Bruce Venter
We must take time to remember our good friend and business partner, Dave Hinze who left us suddenly one year ago on August 18, 2010.
But this one year anniversary is not the only day that I think of Dave. On our kitchen countertop, we have a 3×4 framed picture of Dave and me doing the Swamp Fox tour in South Carolina in 2009. The tour was Dave’s brainchild (he was crazy about Francis Marion) and so far it’s been the most successful tour of either Stars & Stripes Events or America’s History. The picture shows me lecturing to our tour group about the British Navy’s 1776 attack on Charleston’s Fort Moultrie where Marion was stationed as an officer long before his famous career as a partisan. I’m pointing with my left arm extended out to the harbor where the Royal Navy was firing round shot at the fort. Dave, with his head down looking at a map, is mimicking me by also pointing with his left arm extended out to the Charleston harbor. It was so characteristic of Dave, making sure everyone understood what was going on.
The best part of our partnership was co-leading tours like the Swamp Fox with Dave. The Revolutionary War tours were the most fun because we had an agreement that Dave would talk about the Patriot side and I would discuss the Redcoat perspective. We didn’t always agree on the interpretation of a particular battle, event or a commander, but that’s what made our presentations a real crowd pleaser. Dave was always well informed and quick with an answer to any question.
Dave was a much beloved teacher, husband, son, uncle, brother, tour leader, farmer, friend, and dog lover. It is extraordinary the number of lives (both human and canine) he influenced. His legacy reflects myriad positive results in classrooms, on history tours, at the blueberry farm, around Rolla and in life in general.
As you read this blog entry, if a particular story comes to mind about Dave, please feel free to share it with us. We know people loved Dave’s history tours and we hope you’ll share your fond memories and experiences with Dave the historian.
Dave—we will never forget you.
Dave Hinze
Coach Hinze was one of my high school teachers. It was his Curtent Events class that I was on my to when I heard about the first plane hitting the tower on 9/11 my senior year, & it was with him that my friends and I sat in Current Events class watching the SecoND plane, live.
Coach Hinze always pushed me – to believe in myself, to not take any nonsense from any e, to think for myself, and to empower others to learn from the lessons that history has left for us.
A truly amazing man.
Great to hear from Mary. Hope she is doing well and will join in on some future tours. I know we all miss her as well as Dave, (not to mention the brownies).
And I still say Shiloh is best done in April, as nature intended it.
Beautifully said Bruce. Thank you.
The kind words, cards and thoughts expressed about David from our friends have helped me through this year more than anyone can know and I thank all of you.
David and I had the most wonderful vacation when we visited Charleston several months ahead of the Swamp Fox Tour and I am so glad we had this experience. It was the week of David’s birthday and we even stayed in the Francis Marion Hotel. The Swamp Fox Tour was exceptionally exciting with all of the folks who attended and the memory of the dinner we had with Bruce and Lynne the last night in Charleston will always bring a smile to me. Memories of the fun, together times are what keep me going so I say to all of you “Get Out There and Have Fun” and add some of the America’s History tours to your agenda.
Love to all of you!
Mary Hinze
I first met Dave in 1997 at a Round Table Symposium in St. Louis. Dave was giving a talk about the “Artillery Hell At Antietam”.
Dave was telling a story about a soldier in the battle doing heroic acts at an artillery battery, when Dave give the name of that Union Soldier, it happened to be my wifes Great-Grandfather, Horace Ripley …… what a shock and an honor.
My most memorable tour with Dave was at Wilson Creek Battlefield..on Bloody Hill. As we were leaving Bloody Hill a Spring Storm moved in very quickly – Rain – Thunder – Lightening – and even Small Hail started to fall. Most of the group headed to the tour bus…doubletime…but a handfull of us stopped with Dave at the Sink Hole, where dead Union Soldiers were thrown into after the battle. Dave commenced telling that story – – during all that weather – – and he never missed a beat !
Like he always said, the tour goes rain or shine.
We will all miss those wonderful stories that Dave shared with us.