Potential Discrimination Against American Veterans in Travis County, TX

[Copyright: Jonathan McCleese, 2015]

The Veterans Day Parade in Austin, TX honors American military veterans throughout history to the present day, and is organized by an independent committee which receives support from the city of Austin and Travis County. Among the organizations that have participated over the years are two which honor Confederate veterans, one of those being The Sons of Confederate Veterans.

A Travis County judge, Sarah Eckhardt, is looking to convince the parade organizers to not allow groups honoring their Confederate veteran ancestors to fly the Confederate Battle Flag under which many Texans served! Parade organizers have already unanimously rejected her request once, but now Eckhardt is also threatening to drag other elected county officials into the matter, and will possibly seek to get city & county support for the parade pulled if she doesn't get her way.

Marshall Davis, Public Relations Officer for the Sons of Confederate Veterans' Texas Division, released the following statement:

"The Travis County Veterans Association has voted twice to allow us to fly our battle flag as part of our multi flag displays. A flag under which our ancestors fought and died. Over a million Texans are descendant from Confederate Veterans and we intend to honor those Veteran's service by displaying many flags of the Confederacy."

The Michigan Camps of the Sons of Confederate Veterans wholly support our fellow compatriots in the Texas Division.

It is very important to remember the following:

• An act of the United States Congress in 1958 says that all honorable Confederate veterans are officially recognized as honorable veterans of the United States, BY LAW. 
• Millions of dollars in veterans' benefits have been paid to the descendants of Confederate veterans by the United States government in the 150 years since the war's end. 
• The United States government provides unique headstones to specifically mark the graves of Confederate veterans. 
• Confederate veterans are buried in multiple U.S. National Cemeteries (including Arlington), several of which are specifically set aside to honor the Confederate dead, and others having large monuments in place to honor the fallen sons of The South.
• In 1905, the United States Congress authorized the creation of The Civil War Campaign Medal. It was established by the U.S. War Department in 1907, and all veterans of the War Between The States, Union & Confederate, were eligible to receive it. 

All of that is to show that the United States government recognizes and honors Confederate veterans as honorable American veterans, and there is no logical reason why anyone would consider Confederate symbols as anything other than historic American symbols of honor.

Make no mistake about it, what this county judge is attempting to do is shut down a parade that honors ALL American veterans if she cannot convince parade organizers to discriminate against the American veterans she doesn't like!

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms, SCV Camp #1321

Honorable Ancestors & Dishonorable Descendants

     My late father was drafted into the United States Army and served from 1966 to 1972, a period of time that is included in what's called "The Vietnam Era." Though my Dad never saw combat, nor stepped foot into any portion of southeast Asia, my father is considered a 'Vietnam Veteran' by definition. While Dad was certainly proud to have served, I think he felt some sort of guilt that he wasn't sent over to Vietnam like some of his closest friends, or like his service was inconsequential and not worthy of recognition. I think that's why he didn't talk about his service all that much. He did tell me that he thought getting drafted into the service was the best thing that ever happened to him, and he was thankful for the level of discipline that it taught him.

     I have spoken to numerous Vietnam Veterans in the last few years, many of them having seen serious action in that theater of war, who have told me that my Dad's service was just as important as that rendered by anyone else who served during that time. One combat veteran explained to me that every job done by soldiers in the military is necessary to completing the overall mission, and that the soldier who wields the hammer or the spatula is just as vital as the one who wields the gun. Another veteran from that time period explained to me that no matter what your job was or where you were stationed, you always knew that at any point your unit might be called up to go to the warzone. All of the veterans I have spoken to have told me that they respect and honor my father's military service.

All of this leads up to the following sad report...

     This past week I have read a story reported by multiple news sources about the descendants of Pvt. Creed Holland of the 58th Virginia Infantry, CSA. Pvt. Holland was one of the many slaves who rendered service to the Southern Cause during the War Between The States, his primary task being that of a teamster, hauling supplies for the 58th VA Inf. Pvt. Holland's honorable Confederate service was recognized by his state in the form of receiving a Confederate pension during the later years of his life.

