From Cecil Whig: Students urged to compete in American Revolution essay contest
By Lisa Broadt lbroadt@cecilwhig.com Cecil Whig | 0 comments
The Sons of the American Revolution are again offering high school sophomores, juniors and seniors the opportunity to compete in the George S. and Stella M. Knight Essay Contest.
Prizes are offered at the county, state and national levels, and the national winner's essay will be submitted for publication in the Sons of American Revolution Magazine.
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In Cecil County, the contest is sponsored by the Col. Henry Hollingsworth Chapter and is open to students in public, private or accredited home schools.
Dick Funk, chairman of the Cecil County and Maryland state contests, says the essay competition helps involve young people in the history of the Revolutionary War.
"It's part of their academic education," Funk said. "It's important for them to know where our nation started and what we went through to gain independence. It's part of being a citizen of the United States."
Essays can deal with an event, person, philosophy or ideal associated with the Revolution, the Declaration of Independence or the Framing of the Constitution, but must be written as a term paper. Submissions without a title page and bibliography will not be considered.
Entries will be judged for historical accuracy, clarity of thought, organization, grammar, spelling and documentation.
Funk, a former teacher who has chaired the essay contest in years past, urges students to adhere to the rules to prevent disqualification.
The Sons of the American Revolution is a historical, educational and patriotic nonprofit.
For more information on the contest visit http://www.sar.org/youth/knightrules.html
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
A stroll back in time: Knox Trail walk to benefit New York State Military Museum, other historic sites in the region
From the Saratogan: A stroll back in time: Knox Trail walk to benefit New York State Military Museum, other historic sites in the region
TICONDEROGA — A walk retracing the Knox Trail from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston will raise money for the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs and three other beneficiaries.
In the dead of winter, 1775-1776, Colonel Henry Knox with a team of men and oxen hauled more than 50 tons of cannons and other arms from the upstate New York fort to Boston’s Dorchester Heights.
The threat of these cannons firing on British ships in Boston Harbor forced the British to evacuate Boston, a major victory for the fledgling Continental Army.
In 1926, New York and Massachusetts began installing commemorative markers that traced the so-called "Knox Trail" at locations in both states.
Next April, editors at Patriots of the American Revolution magazine will walk the entire route to honor Knox, promote the Knox trail and raise money for museums and parks related to Knox and the Knox Trail.
"The commemoration of Knox’s extraordinary feat next April is an excellent opportunity to focus public attention on the important role our region had in the founding of the country," said Michael Aikey, the military museum’s director.
The walk will also raise money for Fort Ticonderoga, Boston National Historical Park and Montpelier, the General Henry Knox Museum in Thormaston, Maine. Knox, a colonel at the time of his famous winter expedition, was later promoted to major general. Continued...
The walk will start in Ticonderoga on Friday, April 6, 2012 and head south along Lake George to Glens Falls. From there the trail goes along the Hudson River, in Saratoga County, passing through Saratoga National Historical Park en route to Halfmoon, Albany and Kinderhook, Columbia County, where it veers east to Massachusetts. The party is scheduled to arrive in Boston on April 18.
Along the way, magazine Managing Editor Ben Smith and copy editor Alex Culpepper will take photos of various markers along the trail and document their trip for in-depth articles that will appear in Patriots of the American Revolution magazine.
"We welcome people to join us for sections of the trail," Smith said.
Five monuments dedicated to Knox’s ordeal are found in the Lake George region alone at Fort Ticonderoga, Sabbath Day Point, Bolton Landing, Lake George and Queensbury. Each monument has a plaque telling how Knox delivered armaments to General George Washington, prompting the British to flee Boston.
Donations obtained from corporations and individuals will be collected by the American Revolution Association and distributed directly and equally to the four beneficiaries.
The magazine and American Revolution Association will get no money.
There are different levels of sponsorship. They are:
• Mortar ($50 contribution) — Knox Trail Honor Walk coffee mug; Copy of the July/August 2012 Patriots of the American Revolution; name published in the magazine’s July/August 2012 sponsor list.
• Howitzer ($100 contribution) — Copy of the book, "Henry Knox: Visionary General of the American Revolution," by Mark Puls; copy of the July/August 2012 Patriots of the American Revolution; name published in the magazine’s July/ August 2012 sponsor list.
• Bronze Cannon ($500 contribution) — 3-disc DVD series: "Liberty! The American Revolution," copy of "Henry Knox: Visionary General of the American Revolution," by Mark Puls; copy of the July/August 2012 Patriots of the American Revolution; name published in the magazine’s July/ August 2012 sponsor list. Continued...
• Iron Cannon (corporate sponsor: $1000 contribution) — Commemorative Knox Trail Honor Walk plaque; multiple copies of the July/August 2012 Patriots of the American Revolution; company name published in the magazine’s July/August 2012 sponsor list.
To donate, people may send checks payable to the American Revolution Association to Knox Trail Honor Walk, P.O. Box 838, Yellow Springs, OH 45387.
For information about the Knox Trail Honor Walk call 937-767-1433 or email Vicki McClellan at promotions@patriotsar.com. For more information about Patriots of the American Revolution Magazine and the American Revolution Association, visit www.patriotsar.com.
TICONDEROGA — A walk retracing the Knox Trail from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston will raise money for the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs and three other beneficiaries.
In the dead of winter, 1775-1776, Colonel Henry Knox with a team of men and oxen hauled more than 50 tons of cannons and other arms from the upstate New York fort to Boston’s Dorchester Heights.
