advertisement

The Confederacy and the Confederate flag

My grade school years started some 65 years ago here in the town of Bloomingdale. Most classes were rather small. In fact many included more than one grade (e.g., fifth and sixth grade). We had one teacher for every class only in my last couple of years. We had a gym and music teacher.

When we studied the Civil War, our teaching mostly dealt with battles and famous generals. In music class we learned to sing Dixie before we learned the Star Spangled Banner. Nobody thought one side was better than the other and in fact we celebrated the bravery of both sides. The Confederate Flag was the flag of the South and never was there any suggestion the men in gray were traitors rather than just men fighting for a world they felt was being taken away.

As years went by, I became a soldier during Vietnam and served with many men from the South. While they were southerners through and through and were proud of their Confederate roots, they treated me with great respect both as a comrade and later under my leadership.

The point I am trying to make is North or South, white, black, brown, red or yellow when the first shot is fired, we are all Americans and we must go into battle together.

The Confederate flag was a symbol of those states and the battle cry for those who fought. If the Civil War started tomorrow I may not agree with everything the North believed in but it is my state and my family I would be fighting for. This is no different from what the boys in gray fought for. We should honor their flag and respect what these brave boys died for.

Larry Eichman

Addison

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.