Gerard E. Mayers has been a life-long Civil War buff who credits director Ken Burns with re-igniting his interest. The New Jersey native graduated from St. John's University with degrees in both English and History. He has been active with the Bucks County Civil War Roundtable as program chairman for the organization, as well as serving on the Board of Directors of its Civil War Museum and Library in Doylestown, PA. An active reenactor, Mayers belongs to Company C, 44th Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry; as a living historian, he is active in the Civil War Heritage Foundation. Mayers's maternal great-grandfather and great-granduncle were both Irish-Americans who served in New Jersey units during various periods of the Civil War.