Saturday, May 31, 2014

I-95 Memorial Confederate Battle Flag #2 Raised in Fredericksburg



The Virginia Flaggers are pleased to announce the raising of the 2nd I-95 Memorial Battle Flag in the Commonwealth. A 20’ x 30’ Army of Tennessee version of the Confederate Battle Flag was raised this morning on an 82’ pole in Stafford County, just north of Fredericksburg, in a small, private ceremony that included a Confederate Color Guard, Rifle Salute, Invocations, and historical presentations

The flag will fly in honor of all Confederate soldiers, and specifically to remember the nearly 246,000 Confederate soldiers who fought in separate battles in the vicinity of Fredericksburg (1862), Chancellorsville (1863), Spotsylvania (1864) and the Wilderness (1864).

The preservation of liberty and freedom guaranteed by our forefathers and embodied in the US Constitution of 1788, motivated these men to leave their loved ones and take up arms, and driven by duty and honor, they answered the call to defend their State from invasion. Their noble attributes are the underpinning of our republican society and represent the foundation on which this nation was built. These citizen-soldiers of all races, creeds, and faiths, who fought for the Confederacy, personified the best qualities of America.

As the sons and daughters of these gallant men, The Virginia Flaggers, along with the numerous benefactors and supporters of this flag, believe that it is our "...duty to see that the true history of the South is presented to future generations." (Lieutenant General Stephen D. Lee, CSA)

Since the first flag was erected in Chester in September, 2013, we have been contacted by landowners all across Virginia and in neighboring states, eager to offer their property for lease, and currently have several other projects in various stages of development. Anyone with information about land that may be available for lease for a memorial flag site, or who would like to contribute to the ongoing funding of these projects, please contact us at info@vaflaggers.com, or by mail: Va Flaggers, P.O. Box 547, Sandston VA 23150. Donations also accepted through PayPal: http://www.vaflaggers.com/i95flagdonate.html

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

I-95 Memorial Battle Flag Projects Update

The I-95 Memorial Battle Flag Site #2 is nearly complete, and when installed, a beautiful pole will stand 82' high, and display a 20x30 Battle Flag.

All of our projects are funded solely by donations from supporters, so we are constantly looking for ways to be good stewards of those funds, working on shoestring budgets to raise as many flags as possible for as little expense as necessary. We have been fortunate enough to be able to obtain several "reclaimed" poles, which will be used on pending projects, but the story behind this next one will be hard to top...

Originally 90 ft. in height, this pole was purchased for use by the U.S. Military, and once stood on an Army base in Virginia... none other than... Ft. (Robert E.) LEE!!!



This is a photo of the pole, which was taken down during demolition of Mifflin Hall in 2010, on the grounds of Ft. Lee. We were able to purchase it last year, reclaimed, at a fraction of the cost of a new pole of its size and quality. We were thrilled with the value of the purchase, but the fact that it once flew on the grounds of Ft. Lee and will now serve as a memorial to the men who served under General Lee, is icing on the (already very sweet) cake. :)

We need your help to continue to bring these projects in on limited funds. You can assist us by:   1) Keeping an eye out for used/reclaimed poles to purchase (25' - 100') and/or land on an interstate for us to lease/purchase for future Memorial Battle Flag sites. 2) We also currently need help with tree work and electrical projects. If you can help or recommend someone who might be interested, please contact us.

************************************************************************

I-95 Memorial Battle Flag Site #1 (Chester) Work day rescheduled! SATURDAY JUNE 14, 2014 - 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Join us as we spend the morning clearing and hauling away debris, trimming trees and vegetation, and cleaning up the flag site. We are asking for all able bodies to join us, and bring any equipment that may be helpful: Yard tools and tree trimming equipment, garbage bags, and vehicles to haul away debris.

We will work from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. with lunch provided.

Come be a part of celebrating FLAG DAY by helping to make much needed site improvements at the site, so that it is a better representation of the men in whose honor it is displayed.

Photo: I-95 Memorial Battle Flag Site #1, Chester, VA, May 24, 2014
Contributions* to the I-95 Memorial Battle Flag projects may be mailed to:

Va Flaggers
P.O. Box 547
Sandston VA 23150

Payable to Va Flaggers

or through PayPal:
http://www.vaflaggers.com/i95flagdonate.html

Many, many thanks to each of you whose generous support has made these projects possible!