The threat of these cannons firing on British ships in Boston Harbor forced the British to evacuate Boston, a major victory for the fledgling Continental Army.
In 1926, New York and Massachusetts began installing commemorative markers that traced the so-called "Knox Trail" at locations in both states.
Next April, editors at Patriots of the American Revolution magazine will walk the entire route to honor Knox, promote the Knox trail and raise money for museums and parks related to Knox and the Knox Trail.
"The commemoration of Knox’s extraordinary feat next April is an excellent opportunity to focus public attention on the important role our region had in the founding of the country," said Michael Aikey, the military museum’s director.
The walk will also raise money for Fort Ticonderoga, Boston National Historical Park and Montpelier, the General Henry Knox Museum in Thormaston, Maine. Knox, a colonel at the time of his famous winter expedition, was later promoted to major general. Continued...
The walk will start in Ticonderoga on Friday, April 6, 2012 and head south along Lake George to Glens Falls. From there the trail goes along the Hudson River, in Saratoga County, passing through Saratoga National Historical Park en route to Halfmoon, Albany and Kinderhook, Columbia County, where it veers east to Massachusetts. The party is scheduled to arrive in Boston on April 18.
Along the way, magazine Managing Editor Ben Smith and copy editor Alex Culpepper will take photos of various markers along the trail and document their trip for in-depth articles that will appear in Patriots of the American Revolution magazine.
"We welcome people to join us for sections of the trail," Smith said.
Five monuments dedicated to Knox’s ordeal are found in the Lake George region alone at Fort Ticonderoga, Sabbath Day Point, Bolton Landing, Lake George and Queensbury. Each monument has a plaque telling how Knox delivered armaments to General George Washington, prompting the British to flee Boston.
Donations obtained from corporations and individuals will be collected by the American Revolution Association and distributed directly and equally to the four beneficiaries.
The magazine and American Revolution Association will get no money.
There are different levels of sponsorship. They are:
• Mortar ($50 contribution) — Knox Trail Honor Walk coffee mug; Copy of the July/August 2012 Patriots of the American Revolution; name published in the magazine’s July/August 2012 sponsor list.
• Howitzer ($100 contribution) — Copy of the book, "Henry Knox: Visionary General of the American Revolution," by Mark Puls; copy of the July/August 2012 Patriots of the American Revolution; name published in the magazine’s July/ August 2012 sponsor list.
• Bronze Cannon ($500 contribution) — 3-disc DVD series: "Liberty! The American Revolution," copy of "Henry Knox: Visionary General of the American Revolution," by Mark Puls; copy of the July/August 2012 Patriots of the American Revolution; name published in the magazine’s July/ August 2012 sponsor list. Continued...
• Iron Cannon (corporate sponsor: $1000 contribution) — Commemorative Knox Trail Honor Walk plaque; multiple copies of the July/August 2012 Patriots of the American Revolution; company name published in the magazine’s July/August 2012 sponsor list.
To donate, people may send checks payable to the American Revolution Association to Knox Trail Honor Walk, P.O. Box 838, Yellow Springs, OH 45387.
For information about the Knox Trail Honor Walk call 937-767-1433 or email Vicki McClellan at promotions@patriotsar.com. For more information about Patriots of the American Revolution Magazine and the American Revolution Association, visit www.patriotsar.com.
War trail walk to benefit 4 museums in NY, Mass.
From Wall Street Journal: War trail walk to benefit 4 museums in NY, Mass.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — The editors of an American history magazine plan to walk a Revolutionary War trail from the southern Adirondacks to Boston to raise funds for museums in New York and New England.
The Saratogian newspaper reports that the editors at Patriots of the American Revolution magazine plan to spend 12 days in April, 2012 walking along the Knox Trail from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston.
The trail follows the route Col. Henry Knox took while leading an expedition that hauled dozens of artillery pieces from the fort to Gen. George Washington's troops outside Boston in the winter of 1775-1776. The arrival of the cannon forced the British to evacuate Boston.
The walk will raise money for Fort Ticonderoga, the New York State Military Museum, Boston National Historical Park and the General Henry Knox Museum in Thomaston, Maine.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — The editors of an American history magazine plan to walk a Revolutionary War trail from the southern Adirondacks to Boston to raise funds for museums in New York and New England.
The Saratogian newspaper reports that the editors at Patriots of the American Revolution magazine plan to spend 12 days in April, 2012 walking along the Knox Trail from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston.
The trail follows the route Col. Henry Knox took while leading an expedition that hauled dozens of artillery pieces from the fort to Gen. George Washington's troops outside Boston in the winter of 1775-1776. The arrival of the cannon forced the British to evacuate Boston.
The walk will raise money for Fort Ticonderoga, the New York State Military Museum, Boston National Historical Park and the General Henry Knox Museum in Thomaston, Maine.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
A taxing question
From EnidNews.com: A taxing question
From the very founding of this nation, Americans have been averse to paying taxes.
The seeds of the American Revolution were sown from the debate over whether England and the British Parliament could levy taxes against the American Colonies to help in paying the mother country’s massive war debts.
In fact, the United States of America was nearly wrecked before it began, when individual states either refused or were unable to levy taxes on citizens to help pay the Continental Army.
You see, the Continental Congress had no way of imposing taxes to pay for the American Revolution. America owes its very existence to men and women who volunteered — sometimes without pay or even adequate food and clothing — to establish the United States.
That fact stems from the incongruous notion Americans wanted to be free from England, they just didn’t want to pay for it out of their pockets.
Of course, these were the days long before a central federal government had much power.
And, as history has shown, the 13 original colonies never could quite agree on the issue of taxation.
