ANDERSONVILLE — Andersonville National Historic Site has announced that it longtime volunteer, James Culpepper, was awarded the Hartzog Enduring Service Award for his unwavering dedication to Andersonville National Historic Site for the past decade and a half.
Culpepper has dedicated 15 years of his life in service to Andersonville National Historic Site. For almost seven days a week, every week of the year he tends the front desk at the National Prisoner of War Museum and delivers extensive prison tours to visitors. He has weathered dozens of employees, hundreds of volunteers and thousands of visitors over his years of service. “Mr. Jimmy,” as he is known to the staff, has close to 40,000 hours of volunteer service.
Culpepper leads guided interpretive walks of the prison site, and also leads all manner of special groups, such as military tours, step-on bus tours and general. Part of what drew him to Andersonville was his passion and interest in American history. He is a voracious reader and is always reading the newest books and expanding his knowledge so he can handle any question thrown at him. Because Andersonville’s story expands beyond the Civil War prison located here to encompass the entire American prisoner of war experience, his constant quest for new knowledge and understanding of all parts of American history has a direct benefit on his ability to interpret the stories we tell here at Andersonville.
“To say that Culpepper has contributed to the success of the Interpretation and Education program at Andersonville National Historic Site would be a vast understatement,” said Charles Sellars, site superintendent. “I have never witnessed anyone — volunteer or employee — who has demonstrated his sustained level of dedication. Truly going well beyond the call of duty, Mr. Culpepper rarely takes a day off, faithfully serving the park visitors seven days per week for the past 15 years.”