author of El Regimiento de la Luisiana (ISBN-13: 978-0-9815856-1-1) See the Showcase Page for details of this nonfiction Al Osorio was a 12-year member of the Brigade of the American Revolution (1975-1986). He became the only commander of a unit, in the B.A.R., with knowledge of the American’s von Steuben, Spain's Carlos III, King George’s, and Louis XVI’s military drills. He recreated el Regimiento de la Luisiana. during the American Bicentennial years.
A graduate of New York University, his major in chemistry made possible studies of indigo dyes. His career in education began after a M.A. from NYU, supported by one from Hofstra University, and then a doctoral program at City University of New York. He was an AFT-UFT representative for more than two decades, writing numerous articles on teacher empowerment.
He lived many years on Long Island where he and his family took an active role in local living history programs; perhaps over a hundred. He has two married daughters.
He was the first commander of el Regimiento de la Luisiana (1979) during the American Bicentennial years; made Brigade Sergeant (1980); and then inspector of Spanish units (1981-1983). During his tenure as a unit organizer, he recruited over twenty members. Together with them, he participated in dozens of reenactments that included instruction exercises for cadets at the US Military Academy on the life and times of the common soldier of the Revolutionary War period.
He worked successfully for the issuance of the US Post Office Galvez Stamp (New Orleans, 1980). From 1980 to 1982, he was a representative of the Kingdom of Spain’s cultural program that supported Spain’s role in the American Revolution. The New York Consulate awarded him with a plaque for his work in Hispanic culture. He was a participant/consultant in PBS television; a Hollywood film: Sweet Liberty (1980); and made a number of television panel discussions.
During the American Bicentennial era, he and his group attended no fewer than 27 demonstrations from Canada to Florida; including the 200th of the Battle of L. I., Siege of Savannah, Monmouth, Bennington, Trenton, Stony Point, and Yorktown. He commanded the American line commemorative celebration of the Tallmadge Long Island raid (1981). In 1984, he was the reenactment-commander of Spanish forces who accepted the surrender of the British colors at San Augustine, Florida. Among the many period-type medallions he received were the prestigious Sons of the American Revolution medal. He occasionally wore the uniform until 1992 for instructional purposes.
He has traveled in Mexico, Caribbean, South America, Spain, as well as Italy, in research efforts on military role of the Bourbon Family in the Americas.
In 1997, he moved to Arizona, where he assisted with local Hispanic projects, including living history programs of the Anza period (1770s). He authored numerous articles and then turned to fiction, writing historical novels of a South American family who were active in military and aviation prior to World War II.
Soon to be published:
The Journalist of the Magdalena
A story of the War of the Thousand Days