In fact, taxation was one of the very first headaches President George Washington found himself dealing with in the early days of the republic.
The so-called Whiskey Rebellion of 1794, now seems like a quaint little tidbit for historians.
But in its day, this little rebellion by a group of Pennsylvania farmers nearly was as far-reaching as the Civil War, the Revolutionary War or any subsequent segment of our nation’s story. It was the fledgling nation’s first test of our commitment to the constitutional rule of law.
In 1790, the new national government of the United States still was attempting to establish itself.
Because the government had assumed the debts incurred by the individual colonies during the Revolution, it was deeply in debt, with few ways to remedy the problem.
During the winter of 1791, both houses of Congress approved a bill that placed an excise tax on all distilled spirits — proposed by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton to help prevent the national debt from growing.
Angered by the excise tax, farmers in the western counties of Pennsylvania engaged in a series of attacks on excise agents sent to collect taxes.
The new tax effectively eliminated any profit the farmers gained from the sale or barter of one of their most important cash crops — the distilling of whiskey.
The rebelling farmers rioted in many towns on the frontier, roughing up the new tax collectors.
Open rebellion broke out in July 1794, when a federal marshall was attacked in Allegheny County, Pa.
Hundreds of farmers attacked the residence of the regional inspector, burning his home and farmstead. Mobs rioted in Pittsburg as well.
On Aug. 7, 1794, President Washington issued a proclamation which called out the militia to maintain order and help send the irate farmers back to their farms.
Washington’s order mobilized an army of almost 13,000 men — as large as the one which had defeated the British a few years before — under the command of Gen. Light-Horse Harry Lee, who was serving as governor of Virginia.
In fact, to demonstrate his new presidential authority, Washington himself set out at the head of the troops to suppress the rebellion.
This action was the first use of the Militia Law of 1792, which set precedent for the use of militia to execute the laws of the Union and suppress insurrections.
It also set in motion the power of the national government to enforce order in one state, with troops raised from other states.
It went even further, testing the power of the newly formed federal government to establish primacy in disputes within and between individual states.
It is interesting to note, somewhat akin to what we are seeing in today’s Occupy Wall Street movement across the country, the farmers of the 1790s were convinced a tax upon liquor, which was a common drink of the nation, operated in proportion to the number — and not to the wealth — of the people.
These rebels, as they then were called, saw this as an injustice in itself, and oppressive upon the poor.
To their way of thinking, poor farmers were being taxed for the product of their labors, while the rich and well to do simply enjoyed the whiskey, without paying their fair share of the tax.
By November 1794, Hamilton wrote to Washington the list of prisoners taken by the militia had grown to about 150.
Calling the militia home after having successfully put down the Whiskey Rebellion, the father of our country, on July 10, 1795, issued a pardon to all insurgents who had been taken prisoner, but who had yet to be sentenced or indicted.
By this time, however, most of the rebellious farmers had been acquitted for lack of evidence.
And so, out of this historical context, the federal government was born.
From the very founding of this nation, Americans have been averse to paying taxes.
The seeds of the American Revolution were sown from the debate over whether England and the British Parliament could levy taxes against the American Colonies to help in paying the mother country’s massive war debts.
In fact, the United States of America was nearly wrecked before it began, when individual states either refused or were unable to levy taxes on citizens to help pay the Continental Army.
You see, the Continental Congress had no way of imposing taxes to pay for the American Revolution. America owes its very existence to men and women who volunteered — sometimes without pay or even adequate food and clothing — to establish the United States.
That fact stems from the incongruous notion Americans wanted to be free from England, they just didn’t want to pay for it out of their pockets.
Of course, these were the days long before a central federal government had much power.
And, as history has shown, the 13 original colonies never could quite agree on the issue of taxation.
In fact, taxation was one of the very first headaches President George Washington found himself dealing with in the early days of the republic.
The so-called Whiskey Rebellion of 1794, now seems like a quaint little tidbit for historians.
But in its day, this little rebellion by a group of Pennsylvania farmers nearly was as far-reaching as the Civil War, the Revolutionary War or any subsequent segment of our nation’s story. It was the fledgling nation’s first test of our commitment to the constitutional rule of law.
In 1790, the new national government of the United States still was attempting to establish itself.
Because the government had assumed the debts incurred by the individual colonies during the Revolution, it was deeply in debt, with few ways to remedy the problem.
During the winter of 1791, both houses of Congress approved a bill that placed an excise tax on all distilled spirits — proposed by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton to help prevent the national debt from growing.
Angered by the excise tax, farmers in the western counties of Pennsylvania engaged in a series of attacks on excise agents sent to collect taxes.
The new tax effectively eliminated any profit the farmers gained from the sale or barter of one of their most important cash crops — the distilling of whiskey.
The rebelling farmers rioted in many towns on the frontier, roughing up the new tax collectors.
Open rebellion broke out in July 1794, when a federal marshall was attacked in Allegheny County, Pa.
Hundreds of farmers attacked the residence of the regional inspector, burning his home and farmstead. Mobs rioted in Pittsburg as well.
On Aug. 7, 1794, President Washington issued a proclamation which called out the militia to maintain order and help send the irate farmers back to their farms.
Washington’s order mobilized an army of almost 13,000 men — as large as the one which had defeated the British a few years before — under the command of Gen. Light-Horse Harry Lee, who was serving as governor of Virginia.
In fact, to demonstrate his new presidential authority, Washington himself set out at the head of the troops to suppress the rebellion.
