The William Taylor Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution held its September meeting at the Victoria Public Library to hear Alexander “Al” Barnes, command historian for the Virginia National Guard, present a program entitled “Virginia Army National Guard and Minutemen from World War I to Present.”

He used period photographs as well as artifacts that he had collected to enhance his PowerPoint presentation of the history of the organization.

Barnes enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1974 and joined the Army National Guard in 1977, retiring as a Virginia Army National Guard warrant officer in 2004 after 30 years of service. He retired from USACASCOM at Fort Lee in July 2015 after 30 years of service as an Army civilian.

Holder of a master’s degree in anthropology, Barnes has authored a number of books on military topics. They include “In a Strange Land; The American Occupation of Germany 1918-1923,” “Let’s Go! The History of 29th Infantry Division,” and most recently “To Hell with the Kaiser, America Prepares for War 1916-1918,” a two-volume set which describes America’s entry into World War I.

His next work, “Desert Uniforms, Patches, and Insignias of the U.S. Armed Forces,” is currently with the publisher and will be released in December.

The National Society DAR promotes patriotism and support of the armed forces of the United States. The William Taylor Chapter is made up of members primarily from the counties of Brunswick, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg and Nottoway.

Those interested in joining the chapter, can find helpful information about the organization at www.dar.org.