I’d sure like to do that,” Harris said. “But Vicksburg and Gettysburg are the only ones with licensed guides, and with kids living in Texas and Oklahoma there wasn’t much doubt which one I was going to.”
Harris moved to Vicksburg from Ardmore, Oklahoma in June 2012 and began down the long path toward fulfilling his dream. The licensing process includes numerous classes, a five-hour written exam — Harris says, proudly, that he took 12 because his answers were so thorough — and a final exam of giving a tour to an interpretive park ranger.
In November 2012, five months after he started the process, Harris received his license. He’s now one of about two dozen licensed guides who give car and bus tours throughout the year. The Military Park books as many as 200 such tours a month in the busiest seasons.
“I love it. I get to talk to people from all over the U.S. and all over the world,” Harris said. “I love getting to tell people about American history. There’s a lot of people that don’t have a clue what went on here.”
That includes the owners of the Camry, Vicky and David Herron of Boerne, Texas. They were passing through on their way to Georgia, booked a three-hour tour, and wound up with Harris as their guide. They were glad they did.
As they and Harris made pit stops at Battery De Golyer, the Illinois Monument and points beyond, Harris’ knowledge and passion made the battlefield come alive for them.
“We really lucked up getting him,” Vicky Herron said. “He’s very personable. We’ve had guides at other places that are marking time. He’s not just marking time. He is passionate about imparting knowledge. When you can tell me that it’s 311 of 722 of something, I can appreciate what it took to learn that.”