This action was the first use of the Militia Law of 1792, which set precedent for the use of militia to execute the laws of the Union and suppress insurrections.
It also set in motion the power of the national government to enforce order in one state, with troops raised from other states.
It went even further, testing the power of the newly formed federal government to establish primacy in disputes within and between individual states.
It is interesting to note, somewhat akin to what we are seeing in today’s Occupy Wall Street movement across the country, the farmers of the 1790s were convinced a tax upon liquor, which was a common drink of the nation, operated in proportion to the number — and not to the wealth — of the people.
These rebels, as they then were called, saw this as an injustice in itself, and oppressive upon the poor.
To their way of thinking, poor farmers were being taxed for the product of their labors, while the rich and well to do simply enjoyed the whiskey, without paying their fair share of the tax.
By November 1794, Hamilton wrote to Washington the list of prisoners taken by the militia had grown to about 150.
Calling the militia home after having successfully put down the Whiskey Rebellion, the father of our country, on July 10, 1795, issued a pardon to all insurgents who had been taken prisoner, but who had yet to be sentenced or indicted.
By this time, however, most of the rebellious farmers had been acquitted for lack of evidence.
And so, out of this historical context, the federal government was born.
Monday, November 21, 2011
New posting schedule
Sorry for the long delay in posting - had some family issues.
The posting schedule for this blog - starting this Wednesday, Nov 23, will be Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Thanks for your patience!
The posting schedule for this blog - starting this Wednesday, Nov 23, will be Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Thanks for your patience!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Architect selected for American Revolution Museum
From Philly.com: Architect selected for American Revolution Museum
Third time's the charm.
After years of debate, two rejected sites and immeasurable frustration, plans for the Museum of the American Revolution are finally under way, with the announcement Tuesday that the architect chosen to design the museum is - again - Robert A.M. Stern.
"The institution is incredibly important," Stern said. "It's a thrill to be part of the process."
And, no doubt, a test of patience.
The New York architect, longtime dean of the Yale School of Architecture, has been selected twice before to design the museum - first in 2004, when it was to be built in Valley Forge National Historical Park, and a year later, when the site was moved to an adjacent property.
Both projects were scrapped when disputes arose with the National Park Service, neighbors, and other parties over the museum's placement and potential ancillary land use.
Then, last year, the American Revolution Center, the nonprofit creating the museum and supplying its artifacts, agreed to give the Park Service a 78-acre property across from Valley Forge in exchange for the site of the old Independence Park visitor center at Third and Chestnut Streets.
Although Stern's firm might have seemed the automatic choice for the new project, the center sought competitive bids once more.
"We felt that in order to exercise due diligence, we should go out there," said David Acton, secretary of the center's board of directors and vice chairman of the building committee that reviewed 40 architects' proposals.
Last spring, five finalists were chosen. Stern's concept was the clear winner, Acton said: "Bob took it to a higher level. His conceptual proposal was very detailed."
Stern's concept for the museum at Valley Forge was praised for its sophistication and fluid lines.
The building on Independence Mall will be very different, Acton said: "It is in a city district as opposed to a cornfield. If they had just rehashed the old design, we wouldn't have been impressed."
The $150 million project, funded in part with a grant from the state, is expected to be completed in 2015. Stern, in an interview, anticipated that he would have a "fully cooked" design ready by February.
Washington Crossing, PA, Dec 1, Rev War Talk
From NJ.com: Slavery and the Constitution topic of talk at Washington Crossing, Pa.
WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pa. — Acclaimed constitutional scholar Paul Finkelman will lecture at the David Library of the American Revolution on Thursday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m.
The lecture, “America’s Covenant With Death: Slavery and the Founding,” will examine how and why slavery was written into the original Constitution, and protected by it. The lecture will be held at the David Library, 1201 River Road, Washington Crossing. Reservations required.
A specialist in American legal history, race and the law, Paul Finkelman is the author of more than 100 scholarly articles and more than twenty books. He is an expert in areas such as the law of slavery, constitutional law, and legal issues surrounding baseball. He was a Fellow in Law and the Humanities at Harvard Law School and received his Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Chicago. He has published extensively and was the chief expert witness in the Alabama Ten Commandments monument case.
His scholarship on religious monuments in public space was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in Van Orden v. Perry (2005). He was also a key witness in the suit over who owned Barry Bonds’ 73rd home run ball. His work on legal history and constitutional law has been cited by numerous courts and in many appellate briefs.
Finkelman is the President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law and Public Policy and Senior Fellow, Government Law Center at Albany Law School. He was previously Chapman Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Tulsa College of Law, and held chairs at the University of Akron Law School, Cleveland-Marshall Law School, and the University of Miami.
The lecture is the fifth in a series of five lectures on history of the Constitution being offered by the David Library this fall.
For reservations or additional information, call 215-493-6776, ext. 100, or e-mail rsvp@dlar.org.
WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pa. — Acclaimed constitutional scholar Paul Finkelman will lecture at the David Library of the American Revolution on Thursday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m.
The lecture, “America’s Covenant With Death: Slavery and the Founding,” will examine how and why slavery was written into the original Constitution, and protected by it. The lecture will be held at the David Library, 1201 River Road, Washington Crossing. Reservations required.
A specialist in American legal history, race and the law, Paul Finkelman is the author of more than 100 scholarly articles and more than twenty books. He is an expert in areas such as the law of slavery, constitutional law, and legal issues surrounding baseball. He was a Fellow in Law and the Humanities at Harvard Law School and received his Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Chicago. He has published extensively and was the chief expert witness in the Alabama Ten Commandments monument case.
