With the utterly wicked Cancel Culture's (yes, that now includes every element of the U.S. Government) triumphal attack on the Confederate Monument at Arlington National Cemetery apparently irreversible, I feel impelled to run an article that I presented previously in my Trip-Wire monthly newsletter. I believe it hints at why the post-Civil War effort at reconciliation that the Confederate Monument came to symbolize was a blessing for America.
That national endeavor to bring the county back together was initiated by President William McKinley who was, incidentally, a veteran of the Union Army. Tragically, he would be assassinated before he could see the fruits of his efforts when a unified country was called on to enter the Great War and later to successfully overcome all the formidable challenges of the 20th Century. It appears in the 21st Century that we have to accept becoming progressively more unreconciled and less unified and able to meet its challenges. MH
One unit that fought in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the 167th Infantry of the storied 42nd Rainbow Division. The regiment was composed of men from the Alabama National Guard. Before the Meuse-Argonne operation, the Rainbow Division, with these Alabamians in the forefront with its sister regiment of Iowans, had fought a very difficult engagement at Croix Rouge Farm during the Second Battle of the Marne. Decades later, an Alabama businessman named Nimrod Frazer, whose father had fought at the farm, took it upon himself to see the men of the 167th were honored for their service. Ably supported by World War One Centennial Commissioner Monique Seefried, Frazer produced a history of the unit, Send in the Alabamians, and sponsored the creation of a monument, a bronze sculpture, to the men who fought at Croix Rouge. The monument was created by British sculptor James Butler and dedicated in France in 2011.
The sculpture at Croix Rouge proved to be a remarkable success and is now a pilgrimage site for American visitors to the Western Front. Funding was received to make a second casting possible. The new piece was dedicated in 2017 at the Union Station in Montgomery, Alabama, the departure point for the 167th when they left for their federal service. One of the features of the monument I particularly like is its highly detailed information panels, which are presented below.
Sources: A Big Thanks to Bob Knight for the Photos. Learn more about the many contributions to World War One Remembrance of the late Nimrod Frazer (d. 7 Mar 2023) HERE.
nimrod-frazerwwi.html
I'm wondering if the National Guard units such as Louisiana's 141st Field Artillery (formerly the Washington Artillery CSA) will be required to repudiate their Civil War battle honors?
ReplyDeleteThere is no end to it, Jim. The Washington Monument is on the targeting list.
DeleteHopefully if this foolish attempt to erase History continues all the removed monuments will find homes in Civil War Parks. Thanks for the Shout Out Mike. I enjoyed the visit to Montgomery!
ReplyDeleteThe article relays the message of the importance of honoring and remembering the past and the challenges of national unity and reconciliation and understanding difficulties of historical narratives. I was tutored by a person from Alabama whose family owned a farm, and he drilled into me that symbols that the confederate use of statues and flags, are depictions of evil. My professor in my history class stated that symbols represent wrong ideas in society. Cancel culture brings accountability where individuals and institutions are accountable for discrimination, harmful behavior, and misconduct. The voices and communities that have been ignored and unrepresented have a voice that speaks out on inequality and injustice. The personal experiences of individuals from Alabama and the viewpoints of both the tutor and the professor reflect the evolving attitudes toward symbols and their associations with historical ideas and societal norms. It is evident that symbols, like statues and flags, can carry deep meanings and be viewed as representations of both good and evil, depending on one's perspective. In summary, the discussion raises essential questions about how we commemorate our history, the evolving meanings of symbols, and the role of cancel culture in promoting accountability and social justice. It underscores the ongoing dialogue and debate about the complexities of our collective past and the challenges of achieving unity and reconciliation in a diverse and evolving society.
ReplyDeleteCancel culture is extremism. Irregardless of Mr Gonzales wordy dissertation, cancel culture has an agenda that is very biased.
ReplyDeleteAccountability is the goal of cancel culture, where applying this concept can cause extremism, followed by debates over free speech, redemption, and justice.
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