Thursday is the 100th birthday of the National Park Service. WITF's Smart Talk marks the occasion with a Smart Talk Road Trip and a live broadcast from the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor's Center Thursday, at 9 a.m.

On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill that mandated the agency "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."

The Gettysburg Battlefield is one of the country's most popular national parks. New books continue to be written and we learn more about the battle -- a full 153 years after it was fought July 1-3, 1863.

Meanwhile, the Eisenhower National Historic Site on the edge of the battlefield is a monument to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who also served as the Allied Supreme Commander during World War II.

There are Centennial activities throughout the day in Gettysburg Thursday, including a first-come, first-serve behind the scenes tour of the Gettysburg museums collections storage area.

Thursday's Smart Talk features a discussion of the Centennial and the Gettysburg historic sites with Ed Clark, superintendent of the Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site, and retired U.S. Army Colonel Dr. Jeffrey McCausland, who teaches at Dickinson College and through his company Diamond6 conducts leadership workshops and uses the Battle of Gettysburg as a case study. Rick Lemmers tells us about the Eisenhower National Historic Site, often called the Eisenhower Farm.