His scholarship on religious monuments in public space was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in Van Orden v. Perry (2005). He was also a key witness in the suit over who owned Barry Bonds’ 73rd home run ball. His work on legal history and constitutional law has been cited by numerous courts and in many appellate briefs.
Finkelman is the President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law and Public Policy and Senior Fellow, Government Law Center at Albany Law School. He was previously Chapman Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Tulsa College of Law, and held chairs at the University of Akron Law School, Cleveland-Marshall Law School, and the University of Miami.
The lecture is the fifth in a series of five lectures on history of the Constitution being offered by the David Library this fall.
For reservations or additional information, call 215-493-6776, ext. 100, or e-mail rsvp@dlar.org.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Revolutionary graves marked
David Mann (from left), John Thornhill and Dick Bishop plan the best route for the entrance of the Color guard and the presentation of colors ceremony at a gravemarking ceremony Oct. 22 in Pender County. Courtesy photo
From StarNewsOnline: Revolutionary graves marked
Members of a number of historical and lineage groups, along with private citizens, met Oct. 22 at an early family gravesite of the Ashes and the Lillingtons to honor the service of members of both families in our American Revolution.
The graves of Gen. Samuel Ashe, Samuel Ashe Jr and Lt. William Ashe were marked with appropriate ceremony that morning, and in the afternoon the grave of Gen. John Alexander Lillington was marked. A picnic was served at the Ashe site between the ceremonies.
These graves are on private property in Pender County near the Northeast Cape Fear River.
Represented were: the Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of the Revolution, Daughters of the American Revolution, Moores Creek National Battlefield, Brunswicktown, Cape Fear Revolutionary War Round Table and a host of other important historical and lineage groups.
The host Chapter for this day of celebration was the Lower Cape Fear Chapter of North Carolina Society Sons of the American Revolution. Visit www.ncssar.org for more information about the organization.
Marines mark another year by celebrating 236th birthday
From the Yuma Sun, Nov 8: Marines mark another year by celebrating 236th birthday
Marines and sailors at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma gathered Tuesday morning to recall the Corps' long and glorious history, and to pay homage to past generations of those who served as part of its 236th birthday celebrations.
The formal celebration, which was held on the MCAS Yuma parade ground, included a pageant of uniforms worn throughout the Corps' history, a traditional message from the Corps 13th Commandant, and the traditional cake-cutting ceremony.
“We are celebrating all the Marines from the American Revolution through the fight in Afghanistan today, and everything in between,” said Col. Robert Kuckuk, commander of MCAS Yuma. “All of those people who toiled for their country, gave up their personal comfort and freedoms in order to wear the eagle, globe and anchor and earn the title of U.S. Marine. Every year we get to revel in our history. We all come together and we thank goodness, and thank God the creator, that we get to be members of this organization whose sole purpose in life is to protect the freedoms that other people have gone and fought for over the course of the history of this great country.”
Sgt. Daniel Malta, from the MCAS Yuma public affairs office, opened the ceremony by sharing a brief history of the Marine Corps with those who attended, while the Marine Hymn played softly in the background.
“The word ‘Marine' spans time, places, people, personalities and exploits,” Malta said. “It is the honor, courage and commitment of those who have preceded us who have set the standards and made the Corps the proud fighting organization it has been since its inception in 1775. We have faith in our God, love for our country, dedication to our Corps, belief in ourselves, and a heritage that sets us apart from any other.”
A reading of a special birthday message from Gen. James F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, was also part of the celebration. In his message, Amos said while the Marines have been in engaged in continuous conflict the past 10 years against enemies who would threaten the security of the country, while it has come at a cost, there was much to be proud of.
“This past year in operations around the world, including humanitarian disaster relief, counter-piracy, theater security cooperation, special operations, counter-insurgency and many more, you continued to solidify our place as America's expeditionary force in readiness,” Amos wrote in his statement. “As we celebrate our 236th birthday, let us look forward to future challenges, whatever they may be, and reaffirm to be America's premier crisis response force; to be the first to fight, always ready for the toughest and most challenging assignments.”
During the uniform pageant, which commemorated the long lineage of men and women who have filled the Corps' ranks for more than two centuries, Marines dressed in uniforms took position on the parade field as their eras were read aloud. The uniforms dated from the time of Continental Marines to the present day.
“We use the uniform pageant to highlight our history and quickly move through, what we all as Marines, consider somewhat an illustrious history, while showing the uniforms we wore over time,” Kuckuk said.
What is important to remember about all the battles Marines have fought in is that they were all fought by young people who most likely had no idea where the places were before the fighting began, Kuckuk said.
“Now we look back at some of the greatness and heroism that took place, and all those kids were probably still in high school the year before,” Kuckuk said. “That is the kind of people you are dealing with and the kind of tradition we celebrate.”
Following the pageant, a Navy corpsman rappelled 100 feet out of a SAR HH-1N Huey helicopter to deliver the ceremonial sword that Kuckuk used to cut the birthday cake. The first slice was presented to the oldest Marine on the air station, Lt. Col. Charles Carroll, 52, who then passed it to the youngest Marine, 18-year-old Pfc. Kyle Wilson.
Following the cake-cutting, Pfc. Abraham A Cabrera, who was born in Agua Prieta, Mexico, officially became a U.S. citizen in a naturalization ceremony.
The Marine Corps' official birthday is Nov. 10, 1775, when the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution that “two battalions of Marines be raised.”
Marines and sailors at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma gathered Tuesday morning to recall the Corps' long and glorious history, and to pay homage to past generations of those who served as part of its 236th birthday celebrations.
