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Subject: Re: [SUVCW] Union Gravestone Changed to Confedrate GravestoneIllegally
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 14:51:38 EDT
Actually, there is a problem with that - the VA only provides one headstone.
WW2 and later can get a supplemental stone - like one of the flat stones -
to go along with a civilian headstone. However, you still can only get one
stone (legally) from the VA.
Also, in the end, by marking with headstones honoring service to both sides
in that war, is it a need to appease the living without regard to the real
sentiments of the dead? That veteran's war record seems to tell the real tell -
having been a Confederate and then holding a NCO rank inthe Union army -
sounds like an unwilling Confederate to start with, and then he got the
opportunity to serve on the side where his real sentiments lay - and, in the end, a
descendant can't swallow any thought of such a thing - therein lies the problem
- not with the veteran but with the modern mentaility (of some) regarding
the war.
That is a significant part of the problem with popular memory and the Civil
War - some folks can't handle the thought of their Southern ancestor serving
in "Yankee" blue. Personally, I have no problem either way, but you are right
about the SCV resentment (not all members but many do exist) who have a
problem with members honoring Union ancestors as well as Confederate. I find more
acceptance in the SUVCW and I have eight direct Confederate ancestors, yet
no problems from fellow SUVCW members for what I do to honor my ancestors in
gray. Note that our SUVCW Camp was also named in a way whereas we are honoring
both sides in the two reunions that took place in 1881 between Confederate
vets from Luray, Va and Union vets from Carlisle, Pa. I'm not aware of a
purge, but our SUVCW camp was formed by eight SCV members - all of us realizing we
also had ties to boys in blue - some, in fact, being Union veterans from our
home county in the central Shenandoah Valley. But, as some might imagine,
that didn't go over well at all, and we took a lot of unecessary heat from
various levels in the SCV, which was really the final wake-up call for me
personally.
Robert Moore
Luray-Carlisle Reunion Camp #1881
In a message dated 10/27/2007 1:36:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
writes:
This family problem could be resolved in a very simple way. Keep the
original headstone (Union) and add a foot stone (Confederate.)
I don't think there would be any problem with the VA on furnishing
the foot stone.
There may be a problem, however, with the SCV, who have been
"purging" their membership in recent years of those who have both
Union ancestors and Confederate ancestors,
Brian Hogan
Richard Taylor Camp 53
Huntsville,AL
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