Colt revolver and photograph once owned by Dan Fisher, Co. I, 15th PA Cavalry. Gavin is one of the few modern relic hunters who can say that they knew a Civil War veteran.
Then again, not many relic hunters today can wave the actual souvenir flag that they took home after attending the 1938 Gettysburg reunion. Bill can and did.
while a member of that unit. After graduation Gavin was stationed at Ft. Eustis, Bill also recalled watching the old veterans marching in Virginia, not far from Williamsburg, Hampton Roads, and the Memorial Day parades, and he may be the only person other historic places along the James River. He soon learned th living today who actually attended both the 75 anniversary about a commercially available metal detector made by of the Antietam battle in 1937 and the 75th Gettysburg reGoldak, Incorporated. As the name implies, the detector was union in 1938. The seeds of his collection sprouted during popular as a device to be used in the search for gold. But up this time with the purchase of a sword and belt from O. until that time no one had apparently thought of using the J. Riley, a well-known Antietam dealer in battlefield relics. detector to look for Civil War relics. Gavin bought one and Purchases from Bannerman’s and others soon added to a soon made plans to visit a Civil War battlefield. growing and impressive collection. On Saturday, November 25, In 1943, Bill received an 1946, Bill convinced his former appointment to the United States West Point classmate and later Military Academy at West Point Brigadier General Henry H. Bolz, and, along with 874 others, began Jr., to join him on an excursion training in a three year program to private property near the Cold designed to bolster the ranks of Harbor battlefield. Gen. Bolz has officers serving during WWII. a vivid recollection of that day. He During that first year, Cadet Gavin remembers that the battlefield was took a course on mine warfare overgrown, but that “you could training and learned how to use easily make out the monumental the Signal Corps Radio 625 Metal Bill Gavin flanked by Bert Hebb earthworks eight to ten feet tall.” He Detector, which he recalls as “very remembers that he and Bill “spent (L) and Jim Glymph (R). Gavin good on ferrous metals.” This the greater part of the day going up, is holding a 10-lb Parrott shell experience would serve him very down, and around” and that Bill “let found near his house. well three years later. me listen to the detector from time May-June 2010 American Digger Magazine www.americandigger.com
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