LEST WE FORGET!

Susan Hathaway

Virginia Flaggers
P.O. Box 547
Sandston VA 23150
info@vaflaggers.com

*Although we are NOT a registered 501c3 entity, we are absolutely a "not for profit" organization, and every penny donated goes directly toward expenses for our Interstate Battle Flag and Heritage Defense projects. There are no salaries or benefits paid to any member(s) of our organization, most of whom work full-time jobs, and give freely of their time, talents, and resources to further the Cause for which we stand.

Monday, May 26, 2014

Memorial Day Greetings

The Virginia Flaggers would like to take this opportunity to recognize and honor all soldiers who, like our Confederate ancestors, died fighting for the cause of freedom and to protect and preserve the U.S. Constitution.  We salute all of those that have served our Country and wish each and every one of you a safe and 
Happy Memorial Day. 
 LEST WE FORGET!


Monday, May 19, 2014

Blame Abraham Lincoln for the Confederate Battle Flag


Photo:  I-95 Memorial Battle Flag, Chester, VA 5-18-2014, Courtesy of Frannie Kellison
There has been some controversy generated about the Confederate Battle Flag that will be hoisted over Interstate 95 near Richmond. The arguments against it are the predictable ones, such as that it is "divisive," it makes Richmond look like a "hick town" full of "ignorant people," that we ought to be "looking ahead" instead of "looking back" at something we have "moved on" from, and that it will hurt "tourism" if we tell the Truth about our grandparents"™ fathers instead of selling them down the river to gawking tourists as scapegoats for all the social ills of this nation. The unspoken assumption is that The War was fought over slavery, and the implications of this assumption is that if anyone disagrees with this point of view, they are either a racist or an ignorant redneck stuck in the past. I thought we were supposed to have "moved on" from such stereotypes.

General Robert E. Lee was the leader, the heart, and the soul of the army that carried that banner, and anyone attempting to characterize him with such a stereotype only belittles himself. It takes men of worth to recognize worth in men. I will not get sucked into the thicket of protesting too much. I will only say that if the North were fighting to free the slaves and the South were fighting to keep them, I find it most ironic that the Commander-in-Chief of the Confederate Armies freed the slaves that came to him by inheritance, while the Commander-in-Chief of the United States"™ Armies kept his throughout the War.

George Orwell, in his dystopian novel 1984, wrote that "Ignorance is strength." Big Brother thrives on it. It is easy to teach ignorance "“ and "The Civil War" - with cue cards:

Card #1: The War was fought over slavery.
Card #2: Lincoln freed the slaves.
Card #3: End of Story - Any Questions?

Well, yes. May we bring up the cue cards for Algebraic Equations and apply them to a comparison between the American War for Independence in 1776 the "Civil War" in 1861?

Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Fifth Ed. (Springfield, Mass: G & C. Merriam Co., 1943), defines a mercantile system as an economic system designed "to secure a favorable balance of trade, to develop agriculture and manufactures, to create a merchant marine, and establish foreign trading monopolies." Industrializing England had such a system in relation to her agricultural colonies at the time of the War for Independence in 1776. After the war, according to Thomas Prentiss Kettell in his Southern Wealth and Northern Profits, (New York: George W. and John A. Wood, 1860) p. 19, industrializing New England inherited the same relationship to the rest of the newly independent agricultural States that England had enjoyed.

A mercantile nation cannot exist in a vacuum. A nation that employs it must have a source of raw materials to sustain it. The system is thus divided into two parts: the "core" industrial nation, and the agrarian "periphery" that supplies the core with raw materials and a market for the core's manufactured products.

An Argentine Economist named Raul Prebisch developed what is known as the Dependency Theory as a rebuttal to the earlier Modernity Theory that had been posed to explain the stalled development of the "Third World" (see Harry E. Vanden and Gary Prevost, The Politics of Latin America: The Power Game [Oxford: Oxford UP, 2002] pgs. 153-4, 156-60.) Prebisch argues that the concentration of exports in primary commodities has a structural tendency to deteriorate the terms of trade, because the price of the commodities rises more slowly than the cost of the manufactured commodities imported. Thus, over time, the power of the purse and the sword gravitate from the "periphery" towards the "core," and threatens to turn the periphery into an economic colony, much like Massachusetts' Boston-based United Fruit Company turned the Central American States into "Banana Republics" in later times.

