Fredericksburg City Council Rejects Petition to Rename Jefferson Davis Highway

VICTORY IN FREDERICKSBURG!

At the conclusion of Tuesday’s Fredericksburg City Council meeting, and after hearing from dozens of citizens, the motion to appoint a commission to study renaming Jefferson Davis Highway failed to get a second, and died on the floor.  We heard from many of you who called, wrote, and emailed City Council and Mary Washington University and offer our sincere thanks for your efforts!

 

 

http://www.fredericksburg.com/news/local/fredericksburg/effort-to-rename-jefferson-davis-highway-at-standstill/article_96f75c12-0fa0-5023-8771-7f796e6e2036.html

The night of the meeting, about a dozen flaggers gathered outside of the courthouse, and council chambers were packed.  The Mary Washington University professor who started all of this was the first to speak.

He explained the project and mentioned that the students had researched Jefferson Davis. He reiterated multiple times that Davis was a “white supremacist”.  The students that spoke regurgitated his words. They offered no primary documents. One by one, those in attendance heard the same thing over and over again. It was clear that the students had not a clue about history, Davis, or the economic impact of this proposal.

The majority of those signed up to speak were local citizens who were against the proposal.  Most of these folks offered primary sources and one person wrote about the huge economic impact on the city if the name was to be changed.  The professor and students seemed to be clueless as to the economic impact.  The screen in the room showed the faces of the future, self-righteous and smirking.

Our friend Ms. Teresa Roane gave a beautiful statement, pointing out the relationship between the Davis family and people of color. She gave the Fredericksburg City Council two photocopies of letters to prove her assertions.  (Take note, Mary Washington University students…in research, this is called a primary document)  One student, who opened by describing herself as a communist, dismissed Ms. Roane and the letters, claiming they were “obviously” written by people with Stockholm Syndrome. We find it interesting that those who would point their finger at Jefferson Davis and call him a “white supremacist” do not believe people of color can think for themselves.

Special thanks to Commander Bill West of the Rev. Beverly Tucker Lacy SCV Camp #2141 for his work organizing and rallying the troops in attendance Tuesday night, and kudos to all those who came to stand up and speak out in support of the Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway.

Renaming Jefferson Davis Highway Unjustified by the Truth of History

RENAMING JEFFERSON DAVIS HIGHWAY

There is yet another movement abroad to air-brush Confederate history and to use it as the scapegoat for all the social ills of this country. The movement is undertaken in the fashion of the Soviet Communists under Stalin, and it is one more step towards totalitarianism held together by lies, distortions, and disinformation. Today it appears in the form of a petition to remove the name of Jefferson Davis from the portion of US Highway 1 that runs through Fredericksburg, Virginia. It is a petition proposed by a professor with an agenda at the University of Mary Washington as a project for his class. The evident enthusiasm of the class for the project indicates that they have been successfully indoctrinated by what Voltaire called “The propaganda of the victorious,” which in this case states that Jefferson Davis was a traitor and that The War was fought to free the slaves. This Myth now goes unchallenged in the academy, as the evident purpose of academia these days seems not to be the encouragement of inquiry, but the inculcation of dogma. The North’s War against Southern Secession is a prime example.

There were many legitimate causes for the Southern States’ secession from the Union in 1861, but there was only one cause for The War – legitimate only if one is an imperialist. That cause was the North’s refusal to let the South go in peace. But this puts Abraham Lincoln and the United States in 1861 in a relationship analogous to George III and England in 1776. This will never do, so history must be sanitized, Soviet-style, and the North’s War of Conquest must be transformed into an Orwellian war of liberation, although in reality emancipation of the slave was merely a byproduct of the war waged against his master – just as was Lord Dunmore’s Emancipation Proclamation during the Revolution. Read Lincoln’s famous Emancipation Proclamation objectively, and you will see that it says in essence that “slavery is all right as long as one is loyal to Lincoln’s government.” President Lincoln was a white supremacist who worked to deport freed Blacks to Central America and elsewhere. Maybe the Crusaders’ next petition should be for the removal of the Lincoln Memorial. But for now we are supposed to harken to Marxist carpetbaggers and repudiate our great-grandfathers who were fighting to defend our country from invasion, conquest and coerced political allegiance – just as their fathers had done in 1776, when the thirteen slaveholding colonies seceded from the British Empire.

