Fields of Battle

For three days in July of 1863, the farms around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, dramatically shifted from fertile lands of growth to areas of great destruction. These fields became makeshift staging grounds, battle sites, hospitals and even cemeteries.

More than 50,000 soldiers died, were wounded or went missing during the battle, many of them farmers themselves.

In Fields of Battle, a Pivot Bio Original Series, eight farmer-veterans from all branches of the military and hailing from different parts of the country experience the life-lessons forged from the battle of Gettysburg firsthand.

Dean Davis

Dean Davis farms 2,000 acres with his daughter and son around Des Moines, Iowa. He took part in Operation Northern Watch in Iraq. He also served as a T-38 instructor pilot.
Shanon Jamison

Shanon Jamison farms with her dad and brother around Des Moines, Iowa. She is an active member of the South Dakota Air National Guard, and she served in South Korea, Poland, and Afghanistan.
Andy Mower

As a counter-terrorism evasive driver during the Cold War, Andy Mower served in Holland, Belgium, and France. His great-great-grandfather was a sharp shooter during the Battle of Gettysburg. He provides seed treatment services in New York.
Scott Phillips

Scott Phillips owns Phillips Family Farms and Mulberry Creek Farms in Drexel, Missouri. He served in the Air Force Reserves, where he flew the A-10 “Warthog.”
Chad Schooley

Chad Schooley owns Cabin Still Cattle Company in Castlewood, South Dakota. He served in Korea, the Persian Gulf, and the Gulf War.
Robert Schwanz

Robert Schwanz farms at Eagle Hills Ranch in Gothenburg, Nebraska. After attending sniper school, he was deployed to Iraq 2004-2005 and 2009-2010.
Wayne Wilcox

Wayne Wilcox’s Moberly, Missouri farm has been in the family since 1884. He served in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot. At age 58 and 60, Wayne was deployed to Iraq. He has been in the National Guard for more than 20 years.
James Yenter

A first-generation farmer in Marengo, Iowa, James raises cattle and grows non-GMO soybeans and waxy corn. He was a member of the National Guard for 10 years and conducted a tour in Afghanistan.