The formal celebration, which was held on the MCAS Yuma parade ground, included a pageant of uniforms worn throughout the Corps' history, a traditional message from the Corps 13th Commandant, and the traditional cake-cutting ceremony.
“We are celebrating all the Marines from the American Revolution through the fight in Afghanistan today, and everything in between,” said Col. Robert Kuckuk, commander of MCAS Yuma. “All of those people who toiled for their country, gave up their personal comfort and freedoms in order to wear the eagle, globe and anchor and earn the title of U.S. Marine. Every year we get to revel in our history. We all come together and we thank goodness, and thank God the creator, that we get to be members of this organization whose sole purpose in life is to protect the freedoms that other people have gone and fought for over the course of the history of this great country.”
Sgt. Daniel Malta, from the MCAS Yuma public affairs office, opened the ceremony by sharing a brief history of the Marine Corps with those who attended, while the Marine Hymn played softly in the background.
“The word ‘Marine' spans time, places, people, personalities and exploits,” Malta said. “It is the honor, courage and commitment of those who have preceded us who have set the standards and made the Corps the proud fighting organization it has been since its inception in 1775. We have faith in our God, love for our country, dedication to our Corps, belief in ourselves, and a heritage that sets us apart from any other.”
A reading of a special birthday message from Gen. James F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, was also part of the celebration. In his message, Amos said while the Marines have been in engaged in continuous conflict the past 10 years against enemies who would threaten the security of the country, while it has come at a cost, there was much to be proud of.
“This past year in operations around the world, including humanitarian disaster relief, counter-piracy, theater security cooperation, special operations, counter-insurgency and many more, you continued to solidify our place as America's expeditionary force in readiness,” Amos wrote in his statement. “As we celebrate our 236th birthday, let us look forward to future challenges, whatever they may be, and reaffirm to be America's premier crisis response force; to be the first to fight, always ready for the toughest and most challenging assignments.”
During the uniform pageant, which commemorated the long lineage of men and women who have filled the Corps' ranks for more than two centuries, Marines dressed in uniforms took position on the parade field as their eras were read aloud. The uniforms dated from the time of Continental Marines to the present day.
“We use the uniform pageant to highlight our history and quickly move through, what we all as Marines, consider somewhat an illustrious history, while showing the uniforms we wore over time,” Kuckuk said.
What is important to remember about all the battles Marines have fought in is that they were all fought by young people who most likely had no idea where the places were before the fighting began, Kuckuk said.
“Now we look back at some of the greatness and heroism that took place, and all those kids were probably still in high school the year before,” Kuckuk said. “That is the kind of people you are dealing with and the kind of tradition we celebrate.”
Following the pageant, a Navy corpsman rappelled 100 feet out of a SAR HH-1N Huey helicopter to deliver the ceremonial sword that Kuckuk used to cut the birthday cake. The first slice was presented to the oldest Marine on the air station, Lt. Col. Charles Carroll, 52, who then passed it to the youngest Marine, 18-year-old Pfc. Kyle Wilson.
Following the cake-cutting, Pfc. Abraham A Cabrera, who was born in Agua Prieta, Mexico, officially became a U.S. citizen in a naturalization ceremony.
The Marine Corps' official birthday is Nov. 10, 1775, when the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution that “two battalions of Marines be raised.”
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
DAR holds tree dedication
From Sun Journal: DAR holds tree dedication
Daughters of the American Revolution dedicated a balsam fir Tuesday that was planted on the grounds of the Franklin County Courthouse in Farmington. Donated by Dutton's Nursery of Morrill, the tree replaces a spruce planted by DAR members in 1938 in honor of the 100th anniversary of Franklin County that died. From left are DAR members Nancy Flick, Joanne Page, Connie Hiltz, Joan Patterson, Chapter Regent Marcia White, Theo Ross, Ann Ladd, Wilma Rector and Belle Foss. Not pictured but present were Melanie Farmer and Julia Nouvertne. The tree stands behind the women who want to put up a marker near the tree. A plaque honoring the original tree hangs inside the courthouse.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Save Princeton Battlefield, the Turning Point of the American Revolution
From the Princeton Patch: Save Princeton Battlefield, the Turning Point of the American Revolution
To the Editor,
The Battle of Princeton was FAR more important than most people realize, it truly was a TURNING POINT OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. General Washington knew that winning this battle was ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL. Many of the soldiers had completed their commissions at the end of 1776 and the Continental Congress had run out of funds to finance the war.
The week before the battle Washington sent General Cadwalader to Princeton who drew a map, now known as the “Cadwalader Spymap,” showing not only the physical features, including Bainbridge House and Nassau Hall, but markings indicating the location and number of British soldiers on the Post Road (Rt. 206). The map includes the Saw Mill Road, the “backroad” that Washington used to move the entire Continental Army into Princeton undetected. Interestingly, it appears that General Cadwalader did not physically examine this road because the map doesn’t include clearly important buildings on the road - the Quaker Meeting House, or the Thomas or William Clarke Houses.
Today, MUCH MORE IMPORTANT than the road, however, is the location of the winning COUNTERATTACK. Clear evidence dating back to the mid-1940s when Princeton Battlefield Park was set up, shows where the Counterattack took place. The original boundaries of the Park were to include the location of the Counterattack. Archaeological evidence and the mapped features of the original accounts of soldiers in the Battle have confirmed the location of the COUNTERATTACK just outside the Park boundaries.
The site of the Counterattack is NOT an appropriate location for a housing development. Instead it should be sold to the State of New Jersey for incorporation into the Park as originally intended.