The petition to change the name of Jefferson Davis Highway is unjustified by the truth of history. Leaving his name on the highway does not mean an endorsement of slavery and white supremacy. It means an endorsement of our Revolutionary and Constitutional heritage, and our stand against invasion, conquest, and coerced political allegiance to a colossal, bureaucratic, totalitarian government. Burying that fact is the real agenda of the Marxist Crusaders who would expunge all traces of Confederate history. Leave Jeff Davis alone. He has something to teach us.

H. V. Traywick, Jr.

Richmond, Virginia

 

Lexington City Council Approves Extremist Group's Request to Disrupt Lee-Jackson Day Memorial Events

The Virginia Flaggers learned yesterday that Lexington City Council has approved a request by the "anti-racism" group "C.A.R.E. Rockbridge" to hold a parade from 10:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 14th, 2017, which is the exact time that the Stonewall Brigade Camp SCV, has held a parade since 2000 to honor Lee & Jackson on the day officially set aside in Lexington as Lee-Jackson Day.

C.A.R.E. obviously intends to disrupt the peaceful Lee-Jackson Day memorial remembrance activities, and Lexington City Council approved their request to do so.

From the Lexington News-Gazette:

"According to the parade request emailed to city hall, the purpose of the event is “to celebrate the diversity within our great town.” CARE representatives listed on the parade request are Rallie Snowden, Lyndon Sayers and Florentien Verhage.

At the Council meeting, Snowden, a university counselor and LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) coordinator at Washington and Lee University, read a statement that began, “In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are representing CARE … in  asking for a permit to hold a parade representing Lexington community solidarity.”"

These folks may call themselves "anti-racists", but in reality, they are leftist extremists who call out even a small gathering in a cemetery to honor Jackson on the day of his death as dangerous and an attempt to "reclaim whiteness":

 Post from CARE Rockbridge's  FaceBook Group

After the vote, where City Council unanimously approved the request, Mayor Mimi Elrod, who led City Council to ban the display of all flags (except U.S., state and city) from city light pole flag stands to prevent the flags of Lee & Jackson from flying during the Lee-Jackson holiday, expressed her support for the group's plans to disrupt the Lee-Jackson Day memorial remembrances...

From the Lexington News-Gazette:

"Following the vote, Mayor Mimi Elrod commented that King, in marching across the bridge at Selma, “didn’t turn around: he kept going. Sometimes we have to do that too for moral and religious reasons.”"

The Stonewall Brigade, SCV is considering their options and will announce their plans for the weekend as soon as they are finalized.

In the meantime, we encourage all supporters of Confederate heritage to set aside the dates of Friday, January 13th and Saturday, January 14th and make plans to make your way to Lexington, Virginia either or both days.  Stay tuned for more details, but we are already working on plans to make this Lee-Jackson weekend bigger and better than ever.  Now, more than ever, we need a huge showing to let this group and City Council know that we WILL gather to honor Lee & Jackson on Lee-Jackson Day,  and that the hate and prejudice of the ignorant and misinformed will not prevent us from doing what is the responsibility and duty of every one of us with Confederate blood flowing through our veins...honoring Lee and Jackson on the day set aside in their honor by the City of Lexington.  

If they expect that we will go away quietly, they have greatly underestimated our resolve.

“Duty is ours: consequences are God's.”  ~ Stonewall Jackson

Victory in Memphis! City Council Request to Move Confederate Statue DENIED! Forrest Rides Again!

Shared From the Memphis Brigade, Sons of Confederate Veterans Facebook Page:

Forrest Rides Again!

The request for a waiver to the Tennessee Heritage Preservation Act of 2015 in order to remove the Forrest statue HAS BEEN DENIED!

God has blessed our Heritage Warriors with a great Victory!

Memphis City Council's request to move the monument has been DENIED.  Congratulations to the Memphis Brigade, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and all those who helped win this battle.  Those in attendance said the discussion was brief and the decision came quickly.

The war against our heritage is not over, by any means, but this victory, and scores of others like it across the country are serving to inspire others to rise up and join our ranks, and will serve to further discourage municipalities from even considering similar actions, knowing the attempt will to lead to further division among citizenry, countless wasted hours and resources, and taxpayer money tossed away in unnecessary and expensive legal fees.