     In 2002, several of Pvt. Holland's descendants joined the Sons of Confederate Veterans after learning about their great-grandfather's honorable Confederate service. The Holland family and the SCV worked together at that time to make sure Pvt. Holland got a government-issued Confederate headstone to properly honor his time as a Confederate soldier.

     Now, thirteen years later, some members of the Holland family have been hoodwinked by the onslaught of anti-Confederate propaganda that runs wild in this country today, and shamed into dishonoring their great-grandfather. They have removed the Confederate headstone they once so lovingly dedicated to Pvt. Holland's memory, and are planning to place a new one that will be void of Confederate recognition. Only one member of the family, John Holland, is still honoring his ancestor's service as a member of the SCV.

     Pvt. Holland is no less an honorable Confederate Veteran than my father is an honorable Vietnam Veteran of the U.S. Army! I cannot imagine anything that would lead me to dishonoring my father's service; no level of coercion or amount of wealth offered could cause me to commit such a dishonorable act against his memory or military service! How sad it is that some of Pvt. Holland's descendants have allowed lies and deception on the part of the media & academia to lead them into disgracing his legacy of honor!

     Here within the Michigan Camps of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, we salute Pvt. Creed Holland of the 58th Virginia Infantry, Confederate States Army, and shall always be grateful for his honorable service towards the cause of Southern Independence! We also salute Compatriot John Holland for remaining a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans despite the opposition he faces, and in so doing, properly honors the military service of his great-grandfather!

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms, SCV Camp #1321

[P.S. If you'd like to show some love to Pvt. Creed Holland, and in a small way show respect for his Confederate service, you can visit his memorial page on FindAGrave.com & leave a note or "virtual" flowers. The page can found at the following link: Pvt. Creed Holland @ FindAGrave.com]

We Are The Standard Bearers

(“The Unconquered” by artist Don Troiani; all credit and rights related to this image belong to Don Troiani)

Bell Irvin Wiley (1906-1980) was professor emeritus of history at Emory University and one of America's preeminent War of 1861 historians. His book "The Life of Johnny Reb" is a classic, and a must have for anyone who wants to know what life was like for the regular soldier in the Confederate military.

In Chapter 5 of "The Life of Johnny Reb," Wiley is writing about acts of heroism and bravery among the Southern soldiers. Specifically, Wiley gives high praise for those charged with bearing the colors in battle. Wiley writes:

"Of all the brave, those who were entrusted with the colors had the most consistent record. Almost every official report of regimental commanders mentions the courageous action of standard-bearers. To keep the flag flying was a matter of inestimable pride, and it's loss to the enemy was an incalculable disgrace. Consequently men vied with each other for the honor of holding the cherished emblem aloft in the thickest of the fight. The Federals, knowing the close association of morale and colors, and being easily able to single out standard-bearers because of their conspicuousness, were wont to concentrate an unusually heavy amount of fire upon them. Literally thousands of those who aspired to the honor of carrying and guarding the flags paid for the privilege with their lives."

 Upon the delivery of what SCV members know as "The Charge," by UCV Commander-General Stephen D. Lee in 1906, the honor & responsibility of bearing the standard was completely passed on to us, the descendants of the men who fought under her! In this day and age we certainly must fight (in the ideological sense) to not allow the meaning of the flags of our beloved ancestors be captured and tarnished by those who would seek to equate it with hate. Let us take pride in honoring each and every one who honorably served under the flags of the Confederacy, and strive in guarding the symbols that are so synonymous with those brave men of valor, FOR WE ARE THE STANDARD BEARERS!

DEO VINDICE!!!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms, SCV Camp #1321

The Old Johnny's Letter

I was skimming through an edition of "Confederate Veteran" magazine from 1905, and I found this lovely poem inside. Figured that I would repost it here for the readers of this blog. Enjoy!

THE OLD JOHNNY'S LETTER

BY T.C. HARBAUGH

'Tis creased and 'tis faded, the old Johnny's letter;
He battled four years 'neath the banners of Lee,
And here is the one little postscript he added:
"O Mary, my darling, kiss Jimmie for me."
He penned it one night in the heart of the wildwood
When over him glittered the watch-keeping stars,
.And close to the fires where his comrades lay sleeping
Half furled on it's staff was the banner of bars.