Daniel Thompson
Princeton Township, Member of the Princeton Battlefield Society
N.J.'s Crossroads of the American Revolution awarded $10K by Seward Johnson Sr. Trust
From New Jersey Newsroom: N.J.'s Crossroads of the American Revolution awarded $10K by Seward Johnson Sr. Trust
Donation will enable non-profit to obtain $10,000 in federal aid
The Crossroads of the American Revolution Association announced Monday that it has received $10,000 for operating support and the implementation of a management plan from the J. Seward Johnson Sr. 1963 Charitable Trust.
Crossroads Director Cate Litvack said the money will be leveraged dollar-for-dollar through the National Park Service’s federal matching funds for National Heritage Areas.
The J. Seward Johnson, Sr. 1963 Charitable Trust provides grants to non-profit organizations in New Jersey and selectively in other parts of the nation. Support is given to programs in the fields of oceanography, substance abuse prevention, cultural enrichment, health and healthcare, water and the environment, education, law and public broadcasting. A portion of the trust’s giving is directed toward civic, cultural and educational activities in Princeton and New Brunswick.
Crossroads, founded in 2002, is the federally designated coordinating non-profit organization for the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area which was established by Congress in 2006. Working in collaboration with Morristown National Historical Park and other partners throughout New Jersey, Crossroads is actively pursuing historic and environmental preservation, heritage education, cultural conservation, recreational heritage trails and heritage tourism. New Jersey’s heritage area comprises 213 cities and towns within 14 counties from Fort Lee in Bergen County to Fort Mercer in Gloucester County.
Donation will enable non-profit to obtain $10,000 in federal aid
The Crossroads of the American Revolution Association announced Monday that it has received $10,000 for operating support and the implementation of a management plan from the J. Seward Johnson Sr. 1963 Charitable Trust.
Crossroads Director Cate Litvack said the money will be leveraged dollar-for-dollar through the National Park Service’s federal matching funds for National Heritage Areas.
The J. Seward Johnson, Sr. 1963 Charitable Trust provides grants to non-profit organizations in New Jersey and selectively in other parts of the nation. Support is given to programs in the fields of oceanography, substance abuse prevention, cultural enrichment, health and healthcare, water and the environment, education, law and public broadcasting. A portion of the trust’s giving is directed toward civic, cultural and educational activities in Princeton and New Brunswick.
Crossroads, founded in 2002, is the federally designated coordinating non-profit organization for the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area which was established by Congress in 2006. Working in collaboration with Morristown National Historical Park and other partners throughout New Jersey, Crossroads is actively pursuing historic and environmental preservation, heritage education, cultural conservation, recreational heritage trails and heritage tourism. New Jersey’s heritage area comprises 213 cities and towns within 14 counties from Fort Lee in Bergen County to Fort Mercer in Gloucester County.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Group moves Port Canaveral battle marker over dispute
Philip Wright (right), chapter president of the Sons of the American Revolution and Ben DuBose, also of the SAR, remove a roadside sign marking the last naval battle of the Revolutionary War. The sign and accompanying monument, currently in front of the Canaveral Port Authority headquarters, is being relocated to Veterans Memorial Park in Merritt Island.
From Florida Today: Group moves Port Canaveral battle marker over dispute
PORT CANAVERAL — The Sons of the American Revolution is taking its cannon and going to a new location, after it could not work out a dispute with Port Canaveral officials.
The organization has had a replica cannon and historic marker on display near the Canaveral Port Authority Maritime Center office building off George J. King Boulevard, commemorating the last naval battle of the American Revolution, which took place on March 10, 1783, a few miles south of Cape Canaveral.
But officials of the Sons of the American Revolution, a lineage society, were concerned about a $50 fee instituted by the port for events like the annual parade the organization held there and the potential for other costs in future years that they feared could reach as high as $1,000.
While the need to reimburse those costs was waived for the 2011 parade, held in March, there was no guarantee that a waiver would be approved in the future, said Ben DuBose, chairman of the Florida State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution Last Naval Battle Committee.
So DuBose and others in the organization felt it was time to move the replica of an 18th-century cannon, the cannon base, the historic marker and a footstone somewhere else. On Tuesday, the items were removed by a crew from Able Monument & Sandblasting of Titusville, aided by DuBose and Philip Wright, president of the 110-member Brevard Sons of the American Revolution chapter. The items are headed for the Brevard Veterans Museum on Merritt Island, where the group plans to have its future parades.
The cannon monument was dedicated in 2007 and was a project of the Brevard chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, six local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Cape Canaveral Navy League. DuBose said the parade, presented annually since 2007, draws an average of 150 marchers and a similar number of spectators.
Port officials noted that, even with this historic display removed, Port Canaveral’s nearby Jetty Park has a granite monument with plaque honoring John Barry, commander of the Continental Navy frigate Alliance in the 1783 battle. The plaque was installed in 1990 and is the site of an annual John Barry Day celebration.
Barry’s ship and another one were carrying Spanish silver coins from Cuba to Philadelphia that would be used to support the Continental Army when they engaged three British ships. The Alliance drove off the British frigate Sybil after a 40-minute battle.
Barry, whose strategy is credited with winning the battle, later would become a commodore and is considered by some historians to be “the father of the U.S. Navy.”
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
DAR essay contests offered in Hill County schools
From The Lakelander: DAR essay contests offered in Hill County schools
HILL COUNTY � This year, two new essay contests sponsored by the Fort Graham Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, will be available to Hill County students.