“Never stand and take a charge… charge them too.” Nathan Bedford Forrest

Confederate Battle Flags Returning Across the Commonwealth

We have received numerous calls, messages, and email communications with concerns about missing flags, especially regarding the largest flags on Rt. 29 in Danville.  Social media was ripe with haters prematurely celebrating the fact that someone had “finally gotten those flags removed”.  #NotSoFast

When our Guardians lowered the flags ahead of Hurricane Matthew, we asked them to carefully inspect the flags and ropes for wear.  Several flags were found to have minor tears and in need of repair and one rope had to be replaced.  As you can imagine, this is not an easy task and the repairs took a bit longer than we had anticipated, but we have found that if we catch these tears early, they are easier to repair and saves on flag replacement costs in the long run.

I am happy to report that thanks to our friends at SkyHigh Poles in Danville, the large flags on 29 were raised once again today in Danville, completing several weeks of repairs and replacements on all 14 flags there.

A new flag arrived in Lexington today to replace the one at our Jackson Farm site, and we are working on getting a replacement up to Fredericksburg in the next few days.  By the weekend, all 26 of our existing sites will be up and flying, with the exception of our first site in Chester, which is undergoing site upgrades.

Once again, we offer our most sincere thanks to all of those who volunteer to help maintain these sites across the Commonwealth, the hundreds of folks who alert us to missing and damaged flags, and to all of our supporters whose financial support makes the construction and maintenance of these memorial sites possible.

North Carolina Division Sons of Confederate Veterans Raises First Roadside Memorial Battle Flag!

 

 

The Virginia Flaggers offer our sincere congratulations and best wishes to the men of the North Carolina Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, who raised their first roadside memorial battle flag this weekend as part of their "Flags Across the Carolinas" project!

From Commander Kevin Stone: 

I am pleased to announce that our Division has completed it's first flag-raising as part of the "Flags Across the Carolinas" project!  The flag was raised today, Sunday, October 16, through the hard work of the membership of Sanford's Nathan Bedford Forrest Camp #803. The Camp will maintain the site and make improvements to increase the visibility of the flag from the road.

Because of its location along the Jefferson Davis Highway, our first flag is dedicated to Jefferson Davis, the first and only President of the Confederate States of America. Davis was a remarkable man who, in addition to carrying the Confederate states through four years of war against impossible odds, was a decorated U.S. Army veteran, Congressman, Senator, and Secretary of War. It is right to honor a man that served two countries so well and who conducted himself through great personal and political strife with skill and dignity. He truly was one of the last great statesmen.

Our flag is an 8' x 8' Army of Northern Virginia battle flag atop a 40 foot pole. It is located in Moore County on the side of the Jefferson Davis Highway (U.S. 1) outside of Cameron.

I would also like to report at this time that our first Mega Flag is still under construction - if you know anyone who can help us set the pole, please contact me as that would move the project along toward completion. Once we pass that hurdle, we will organize a Division dedication event surrounding the flag-raising.

For now, enjoy the fact that there is now one more large Confederate flag, the standard of our ancestors, proudly flying in North Carolina. Pictures are included below.

See you on the front lines...

 

"Clear To Texas" - A Poem by Alice Scott

We were humbled and honored to be the subject of a beautiful and inspirational poem and are sharing it here for your pleasure and appreciation.


Dear Virginia Flaggers
In great appreciation of your deeds, which lift morale in all of the Southern States, I have composed a short poem for you. I only wish that it had been written by a more masterful pen than my own.
Alice Scott ~ San Antonio, Texas.

"CLEAR TO TEXAS"

by Alice Scott ~ San Antonio, Texas

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Virginia Flaggers!
The voice of Dixie shouts elation!
You are a jewel in the Land O' Cotton,
Worthy descendants of a noble generation.

We find ourselves in daily battle,
Against attacks the enemy brings,
Attacks on our Confederate dead,
Attacks on all Confederate things.

Our bones grow weary from little rest,
Between each shameful wretched stunt.
But fear ye not - Virginia Flaggers,
Are riding swiftly to the front!

Our souls exhaust from heavy burden,
From all the hateful wicked wrongs,
But then we see our Southern Cross
a'flyin' high where she belongs!

All is well then with our souls,
Our Southern hearts once more renewed.
We look to-wards the Old Dominion,
With loving thoughts and gratitude.

Keep 'em flyin' great Virginians,
Keep singing songs of Dixieland!
We hear your voices clear to Texas,
We see those flags from the Rio Grand!

VICTORY! ANTI-CONFEDERATE PROTESTOR CONVICTED IN RICHMOND COURT

 

Our readers may recall that we shared the news that Richmond police officers were able to serve warrants on a local protestor after he turned up at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts last month. We are thrilled to report that earlier today, the most violent of the “counter-protestors” who sometimes antagonizes and attempts to provoke our Flaggers on the Boulevard in Richmond was convicted of disorderly conduct in a local courtroom, in connection with a June incident where he spit at, cursed out, and intimidated several of our Flaggers in a violent rage.