Me thought of his home and the loved ones so precious.
He dreamed of his wife and the boy far away;
Their smiles and their faces, their kisses, embraces
Came often, I know, to the soldier in gray.
And, thinking of them in the camp in the cedars
So close to the river that flowed to the sea.
He penned the sweet postscript that showed his affection:
"O Mary, my darling, kiss Jimmie for me."

To-morrow the battle, to-morrow the carnage,
To-morrow the charge and the roar of the guns.
The stand on the hill and the fight in the valley.
The fall of the Southland's magnificent sons;
Yet there in the bivouac, where thousands are dreaming
Who'll fall at the dawn by the shot-riven tree,
He adds last a fond line to perhaps his last letter:
"O Mary, my darling, kiss Jimmie for me."

The battle is over, and roses arc blooming
Where growled the mad guns on the thrice-taken hill.
And deep in the valley the robin is singing,
And fishes leap up in the once crimsoned rill.
He sleeps where the stars their sweet vigils are keeping.
And the river sings low to the ultimate sea;
But his love lingers still in the postscript he added:
"O Mary, my darling, kiss Jimmie for me."

There hangs on a wall now a half-faded picture.
And 'neath it an old, tattered jacket of gray,
And near them a canteen, a belt, and a musket
That silently tell of the terrible fray.
And pressed in a book is the old Johnny's letter.
Too precious almost for a stranger to see.
And there is the one little postscript he added
:"O Mary, my darling, kiss Jimmie for me."

 

(From 'Confederate Veteran,' Vol. XIII, No. 4; April 1905; Nashville, TN)

Southern Apologetics: The Creator of the Battle Flag Said WHAT?! Actually, He Didn't...

     Since the middle of June our heritage has been under nearly constant attack from the media, academia, so-called "civil rights" organizations (ie. NAACP, SPLC, NAN), and plenty of uneducated and/or misinformed individuals with a social-media soapbox to stand on. Many of us have watched in horror as lie after lie is told about our beloved Confederacy, it's soldiers, & it's symbols. This is the first of what I hope to be several posts intended to debunk the myths, expose the lies, and set the record straight regarding such matters. The effort I'm engaging in is called "apologetics," which is defined by Merriam-Webster as "systematic argumentative discourse in defense."

     Today we're going to take a look at one of the most erroneous claims being spread by those who seek to mar our ancestors' good names. This lie has been promoted by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Slate.com, ABC News, & MSNBC, and has been thrown around like some sort of "trump card" that gives them perceived instant victory in any discussion regarding the matter.

THE LIE: 
     William T. Thompson, the creator of the Confederate Battle Flag, explicitly stated that the flag was designed with overt racism in mind, saying "[a]s a people, we are fighting to maintain the Heaven-ordained supremacy of the white man over the inferior or colored race; a white flag would thus be emblematical of our cause… Such a flag…would soon take rank among the proudest ensigns of the nations, and be hailed by the civilized world as the white man's flag."

     While sometimes the lie doesn't even mention the name of the flag's designer, on face value this seems like a game changing cannonball, but I'm here today to help you see that this cannonball is nothing more than an empty shell. Let's take this apart and separate fact from fiction.

THE TRUTH: 
     [I originally had planned to author a lengthy post debunking this myth and shedding light on the facts, but I found that such an article already exists. So if you'd like to read the continuation of this thought, click the following link to go and check out the 'Take Back Our History' blog's excellent piece regarding the matter.]

TAKE BACK OUR HISTORY: William T. Thompson did NOT design the Confederate Flag.

DEO VINDICE!

- Jonathan McCleese

Sergeant-at-Arms, SCV Camp #1321

HERITAGE VIOLATION: Hillsdale, MI (October 2015)

Discrimination against American citizens of Confederate descent & the symbols of our heritage has been at a fever pitch since the middle of June, but those of us here in the Great Lakes State have been largely unaffected on a direct level... UNTIL NOW.

