One of the reason I love my job so much is the people I get to meet, from our dedicated employees to our incredible volunteers. This month we highlight an incredible volunteer from Leesylvania State Park, Mr. Jesse Baldwin.

Mr. Jesse Baldwin on his Goldwing Motorcycle

I had not met this particular volunteer before from Leesylvania State Park, but I can say he left quite an impression on me and the gentleman that is interning with me this fall.

When I first met him he arrived riding on his bright yellow, 2005 Honda Goldwing. His first bike, however, was an 1943 Army Surplus Indian that he got in 1947, and he has owned motorcycles ever since. He and his wife Dorothy have been as far as Nebraska together on the motorcycle. His daughter asked him if he was going to convert his motorcycle into a trike, he said "maybe when I get old."

Mr. Baldwin splits and stacks his own firewood

Jesse Baldwin is 87 years young, walks like he’s 30 and remembers most everything. A World War II and Korean War Veteran, a retired engineer, husband of 61 years, father of 4, grandfather of 14, great- grandfather to 5 and a volunteer at Leesylvania State Park.

Mr. Baldwin’s specialty at Leesylvania State Park is growing tobacco. Yes that is right tobacco, and a few tomatoes plants along with a new crop of pumpkins he is trying to cultivate. Since tobacco was such an important crop to the Early American Colonists Jesse thought it a good idea to show visitors exactly how it looks. He also notes that tobacco is in the Prince William County seal.

Mr. Baldwin shows intern Frederick Howell the Burley tobacco plant

So he plants a very nice crop next the Leesylvania State Park Visitor Center, and has harvested and dried it every year for the past 16 years. I was surprised just how many people have never seen a Burley leaf tobacco plant growing. He is originally from N.C. and learned to grow tobacco from his father. In fact one of his duties with the tobacco crop was pulling insect pests, by hand, off the leaves. Guy Ellis of Lansing, N.C. donates the seeds every year and his “sweet wife” Dorothy as Mr. Baldwin calls her, helps him to dry the leaves.

Mr. Baldwin has served his country in two wars, here he is wearing a hat he loves

Mr. Baldwin was in the US Army and US Army Reserves. He served in World War II, signed up for the Reserves, got out of the Army then one year later the Korean War broke out and he was called back in to serve. 

He said remember vividly his last day at Incheon, Korea “a 40 foot tide came in and I was supposed to leave but couldn't, then at 1:00 a.m. “Bed Check Charlie” flew in and started firing on us. I got out of my cot and took cover in the rice paddies. The plane flew so low and fired so close to me I was splattered with mud! The mosquitoes really worked on me that night but I didn't even notice it until the next day, he laughs!” Then he went to Sasebo, Japan where they fed him like a king “best meal I had in years!” From there they shipped him home in a President Class Troop Ship where he got to celebrate the 4^th of July twice by crossing the International Date Line.

A gentleman thanking Mr. Baldwin for his service at the WWII Memorial

So Staff Sgt Jesse Baldwin, two time war veteran, got out of the Army and went to school on a GI Bill at the Capital Radio Engineering Institute (CREI), now Capital College He actually went to CREI for about one year after WWII and before he was called back up to serve in Korea. He graduated with a degree in Engineering and went to work for Melpar, an American government contractor. He said he worked with some people that had gone to MIT and thought they were “pretty smart.” They took him under their wing and he learned everything he could from them. I asked him what he did at Melpar and he stated that most of it was classified but I will tell you this: “When Sheppard took his flight in that rocket, I tested the radar that tracked him, when John Glenn orbited the earth; I tested the communications equipment that was in his ship. When Armstrong landed on the moon, I tested part of the guidance system that took him there!”

Mr. Baldwin worked for Melpar for 38 years then retired. I asked what brought him to Leesylvania State Park to volunteer and he said the park was close by and his wife told him to find something to do or “you would drive me crazy!” He laughed and said he and his wife had been sleeping together for over 87 years! It turns out that their mothers were best friends so even as infants they had shared a crib. He has also walked most of all the trails in the park and while doing so he carries a bag to pick up trash. 

Mr Baldwin proudly wearing his WWII and Korean War Veteran hat, by the Burley tobacco and old stone mill wheel.

Mr. Baldwin and a friend Lewis Wilkins found a substantial sized mill stone wheel in the Neabsco Creek (almost 14 mile long tributary of the lower tidal segment Potomac River in Prince William County Virginia. Mr. Baldwin said “It was a bugger to put in back of pick-up truck from down in the woods."

There is so much more to Mr. Baldwin that I could write volumes, but most of the enjoyment is getting to talk with him yourself. He is so very interesting and knowledgeable. Please make sure to see his tobacco crop before it is soon harvested, as it could be any day now! Hopefully you will get a chance to meet Jesse and Dorothy in person and hear more of his life experience.

When I asked him about the green band on his wrist he said it was for his great-grand daughter Bailey that is fighting for her life because of Spinal Muscular Atrophy SMA, and for her sister Madison that they had lost to SMA.

Leesylvania State Park is located near Woodbridge Virginia. Click here for more information or call the park office at 703-730-8205. Learn more about volunteering at Virginia State Parks here.

Virginia State Parks' is blessed to count people like Mr. Jesse Baldwin amongst their ranks as volunteers. Thank you for your service to us and our country!