Commander-in-Chief Eugene G. Mortorff was born in 1954 near Gettysburg, PA. He joined the SUVCW in 1997 with the Department of the Chesapeake and was elected Commander-in-Chief at the 134th Annual National Encampment at Richmond, Virginia on August 22, 2015.

He has been a member of four Camps in two SUVCW Departments (Chesapeake and Pennsylvania). He co-organized one of the Camps and remains active with the three others. Garfield Camp #1 of Baltimore, Maryland is his primary SUVCW Camp, which he commanded. He was also Commander, Secretary-Treasurer (3 Years), Councilman, Patriotic Instructor, Webmaster and Newsletter Editor for the Department of the Chesapeake which includes the States of Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia. Commander-in-Chief Mortorff is also a member of the Sons of Veterans Reserve, the military branch of the Sons of Union Veterans. He has been an active member of the Gettysburg Blues for ten years. He was also a member of two other units, and served as Commander of the 2nd Military District (Comprised of New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia) for two years.

Commander-in-Chief Mortorff honors nine ancestors who served under as Union Volunteers:
William Mortorff, Co. A, 130th PA Inf. and Bat. E 2nd PA Heavy Art. (Wounded at Antietam).
George W. S. Mortorff, Co. A, 130th PA Inf. and Bat. E 2nd PA Heavy Art.
Emanuel Mortorff, Co. A, 130th PA Inf. and Bat. E 2nd PA Heavy Art.
William E. Mortorff, Co. C, 13th PA Cav, Irish Dragoons (Wounded, Captured, Died in POW Camp).
Samuel Mortorff, Co D, 7th IN Cav.
Benjamin F. Slusser, Co D, 181st PA Inf. and Co A, 209th PA Inf.
George W. Slusser (JR), Co D, 181st PA Inf. and Co A, 209th PA Inf.
George W. Slusser (SR), Co D, 181st PA Inf. and Co A, 209th PA Inf.
Reuben Little, Co F, 91st PA Inf.

Commander-in-Chief Mortorff has attended ten (10) National Encampments and over twenty (20) National Council of Administration meetings. He also was elected and served as National Secretary for three years and was appointed to the position of National Chief of Staff. He is a graduate of the SUVCW’s Memorial University.

Commander-in-Chief is a Graduate, Columbia College (MO), University of San Francisco (CA), and Goucher College (MD) and has degrees in Psychology, Business and Education. He also attended the
University of Maryland where he earned his Maryland State Teacher Certifications and Monmouth University (NJ) for postgraduate study in Business Management.

A Military Veteran, he retired from the United States Coast. His 20 years of service included three years in Japan, five years on Coast Guard Cutters, Instructor duties and numerous detached duties such as the Valdez Oil Spill. He served as Military Training Officer at the Coast Guard’s only Recruit Training Center, and at Coast Guard Headquarters, was a Training Manager for the Coast Guard’s operations programs. He earned the Coast Guard Achievement Medal, the Coast Guard Humanitarian Service Medal, Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Expert Pistol and Rifle Medals and 19 other Military Medals and Ribbons.

His second career was as a Secondary Public School Teacher in Carroll and Anne Arundel Counties in the state of Maryland. He taught in four school and after retiring in 2012, he continues to work in the schools when called for long and short term periods.

The Boy Scouts of America is another volunteer organization where Commander-in-Chief Mortorff has volunteered many years of service. He has provided leadership and guidance at the Troop, District and National level. He has served many years as Scoutmaster, and District Training Manager.

Commander-in-Chief Mortorff met in college, and have happily married for 40 years to, Linda Austin-Mortorff of Ocean City, New Jersey. She served for six (6) years in the Coast Guard Active Reserves. They live in East Berlin, PA and have two sons, Christopher Lee of Wisconsin and George Robert of Pennsylvania.

Commander-in-Chief Mortorff also belongs to the following organizations:
Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania (Member, Board of Directors)
Sons of Veterans Reserve (SVR), Major, Retired Commander of 2nd Mil. District
Good Samaritan Masonic Lodge, Gettysburg, PA
Coast Guard Chef Petty Officer Association
Boy Scouts of America, New Birth of Freedom Council

When Commander-in-Chief Mortorff is not doing SUVCW Duties, or working in the Schools, you can find him driving a live steam engine or diesel trolley at City Island Railroad in Harrisburg, PA.