The American History essay contest is for students in grades 5-8, and the Christopher Columbus essay contest is open to grades 9-12. Home schooled students are invited to participate at all levels. Students in grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 may participate in the American history essay contest and awards will be given to the winners in each grade level. The title of the essay is "Young America Takes a Stand: The War of 1812."
Students are asked to pretend they were alive during the War of 1812 and had a friend who became famous in history because of standing up for America during that exciting but dangerous time. Describe the person and how he or she stood up for America. Explain why it is important to honor such heroes when we celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812. The deadline for receipt of the War of 1812 essays is Nov. 15, 2011.
Students in grades 9-12 may enter the essay contest entitled "Christopher Columbus: In his own time, in history and today." The student will describe Christopher Columbus as he was understood in three different time periods: What did 15th century people think about his accomplishments? How did 19th-century historians view him? How did Columbus, who had primitive ships and no computers or modern navigation equipment, affect our lives today?
This contest is sponsored jointly by the Daughters of the American Revolution and the National Italian American Foundation. The deadline for receipt of the Christopher Columbus essay is Nov. 21, 2011.
Winning entries at the local level will be entered in the statewide competition and may then go on to win at the divisional and national level. A certificate, gold pin and monetary award is presented to each national winner at Continental Congress in July 2012. Winning essays may appear in official DAR communications.
To obtain a written copy of the official guidelines for the above essay contests, students of public, private and parochial schools should contact their school counselors or call Phyllis Olson at 254-694-4949. Parents of home schooled children are encouraged to contact Mrs. Olson directly to receive detailed information about the contests. Both contests are conducted without regard to race, religion, national origin or sex.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote patriotism, preserve American history, and support better education for our nation's children. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War.
With more than 165,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world's largest and most active service organizations. To learn more about the work of today's DAR, visit www.DAR.org.
HILL COUNTY � This year, two new essay contests sponsored by the Fort Graham Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, will be available to Hill County students.
The American History essay contest is for students in grades 5-8, and the Christopher Columbus essay contest is open to grades 9-12. Home schooled students are invited to participate at all levels. Students in grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 may participate in the American history essay contest and awards will be given to the winners in each grade level. The title of the essay is "Young America Takes a Stand: The War of 1812."
Students are asked to pretend they were alive during the War of 1812 and had a friend who became famous in history because of standing up for America during that exciting but dangerous time. Describe the person and how he or she stood up for America. Explain why it is important to honor such heroes when we celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812. The deadline for receipt of the War of 1812 essays is Nov. 15, 2011.
Students in grades 9-12 may enter the essay contest entitled "Christopher Columbus: In his own time, in history and today." The student will describe Christopher Columbus as he was understood in three different time periods: What did 15th century people think about his accomplishments? How did 19th-century historians view him? How did Columbus, who had primitive ships and no computers or modern navigation equipment, affect our lives today?
This contest is sponsored jointly by the Daughters of the American Revolution and the National Italian American Foundation. The deadline for receipt of the Christopher Columbus essay is Nov. 21, 2011.
Winning entries at the local level will be entered in the statewide competition and may then go on to win at the divisional and national level. A certificate, gold pin and monetary award is presented to each national winner at Continental Congress in July 2012. Winning essays may appear in official DAR communications.
To obtain a written copy of the official guidelines for the above essay contests, students of public, private and parochial schools should contact their school counselors or call Phyllis Olson at 254-694-4949. Parents of home schooled children are encouraged to contact Mrs. Olson directly to receive detailed information about the contests. Both contests are conducted without regard to race, religion, national origin or sex.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote patriotism, preserve American history, and support better education for our nation's children. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War.
With more than 165,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world's largest and most active service organizations. To learn more about the work of today's DAR, visit www.DAR.org.
American Revolution Association receives $10,000 grant
From New Jersey.com: American Revolution Association receives $10,000 grant
Crossroads of the American Revolution Association, an historical nonprofit organization, has received a $10,000 grant to support national heritage areas tied to the Revolutionary War.
The grant comes from the J. Seward Johnson Sr. 1963 Charitable Trust, which provides funds to New Jersey nonprofit groups with an emphasis on civic, cultural and educational programs in Princeton and New Brunswick.
“We are grateful to the J. Seward Johnson Sr. Trust for their ongoing and generous support,” said Cate Litvack, executive director of the association. “This grant will be leveraged dollar-for-dollar through the National Park Service’s federal matching funds for National Heritage Areas.”
Crossroads helps preserve historic properties and supports historical education and tourism.
New Jersey’s heritage area includes 213 cities and towns and sites such as Princeton Battlefield State Park and the Old Barracks in Trenton.
For more information, visit revolutionarynj.org or call (609) 633-2060.
Crossroads of the American Revolution Association, an historical nonprofit organization, has received a $10,000 grant to support national heritage areas tied to the Revolutionary War.
The grant comes from the J. Seward Johnson Sr. 1963 Charitable Trust, which provides funds to New Jersey nonprofit groups with an emphasis on civic, cultural and educational programs in Princeton and New Brunswick.
“We are grateful to the J. Seward Johnson Sr. Trust for their ongoing and generous support,” said Cate Litvack, executive director of the association. “This grant will be leveraged dollar-for-dollar through the National Park Service’s federal matching funds for National Heritage Areas.”
Crossroads helps preserve historic properties and supports historical education and tourism.
New Jersey’s heritage area includes 213 cities and towns and sites such as Princeton Battlefield State Park and the Old Barracks in Trenton.
For more information, visit revolutionarynj.org or call (609) 633-2060.
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