This is what happened between England and the American colonies in 1776, and this is what happened between the North and the South in 1861. In both cases the balance of trade became exploitative against the periphery. In both cases it drove the periphery to secession. In both cases it drove the core to launch a war of conquest against the periphery to drive it back under its control. This is what both wars were about.

So, what about slavery? Simple. In both cases, the core (England in1776 and the North in 1861) employed free labor, while the periphery (the Thirteen Colonies in 1776 and the Southern States in 1861) employed a slave-labor system. Put England's War to Prevent Colonial Independence on one side of the Algebraic Equation, and put the North's War to Prevent Southern Independence on the other. Then factor out slavery as a mathematical constant on both sides of the equation. One will see that it makes for a very Politically Incorrect cue card.

H.V. "Bo" Traywick, Jr.


Virginia Flaggers
P.O. Box 547
Sandston VA 23150
info@vaflaggers.com

Va Flaggers: VMFA Update 5-18-2014

Saturday, May 3rd was a beautiful, and BUSY day on the Boulevard in Richmond.  Traffic was heavy and an Anti-Confederate protestor, who is usually alone, showed up with a few friends, standing with him and holding signs.  It seems that they stood just a little too closely to our Flaggers, however.  It only took a few minutes for one of our seasoned and most respected Flaggers to strike up a conversation, which gradually drew them all in.  As they listened, and learned the truth about the Va Flaggers and why we are out there, they began to fold their signs and one by one slung them under their arms.  Eventually, all but three dropped their signs and quickly left, once they realized that they had been brought their under false pretenses. :)




With over a dozen Flaggers, we were able to stretch the line to cover the sidewalk around the block and had good conversations out front on the Boulevard, as well, and several of our Flaggers were interviewed by VCU Film students, as well as a U of R History professor.




All in all, a fantastic day, with many opportunities to educate and inform residents, tourists, and Museum visitors about the valor and honor of our Confederate ancestors.


Tuesday, May 6th brought another gorgeous day, and Flaggers reported heavy auto traffic, with many honks, waves, and shouts of support from passers-by.

It was also a good day for conversations, with several opportunities to educate folks about the forced removal of Confederate Battle Flags from the Confederate Memorial Chapel by the VMFA.




On Saturday morning, May 10th, the Va Flaggers held a ceremony for Confederate Memorial day at Oakwood Cemetery.  Several of those who attended from out of town joined us on the Boulevard after the service was concluded.  After a little "clearing up shower", we enjoyed a good couple of hours, with several new Flaggers forwarding the colors and standing for our Confederate ancestors for the first time!

We debuted some new signs, and had a few good chats with VMFA security...



Thursday, May 15th was a little cloudy, but the rain held off long enough for about a dozen flaggers to make a very effective appearance and continue our vigil.
Saturday, May 17th saw the Anti-Confederate protestor return, alone despite his public calls for others to join him and once again blared rap music, with very offensive lyrics, laced with profanity and racial slurs.  Our Flaggers held the line, and came prepared to block out the garbage that permeates from the protestor's mp3 player.





The Va Flaggers are committed to standing for our Ancestors, and continuing this vigil until the flags are returned to their rightful place on the Confederate Memorial Chapel, and the honor is restored to the men who lived and died on the grounds of the Old Soldiers' Home.  We believe it is time to STAND UP and PUSH BACK against those who have for so long, been allowed to desecrate our Memorials and dishonor our Veterans.

JOIN US on the front lines, TUESDAY, May 20th, 3:00 pm - Dusk, and SATURDAY, May 24th, NOON - Dusk, as we forward the colors and protest the VMFA.  If you can't join us, please take a moment to support those on the ground by making a phone call. PLEASE CALL (804) 340-1400 and ask museum officials to return the flags to the portico of the Confederate Memorial Chapel.  We know that EVERY CALL is documented and EVERY CONTACT reminds them that there are others who care about the desecration of the Chapel.