He was convicted, levied with a fine and court costs, forced to publicly apologize, and instructed to keep his distance from the Va Flaggers.

We are thrilled with the precedent set and proud of the ladies who swore out warrants and took time off of work today to face their assailant in court. We left the courtroom with renewed optimism, rekindled commitment to our Cause, and more determined than ever to stand, fight, and NEVER back down!

Bo Traywick came out to the courthouse today to offer support and to be available if needed, since he has also had experience with the accused . He wrote and sent a wonderful report with commentary, a portion of which we are sharing with his permission…

Dear Miss Susan,

I thought the judge today was first class! He was totally objective and understanding, and not the least a demagogue, as we sometimes are faced with in these latter-days of “neo-Reconstruction.”...

...I am sorry I did not get to speak before the judge today. I heard him say that he was a veteran. I wanted to tell him that I was a veteran also. I risked my life getting shot at under the Stars and Stripes in Vietnam, and when I returned home, men like me were met by men like Romans at the airport, who spat upon us, and I resent Roman’s accusations. Romans calls us Nazis. My Uncle, who was a surgeon from South Carolina serving with the 20th Combat Engineer Regiment under the Stars and Stripes, who was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and two Purple Hearts, and who made three invasions, was killed by the Nazis in the Hertgen Forest by Nazi artillery, and I resent Roman’s accusation. My father was awarded the Combat Infantryman’s badge for his service under the Stars and Stripes in Burma as the adviser of a Chinese infantry regiment under General Stilwell, and I resent Roman’s accusations. All of us are descended from Lt. John L. Crute, 4th Virginia Regiment, Continental Line, who fought under the Stars and Stripes and got chopped up by Tarleton’s Dragoons at Hanging Rock, South Carolina, during “Buford’s Massacre”, and I resent Roman’s accusations. And all of us are descended from the Rev. J. B. Traywick, who served fifty years in the South Carolina Conference as a Methodist Minister, who was raised on a farm in North Carolina where there were no slaves because “his father wouldn’t have any on the place,” and who fought as a teenaged rifleman in the Army of Northern Virginia, was captured in the Valley in 1864, survived Point Lookout and the War, but lost four brothers and one brother-in-law that I know about, and I resent Roman’s accusations. Other than curse at women and children while waving the Stars and Stripes, I wonder if he ever put his life on the line for that – or any other flag. I am proud of my Confederate heritage as well as my heritage and my service under the Stars and Stripes.

Mr. Romans told the judge that he had studied history at VCU. Well good for him. My family lived it. We didn’t need some Marxist, revisionist “Court Historian” to tell us what I have been told about it since I was a little boy. I heard our history from those who had heard it first hand from those who had made that history – at least from those few who had survived it! But we are soon to be passing away ourselves, leaving the truth to be interpreted and twisted in the latest political winds. But we may take heart. The truth may not be killed. It may be buried alive, but it will not die.

Pass this along, if you wish, Miss Susan. It is all for the Cause of the Truth that we all stand for.

Sincerely, Bo

Robert E. Lee - Beloved Leader in Life, Admired by Friend and Foe In Death

"On a quiet autumn morning, in the land which he loved so well and served so faithfully, the spirit of Robert Edward Lee left the clay which it had so much ennobled and traveled out of this world into the great and mysterious land. Here in the North, forgetting that the time was when the sword of Robert Edward Lee was drawn against us—forgetting and forgiving all the years of bloodshed and agony—we have long since ceased to look upon him as the Confederate leader, but have claimed him as one of ourselves; have cherished and felt proud of his military genius; have recounted and recorded his triumphs as our own; have extolled his virtue as reflecting upon us—for Robert Edward Lee was an American, and the great nation which gave him birth would be today unworthy of such a son if she regarded him lightly."

“Never had mother a nobler son. In him the military genius of America was developed to a greater extent than ever before. In him all that was pure and lofty in mind and purpose found lodgment. Dignified without presumption, affable without familiarity, he united all those charms of manners which made him the idol of his friends and of his soldiers and won for him the respect and admiration of the world. Even as in the days of triumph, glory did not intoxicate, so, when the dark clouds swept over him, adversity did not depress." 

New York Herald, in the death of Gen Robert E Lee, October 12, 1870

Joe Morrissey: "I Was Wrong" - Backpedals On Call to Remove Confederate Monument

Two weeks after calling a press conference in front of the Jefferson Davis Monument in Richmond, and announcing that his first task if elected Mayor would be to have it torn down, Joe Morrissey backtracked yesterday, admitting that he had made a mistake.   “I don’t think I thought that through,” he told local news.
That's an understatement, Joe... 

More info about the original press conference here: http://wtvr.com/2016/09/26/morrissey-jefferson-davis-statue/ And the statement we released: "The Va Flaggers are disappointed, but not surprised, to hear that Joe Morrissey has called a press conference to announce that if he were elected Mayor of Richmond, the first thing he would do is tear down the Jefferson Davis Memorial on Monument Avenue. Mr. Morrissey has a history of grandstanding and attention grabbing stunts. Tearing down historical monuments is illegal in the Commonwealth. We would hope that Mr. Morrissey is familiar enough with Virginia State Law to know this and trust the citizens of Richmond are not willing to elect a Mayor who would call a press conference to announce his intentions to break the law if elected. The citizens of the Commonwealth see this for what it is: another stunt to create division and tension where it does not exist. He cannot legally destroy the monument, and this press conference is nothing more than an attempt to garner publicity for his failing campaign and cause strife in our community. The Va Flaggers will meet any proposal to remove ANY Confederate memorial with the full force of our resources, the support of the majority of the citizens of the Commonwealth, and with any and all legal means necessary to prevent ANY desecration of our monuments and memorials."   The pushback and fallout from his stunt was immediate and the repercussions led "Fighting Joe" to have a change of heart.  Instead of tearing down the Jefferson Davis Monument, Morrissey now says he favors building a monument that honors African-American Union and Confederate soldiers.  http://wtvr.com/2016/10/10/i-was-wrong-morrissey-offers-new-take-on-jefferson-davis-statue-removal/  Hey Joe!  We appreciate you recognizing black Confederates, but we've got one of those monuments already.  It's at the State Capitol, just a few blocks from where you were standing...   WHERE THE REST OF THE FIELD STANDS  Richmond's Mayoral Candidates on Confederate Memorials Jack Berry "We should not erase our history just because it makes us uncomfortable.’"  Said he would not seek to remove Confederate monuments at a Mayoral forum Lawrence E Williams, Sr. "It’s important that we rep all aspects of the civil war, that is the key to this conversation...  The primary focus of this election should not be about the past but should be about our future.  We need to concentrate on our children and providing the proper services in schools that we need for our city to move forward in order to make all of our citizens successful.”  Said he would not seek to remove Confederate monuments at a Mayoral forum    Michelle Mosby Said she would not seek to remove Confederate statues at a Mayoral forum Jon Baliles Jonathan Baliles is now proposing "establishing a commission" to decide how to handle the memorials.  (We all know what that means...) This after he assured constituents and those attending a mayoral forum that he would not seek to remove Confederate monuments.   Levar Stoney Former Secretary of the Commonwealth Levar Stoney said he "would not shed a tear" if the monument was removed and supports discussing the issue.  “There is no better place than Richmond to begin leading the conversation about what we choose to memorialize. Let’s start the discussion with Jefferson Davis.” Bobby Junes No Information Available Contrary to what the folks at WTVR 6 and Governor McAuliffe's staff would have our citizens believe, Virginia's Monuments and Memorials law is not "murky".  The legislature decisively confirmed its intent in the last session, and the overwhelming majority of the Commonwealth's citizens are against the removal of any Confederate monument or memorial. It is still against state law to alter, move, or destroy any war monument or memorial, and it is our pledge that any individual or locality that attempts to do so will face criminal and civil law suits and the full force of our opposition. "The time for compromise has now passed, and the South is determined to maintain her position, and make all who oppose her smell Southern powder and feel Southern steel."   Jefferson Davis, February, 1861

13 New Confederate Headstones Dedicated at Shockoe Hill Cemetery

Adopt A Soldier Program of Shockoe Hill Cemetery:  Setting the standard in honoring the fallen

 

 I had the honor today of attending and participating in the Fall Marker Dedication Ceremony at Shockoe Hill Cemetery. The oldest city owned cemetery in Richmond, Shockoe Hill Cemetery is the final resting place of veterans from every conflict from the War of 1812 through the Vietnam War.  In 2014, the Friends of Shockoe Hill Cemetery kicked off the "Adopt a Soldier" program, seeking donations to obtain and install headstones for the veterans' graves that are unmarked, including an estimated 200 Confederate soldiers.

