SPIRIT OF DEFIANCE: MASSIVE CONFEDERATE BATTLE FLAG RAISED ON I-64 in CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA

Earlier today, in a small, private ceremony, the Va Flaggers hoisted a 30’ x 50’ Confederate Battle Flag on a 120’ pole on property leased on Interstate 64 just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. The Charlottesville I-64 Spirit of Defiance Memorial Battle Flag was dedicated to the glory of God, and will fly in honor and memory of all Confederate soldiers, and specifically to remember Private Richard Willis Proffitt, 1st Battalion, Virginia Reserves, 57th Virginia Infantry, whose grave lies just a few yards from the new flag.  In a ceremony just before the flag raising and dedication, a Confederate Cross of Honor was installed and dedicated at the grave site.   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)  It is our prayer that this flag will serve as a call for all Southerners to rise up, rally to our standard, and join the fight to defend our history and heritage, the honor of the Confederate soldier, the flags they fought and died beneath, and the monuments and memorials erected in their memory. The Charlottesville I-64 Spirit of Defiance Memorial Battle Flag is the 27th memorial battle flag raised on major interstates and roadways across the Commonwealth by the Virginia Flaggers since the fall of 2013.  We received the offer of land and began work on the project shortly after Charlottesville City Council, led by disgraced City Councilman Wes Bellamy and Former City Councilman Kristen Szakos, voted to violate state law and attempt to tear down the magnificent Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson equestrian memorials in Lee and Jackson Parks in the city. Over a year later, we are pleased to report that the monuments still stand, and are now joined by the first roadside Memorial Battle Flag in the Charlottesville area. She will fly as a 24/7 reminder that the same spirit of defiance that drove our ancestors to take up arms in 1776 and 1861 is alive and well in us today and will not allow us to remain silent or sit idly by as our ancestors are the subjects of false narratives and lies by those who, driven by ignorance and hate, seek to destroy our history and heritage.

The Virginia Flaggers would like to thank all of those whose generous support made this project possible, with special appreciation to Sky High Poles (Danville, Va) and Dixiana Steel (Columbia, SC) for their assistance with the installation. All glory to God.  All honor to the Confederate Soldier.