BATTLEFIELD TALES SOUVENIRS MAKE WAR COME ALIVE.

Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Some of the best teachers only visit the classrooms.

Harold Hicks might be called somewhat of a fanatic about war. He's collected hundreds of pieces of memorabilia, from firearms to photographs, to uniforms and equipment that exemplify fighting forces from the American Revolution through World War II.

And he takes his show on the road just for the asking.

Retired from the Gas Co. after ``38 years and five name changes,'' Hicks has been taking his road show to area schools for the past 25 years. Fascinated by the military since he can remember, he has amassed a collection that would make a museum curator's day - and put a smile on a child's face.

``I enjoy it, and I think the children should know about the war,'' he explained. ``After my presentation, I bring up as many children as I can have (and) outfit them with a full uniform so they can feel how a hot woolen uniform feels and hold a heavy gun. It makes things real for them.''

The shack where he stores his treasures is surrounded by some blooming cactuses and a few sun-bleached animal skulls that give fair warning that this is no ordinary backyard shed. A weathered kitchen chair and three-legged tractor seat stool beckon visitors to come sit a spell and hear tales about the brave men who fought on land and sea.

It all began in 1969 when he and his late wife, Stella, were browsing through items at a Lancaster swap meet. He takes a photograph in a rough wooden frame off the wall of his backyard shack, showing a faded print of a young man in uniform.

``This is the first thing I ever bought. Turn it over and read what's on the back,'' he instructs.

Benjamin F. Black, son of Joseph Black and his wife Mary Strawbridge Black, born Sept. 30, 1845, was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. Aged 17 years, 7 months.

Moved by the poignancy of the photo, Hicks started gathering more and more items, buying some from collectors, checking out classified ads and visiting antique stores. He hasn't joined the world of online bidding, preferring to deal more in the exchange of information and relics on a face-to-face basis.

Hicks was a re-enactor with the Fort Tejon Historical Society for 10 years, before the event grew to its present popularity.

``When I joined, there were nine guys. Three guys would play Confederate soldiers and the rest were Union,'' he said.

Displaying an uncanny amount of knowledge about the development of fighting implements, Hicks picks up items and patiently explains how each played a part in the growing sophistication of war. He shows off a Henry 16-shot rifle used by Union soldiers that astounded the Confederates. ``They used to say they loaded the gun on Monday and could shoot through Sunday,'' he said, putting the rifle into a stack organized somewhat chronologically. Reaching toward the back of the pile, he pulled out a slightly rusted rifle, its wooden stock decaying away from the metal.

``This was from the cache that Pancho Villa had hidden away,'' he said.

He held up a Confederate ``buck and ball'' rifle that took one load of powder and three buckshot that was used by soldiers making a charge. As he explains how the gun fires, he emphasizes that not every soldier in the Civil War had a gun, and that those in the second lines often got their arms from the fallen soldiers in front of them.

It is easy to see why he is a popular presenter at the schools. His soft- spoken lessons make the war real indeed.

Such a fascination would be normal for someone who was career military, but Hicks' time in the service was restricted to two years during the Korean conflict - during which he stayed stateside as a special-diet cook at the base hospital in Texas.

Vacations for Hicks often include famous battle sites; in 2000 he took the D-Day Tour of Europe and visited Normandy Beach and the Omaha Cemetery, Churchill's War Room, the Pegasus Bridge and Sword and Juno beaches. Antiquing and finding new items to add to his collection are common pursuits, and Hicks has no problem striking up a conversation with strangers.

``We usually find that we have something in common,'' he said, flipping through a book of photographs from the European tour.

Among the framed memorabilia on his ``war room'' walls is a plaque from the Santa Clarita Marine Recruiting Command, of which he was made an honorary member. After attending a Marine friend's funeral, Hicks met one of the local recruiters, who started asking him about his collection. It resulted in Hicks inviting the recruiter and 25 new Marines to his home to explore the past.

The Marines surprised him in October with a formal presentation of the membership. With the recruits standing at attention, Hicks was given the plaque that now dominates his display.

It's quite the honor, but Hicks appreciates more the kids' enthusiasm to learn about the past. It's something he's hoping to keep going for generations to come.

Carol Rock, [phone]

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Harold Hicks wears a vintage World War I uniform, above. Left, Hicks displays a replica of the gun carried by Wyatt Earp when he was a deputy U.S. marshal in Tombstone, Ariz. Hicks, who has been collecting memorabilia since 1969, will outfit soldiers for the July 4 parade.

(3) Harold Hicks shows postage stamps used by the North and the South during the Civil War.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer