Politics: Statues coming down II

[Tidewater]

In 1936, August Landmesser was in a crowd of Germans. Everyone around him was saluting Hitler. Landmesser refused to take part. And suffered for it.

I believe some people in 1860 knew what good people should do when the Federal government decides to do something violent, antidemocratic, and unconstitutional: Virginia set the example. You do not help evil men commit evil. Virginia was like Landmesser in the photo. When Republicans and northern states were gleefully doing the Nazi salute, Virginia said, "No. We will not take part in that effort. We will not help." And like Landmesser, Virginia suffered for her stand.
So when I hear people today call Virginians "traitors" for their stand, I take a measure of pride in noting that Nazis in 1936 called Landmesser a traitor as well.

 

[Tidewater]

Fort Gregg-Adams renamed to Fort Lee.
This one for Private Fitz Lee.

Private Fitz Lee (1866 - 14 September 1899) was a Buffalo Soldier in the U.S. Army who received the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his heroic actions during the Spanish-American War.

Fitz Lee joined the Army from his birth place of Dinwiddie County, VA, and on 30 June 1898, he was serving as a Private in Troop M of the 10th Cavalry Regiment. American forces aboard the USS Florida near Tayacoba, Cuba, that day dispatched a small landing party to provide reconnaissance on Spanish outposts in the area. The party was discovered by Spanish scouts and came under heavy fire; their boats were sunk by enemy cannon fire, leaving them stranded on shore.

The men aboard the Florida launched several rescue attempts; the first four were forced to retreat under heavy fire. The fifth attempt, manned by Lee and three other Privates of the 10th Cavalry (Dennis Bell, William H. Thompkins, and George H. Wanton), launched at night and successfully found and rescued the surviving members of the landing party. One year later, on 23 June 1899, all four rescuers were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions in what had come to be known as the Battle of Tayacoba.


Citation: Voluntarily went ashore in the face of the enemy and aided in the rescue of his wounded comrades; this after several previous attempts had been frustrated.

 

[Crimson1967]

Digging through the archives looking for people with the same name as the old namesake is stupid to me. Ft. Rucker was changed to honor a MOH recipient rather than a Confederate officer. Now it is named for some WWI pilot named Rucker.

That said, I think naming the fort for Fitz Lee is appropriate. We should have a high standard for the names we put on military bases.

 

[Tidewater]

Ilhan Omar, neo-Confederate. Posts a man flying a "Bonnie Blue" Confederate Flag

Welcome to the ranks, comrade.