RETURN the flags!
RESTORE the honor!

Norwood "TriPp" Lewis
Va Flaggers

Thursday, May 8, 2014

VA Flaggers: W&L Update 5-8-2014

We received this note and link to a very thoughtful, well-written, and encouraging article out of W&L.  The gentleman who sent it was attending a meeting last weekend at the University...
"I picked up a copy of The Spectator, a student-run publication wondering if they had anything to say about the Committee.  They did.  The below URL is an article by its Editor in Chief which you may find of interest that probably better reflects the views of the "99%."
The administration at Washington and Lee is reporting that they are receiving a "significant" amount of correspondence regarding the demands of "The Committee".  MANY thanks to each one of you have taken the time to express your concerns to W&L leadership.  We have received copies of many outstanding letters and appreciate those who have taken the time to do so. 

As of this writing, one meeting between W&L leadership and "The Committee" has taken place, and, thankfully, none of the "demands" were met.  We are encouraged, but feel we need to remain vigilant, and ask that the letter/email campaign continue.  If you have not done so already, please take a moment to share your thoughts. 

University contact information available here:
 

Grayson Jennings
Va Flaggers
P.O. Box 547
Sandston VA 23150
info@vaflaggers.com
 

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Va Flaggers REMINDER: Confederate Memorial Service Oakwood Cemetery, May 10, 214

THIS Saturday, May 10th, 11:00 a.m. - Confederate Memorial Day Ceremony, Confederate Section, Oakwood Cemetery, 3101 Nine Mile Road, Richmond, VA. Wreath laying, Confederate Color Guard in period attire with procession through cemetery, and keynote speaker Wayne Jones, of South Carolina. Bagpipe music by Pipe Major Lord David Hinton. Free to public. Free parking. Email info@vaflaggers.com for more information.
 "We are wont to make of history a chronicle of obvious effect and not of vital cause. We write of battles fought and not battles forced. We tell the story of our great sires' deeds and leave untold the reasons for their acts. We measure in the common scales success by what we see achieved and not by what right though unachieved. We think a cause lost with a field and see no victor but a Grant at every Appomattox.]

 From such a narrow view as this, these bones cry out. The men interred about us here had died in vain if death had been defeat. They live because defeat meant victory! 

What were those ideals consecrated at First Manassas, exalted at Chancellorsville, sealed and accepted at Appomattox? These ancient oaks whisper them; these gray coats attest them; these women who for fifty years have kept this sacred day bear witness to them; these children's faces unwittingly reflect them: 
     That government is the choice of the governed, a sacred right that only tyranny can overrule; 
     That it is for the governed to change their government when its powers are misused; 
     That those who give may take again and shape to better use the creature of their hands; 
     That in defense of freedom, self may not be reckoned or sacrifice be counted; 
     That duty to righteous principle is duty to God! 
Dr. Douglas Southall Freeman, 
50th Oakwood Cemetery Memorial Day Ceremony 
May 10, 1916 

SATURDAY, MAY 10, 2014: Revival of the Annual Confederate Memorial Day Service at Oakwood Cemetery.
10:45 a.m. - Procession through the cemetery
11:00 a.m. - Memorial Service at the Confederate Monument 
KEYNOTE SPEAKER Wayne Jones of North Augusta, SC will be our guest speaker. Wayne is best known for his extensive research and study on the Life and Times of Major General James Ewell Brown Stuart. An active SCV member, he currently serves as 5th Brigade Commander in the SC Division, and is a candidate for ANV Commander.
     http://www.thegeneralandhislady.com/Home_Page.html

 PLEASE share this email with others, and visit the FaceBook event page.
     https://www.facebook.com/events/851702414846864/?ref=br_tf

 Join us as we revive what was a grand tradition in Richmond and honor the thousands of Confederate dead who rest at Oakwood. We are looking for folks in period attire to participate in the procession through the cemetery. ALL ARE WELCOME!

Contact us at info@vaflaggers.com if you have any questions or would like to present a wreath on behalf of your organization.