Here are the facts that we know at this time, based on reports by the local media:

- A young man named Wesley Rogers of Hillsdale, MI was fired from his job at Bob Evans' production facilities in Hillsdale. Mr. Rogers was flying a rectangular Confederate Battle Flag from his truck.

- His employer claimed to have received an "anonymous complaint" about his flag.

- Last Friday (2 Oct 2015), Rogers' supervisors informed him of the complaint, and asked him to remove the flag from his truck while on company property, or park somewhere else, but no resolution was reached regarding the matter on that day.

- His supervisors met with him again on Tuesday (6 Oct 2015) and again made the same request. When he refused to comply, Rogers was terminated on the spot.

- Regarding his flag and it's display, Rogers made it clear to news organizations that "[a] lot of people think that it’s racist. It’s not racist; it’s my heritage. I grew up in the south, in Virginia." ... "I’m [hanging] it because I’m a southerner."

- Another employee at the plant spoke to one of the news organizations on the condition of anonymity, and said that on Wednesday (7 Oct 2015; the day after Rogers was fired), corporate representatives from Bob Evans held a meeting with the employees there to inform them of a policy change. The anonymous employee says "They made it clear... whoever flies [the Confederate flag] will face termination."

If you are interested in reading more about this story, you can do so at the following links:

- BOB EVANS EMPLOYEES CLAIM CONFEDERATE FLAG COST ONE HIS JOB 
(Hillsdale Daily News)
- MAN OUT AT BOB EVANS FACTORY OVER CONFEDERATE FLAG 
(Fox 19 - Newport, KY)
- MAN OUT AT BOB EVANS FACTORY OVER CONFEDERATE FLAG 
(The Blade - Toledo, OH)

More will be posted here in the coming days regarding this matter, but I would ask everyone to pray for Mr. Rogers and his family as they go through this unnecessary period of discrimination & hardship. Also keep praying for our nation, as such discriminatory acts will almost certainly continue popping up all over our country.

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms, SCV Camp #1321

Solidarity & Commitment to the Cause

Being a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans is a point of honor and pride for every man who has taken the oath, but it should mean more to us than just having a fancy certificate on our wall. As members who have taken the oath, we have pledged ourselves to "loyally support the activities of the camp and the Sons of Confederate Veterans."

This means that we have pledged to go beyond just putting a flag up or posting about our southern heritage on social media. We have pledged to actively participate in the life of the SCV, both at the local and international level.

In the past 4 months we have seen what was generally a cold culture war escalate into a non-stop firefight for the survival of our heritage! It is safe to say that the memory of our beloved Confederate ancestors & the true history of the Cause they fought for has never seen an assault like it has since the middle of June. Though the national media has largely moved on, those who are actively seeking to destroy everything remotely Confederate have not. They struck a mighty blow after the tragedy in Charleston, and they continue to be effective in using that tragedy for their evil purposes.

Here in Michigan, we are largely isolated and insulated from the implications of what the hatemongers are doing. We don't have any public lands with deep Confederate history, and aside from a handful of Confederate veterans' graves, we really don't have a great number of sacred sights. This, however, cannot be an excuse for complacency.

Our southern brothers need our help, and there are a number of ways we can provide it. If you're reading this then you most likely have an internet connection. That also means you have access to the many online petitions that are out there to encourage the powers-that-be in the Southern states not to give in to the pressure from the groups that seek to destroy and suppress our heritage. You also have the ability to send emails to those people in charge to let our collective voice be heard.

Of course there are ways that we can help financially, such as by donating to the SCV Heritage Defense Fund, but another way we can support the Cause is just by encouraging others to join the organization and by being faithful to attend the meetings of our local camps!

So I would like to encourage all of our SCV brethren to think of ways they can show their commitment to the organization, and join in solidarity to combat the forces who would like to see our Confederate heritage buried and hidden away forever.

Both of our Michigan SCV Camps have seen growth over the past few months, and for this we can all be thankful. Let us resolve to keep up the fight, and let our brothers down south know that we are most certainly with them in this fight!

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms, SCV Camp #1321