Since 2014, 38 veterans' graves have been marked, including 27 in 2016 alone!  Clayton Shepherd, President of the Friends of Shockoe Hill Cemetery reported that the record 27 graves marked this year represented an almost 50% increase over their goal, for the year, which was set at 16.

The ceremony today was held to dedicate 15 new markers...

2 for veterans of the War of 1812, and 13 Confederate Veterans:

Private Patrick Brady, Co. B, 2nd Bn Mississippi Infantry
Private Farrell Radican, Co. E, 48th Mississippi Infantry
Private Charles Stillman, Co. C, 2nd Bn Mississippi Infantry
Private David S. Brown, Co. B, 10^th Bn Georgia Infantry
Private John W. Blunt, Co. C, 1st Bn Virginia Infantry, ocal Defense
Private John Rowland, Carrington’s Company, 19^th Regiment Virginia Militia, War of 1812
Private John J.H. Brower, Company H, 15^th Virginia
Sergeant John J. Throckmorton, Co. C, 10th Bn, Virginia Heavy Artillery (Allen's)
Private William E. Bottom, Co. A, 15th North Carolina Infantry (State Troops)
Assistant Surgeon William T. Gregory, 13^th Virginia Cavalry
Private Thomas W. Collier, Coffin's Company, Virginia Heavy Artillery
Private Robert T. Collier, Co. D, 12^th Louisiana Heavy Artillery
Private Hilary Baker, 19^th Regiment (Ambler’s), Virginia Militia, War of 1812
Private Benjamin W. Figg, co. A, 10th Bn, Virginia Heavy Artillery (Allen's)
Private John P. (Jack) Mackin, Co. F, 24th Georgia Infantry

Saturday's heavy rain cleared out for the ceremony, but the wind picked up and made for a blustery and cool, but beautiful afternoon and several dozen gathered for the service, which included poetry reading, special remarks from the descendants of two of the men honored, a flag presentation ceremony, and bagpipe music.

  

For the Va Flaggers, it was a very special day because one of the markers dedicated was for a resident of the Old Soldiers Home in Richmond.  Private John J. H. Brower, Company H, 15th Virginia Infantry enlisted in the 15th Virginia Infantry Regiment on 27 April 1861 at Richmond, Virginia. He survived the war, and died at the Lee Camp Soldier's Home in Richmond. He was buried in Shockoe Hill Cemetery on 13 March 1918, his age listed as 72 in the burial record.

When we heard that one of the residents of the Old Soldiers Home did not have a headstone, it hit us close to home and touched our hearts, and we wanted to help.  We took up a collection at one of our meetings to cover the cost and were thrilled to get to see the new marker for the first time today!

After nearly 100 years lying in an unmarked grave, Private Brower's final resting place is now  properly marked and he will never be forgotten, thanks to the dedicated work of the Friends of Shockoe Hill Cemetery.  

The Va Flaggers are proud supporters of the Adopt a Soldier Program of Shockoe Hill Cemetery, and consider it a privilege to help share the news of the excellent work they are doing to mark the graves of our Confederate dead.

Typically, if the veteran qualifies for a VA supplied marker, sponsorship consists of covering the installation cost of $275 (mandatory fees set by the City of Richmond).

Each day, the program features the biography of a soldier whose grave has never been marked in their FaceBook posts, which can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/AdoptASoldierOfShockoeHill/?fref=ts

For more information on how you or your organization can help, please contact Friends of Shockoe Hill Cemetery President Clayton Shepherd at cc.shep@juno.com or visit their website http://www.shockoehillcemetery.org/index.htm





Susan Hathaway
Va Flaggers
*Photos courtesy of Judy Smith Photography

Preparing for Matthew: Saluting the Guardians of the Flags

PREPARING FOR MATTHEW

We have already begun preparing and planning for the high winds and severe weather that could reach Virginia this weekend. Our flag site crews will be busy this week removing all 26 Roadside Memorial Battle Flags ahead of the approaching storm. We have asked them to lower all flags by noon Friday, and to take this opportunity inspect the flags and rope for wear.

This is no easy task, and we are thankful for the dedicated men who volunteer to help with this very important work that saves us wear and tear on expensive flags and helps lessen the chance of damage to the poles during severe weather. 

The flags will be raised again once the severe weather threat has passed, and our Guardians can safely access the flag sites.

God bless the Guardians of the Flags, and all of our supporters who help make these projects possible.

Susan Hathaway
Va Flaggers