Meet Dave Finney: The voice of Jackson's Civil War Muster
From 1995 Cascades Civil War Muster Program

When the cavalry begins sneaking out of the woods at the western end of the Cascades Civil War battlefield, you may miss it, but Dave Finney won't.

And when the troops are massing in the trees southwest of the hill behind the Cascades, you may miss the initial action, but Dave Finney won't.

Dave Finney is the voice you hear explaining the battle action, slipping in some interesting data about the Civil War or the battle taking place, pointing out action that's going to take place or that is taking place, or relating little anecdotes about certain battle participants or Civil War government officials from both sides.

History is Dave Finney's hobby and profession.

Recently he was the resident expert on a Public Broadcasting System special about the Civil War, and specifically about the Jackson Civil War Muster.

Finney is chairman and an instructor in the History Department of Farmington Hills High School.

He is also a supervisor/historian for the National Park Service at the Fredericksburg and Petersburg National Battlefields in Virginia. He is instructor of American Civil War History at Oakland Community College.

Finney was also chairman of the Military Affairs Committee of the Michigan Sesquicentennial and official Michigan representative to the 125th anniversary celebration of the Gettysburg Address by President Abraham Lincoln.

In addition, he is adjunct professor of history at the University of Detroit, a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and a member of the Save The Flags Task Force for the state of Michigan.

So when that faceless voice over the public address system starts pointing out action on the field, explaining tactics, relating Civil War trivia or giving backgrounds on participants, remember you're getting a free history lesson because this American and Civil War expert is volunteering his time to make this engagement clearer to you.

To show appreciation for the many years he has announced the Civil War Muster, it wouldn't hurt to wander by the announcer's area at the top of the hill and just say, "Thanks, Dave."