Dave Renli started his reenacting career by mere chance. As a firefighter and adjunct faculty instructor to the FEMA / National Fire Academy, he found himself in Emmetsburg MD during the filming of the Killer Angels movie. Long story short Dave is sitting on a boulder eating a breakfast burrito and drinking coffee with some guy who had a fancy Civil War uniform & a conversation begins. Next thing he knows he is sitting just off of Jeff Daniel's right shoulder when the speech to the 2nd Maine was filmed. Over those next few days, he ended up running up Little Roundtop as a Confederate soldier and then at the top of the hill as a Federal shooting down at himself. Oh, the magic of the film industry! Returning home to Sioux Falls SD he started searching for a local Civil War Reenactment group and found the 13th U.S. regulars and in a short time ended up becoming a member. Over the years serving in the ranks as Private, Corporal, 2nd Sgt and Lieut. He had the honor of serving as Captain and commanding the company at BGA Gettysburg 150 and over the years has filled in as a provisional Commander (Lt. Col.) of the detachment of the 1st Missouri Battalion CSA at the big Pipestone Mn. Event every other year.
Dave is married and has been for the past 43 years. He is retired firefighter with almost 30 years of service. Nowadays he works part-time selling lawnmowers and chainsaws at a local business in the Sioux falls area.