Virginia Flaggers
P.O. Box 547
Sandston VA 23150
info@vaflaggers.com


Va Flaggers: Decoration Day, Quincy, FL

In April, I was honored to travel to Quincy, FL to bring the keynote address at the Historic Soldiers Cemetery, 7th Annual Decoration Day.  I enjoyed the gracious hospitality of the men of Finley's Brigade, Camp #1614, and the terrific company of a group of very dedicated Compatriots.

On Saturday morning, I was treated to a personal tour of the Natural Bridge Battlefield, along with FL SCV Divison Commander and Mrs. Jim Davis,  with an excellent and knowledgeable guide.  I learned that due in large part to the action of the men and cadets who turned back the Union troops at Natural Bridge, Tallahassee was the only Southern Capital, east of the Mississippi, that did not fall into Yankee hands.
 


We also visited the Old City Cemetery in Tallahassee... a beautiful and serene resting place for both known and unknown Confederate dead...



That afternoon, the Decoration Day Ceremony was held at Historic Soldiers Cemetery.  Since 2005, the Finley's Brigade has been restoring the cemetery, which is the final resting place for Confederate soldiers who died at the hospital in Quincy during the war.  Details of the project can be found here:  http://www.mixbook.com/photo-books/interests/soldiers-cemetery-5431836

The service was beautiful and a very fitting memorial for the mostly unknown soldiers who rest there.



I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet many, many new friends and am thankful for the very warm welcome and generous support received by those who attended the service.

Afterwards, I was treated to another delicious meal and some of the best company that one could imagine.  The members of the Finley Camp presented me with a beautiful engraved case that will be a lasting reminder of my visit, and I was overwhelmed to receive a very generous donation that will go toward funding Va Flagger projects.

I am thankful to Commander Crocker, the men of Finley's Brigade and their wonderful wives, and ALL who worked so hard to make this event possible and gave so much of their time and talents to making it such a success.

While visiting, Commander Crocker told me of their plans to have a flag display in the Capitol the following week.  I wish I could have been there to see it in person.  What a beautiful display!  http://www.theledger.com/article/20140425/NEWS/140429423
God bless the men of Finley's Brigade, advancing the colors and living the charge in the Sunshine State!

Susan Hathaway








 

Virginia Flaggers
P.O. Box 547
Sandston VA 23150
info@vaflaggers.com

Friday, May 2, 2014

Va Flaggers VMFA Update 5-1-2014

Like it has been for many of you, April has been an INCREDIBLY busy month for the Va Flaggers.  In spite of attending numerous Memorial Service and Confederate History and Heritage Month activities, the Va Flaggers actually STEPPED UP our flaggings at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, flagging THREE times a week in most of the weeks in April.

The milder weather has brought out plenty of foot traffic and lots of new opportunities to educate residents, tourists, and museum visitors.
 



One of the highlights this month was a special visitor, who traveled all the way from Scotland to visit WBTS sites in Virginia, and took time out of his trip to make his way to the Boulevard to stand with us!  Thank you, Ron! It was an honor and a real pleasure to have you join us.



We are grateful for the continued support of folks from Richmond, Virginia, across the South, and around the globe!



The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts desecrated the Confederate Memorial Chapel and dishonored AMERICAN Veterans when it forced the removal of Confederate Battle Flags from the portico of the Chapel.  Are you MAD enough yet?

The Virginia Flaggers speak for those who have no voice, and stand for the Confederate Veterans who lived and died on the grounds of the Old Soldiers home. JOIN US TODAY, Thursday, May 1st 3:00 p.m . - DUSK as we continue or vigil, forward the colors, and change hearts and minds in the Capital of the Confederacy.


If you can't be there, please support the troops on the ground, by calling or emailing museum officials and let them know that there are folks who have not and will not forget what they have done! This week, we are asking you to contact Stephen Bonadies, by email at stephen.bonadies@vmfa.museum, or by phone at (804) 340-1400.  Ask him to return the flags to the Confederate Memorial Chapel, and restore the honor to our Confederate Veterans.

RETURN the flags!
RESTORE the honor!

TriPp Lewis
Va Flaggers
P.O. Box 547 Sandston VA 23150
info@vaflaggers.com