Historic Gettysburg Adams County (HGAC) welcomes back author Ron Kirkwood at the G.A.R. building on Thursday, June 18 as part of its free Educational Speakers Series.

Kirkwood has given several presentations for HGAC regarding his historical work at the Spangler Farm, as documented in his books “Too Much for Human Endurance” and “Tell Mother Not to Worry.” In continuing that Spangler saga, on Thursday he will speak on “The Women Who Came to the Rescue at the Spangler Farm.”

The program begins at 7 p.m. at the historic G.A.R. building on 53 E. Middle Street in Gettysburg. The talk is free and open to the public, and doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

Kirkwood has been a Gettysburg Foundation guide at the George Spangler Farm Civil War Field Hospital Site since it opened in 2013. He has argued in his books that the Spangler farm was the most important farm in the Battle of Gettysburg, not only as a Union field hospital, but also as a strategic artillery supply center.

Kirkwood is retired after a 40-year career as an editor and writer in newspapers and magazines including USA TODAY, where he edited national magazines for USA TODAY Sports and was National Football League editor for USA TODAY Sports Weekly. He also worked for newspapers in Baltimore, Harrisburg, York and Wilkes-Barre.