Poem " The Mariner on the Endless Sea"

On a long night far from home, carried forth by an endless sea, a mariner roams

Embraced by star filled skies, while swaying to the soothing choreography of ship and wave, the mariner beholds the tranquility and elegance of the world.

How lucky, we mariners are, being permitted to experience the grace of such
earthly splendor.

The world clothed in sable, poignant and still. So amazing to the senses, that the soul
is filled with peace and finds harmony with nature.

Yes, on a long night far from home the mariner becomes receptive to the call of heaven
and will converse with God for answers, that will last till the end of life



Poem Written by Mark R. Day, 12/31/11, all rights reserved. Copyright by Mark R. Day 12/31/11

Poem "Time, Friend or Enemy of Man"

Our lives time shifts as the wind moves the sand .
Is it by our will?
Is it some plan?
What can we do in the time our lives span?


Poem written by Mark R. Day, 1971, published for 1st time 12/31/11 all rights reserved.  Copyright by Mark R. Day 12/31/11

Poem "Lonely and Silent"

Lonely and silent the line of stones stands.
Paused in lifeless testimony and in eternal union joined
A regiment of death.  Voices stilled forever, silenced never to awake

How cold the dawn; even as the sun begins to rise

Oh so slowly rising . . . . slowly . . . . slowly
Oh so slowly rising


Nevertheless the sun fails to meet its purpose, as no warmth can pierce the clay
Just a chill and passionless silence of shadows encases them where they lay

Only a bleak and mournful morning greets them, as they endure, indiferent to the chill.
For these valiant shrouded sentinels linger, in emptiness ascribed.
Erect and facing heaven, they pass the lonely days

To await the call of Judgement
To await the warmth of the "Son"


Yet until then, the cold, heartless, and indifferent hand of death shall hold them firmly in the earth and only their grey stony presence will provide a reminder of long years, spent in patient expectation.


Poem written by Mark R. Day 12/31/11, all rights reserved.  Copyright by Mark R. Day 12/31/11

Photo "A Ruben's Madder Sunrise"

Photos taken near Lynchburg, VA approximately 7:30 am 12-30-2011 using a Cannon Power Shot SX100 IS

Photo by Mark R. Day, all rights reserved, copyright Mark R. Day  12-30-2011

Remarks to the Lincoln-Cushing Camp #2, on the occasion of installing the elected officers for the year 2012, presented on 10 December 2011 at the Holiday Inn, Alexandria, VA,

Remarks to the Lincoln-Cushing Camp #2, on the occasion of installing the elected officers for the year 2012, presented on 10 December 2011 at the Holiday Inn, Alexandria, VA,

Lincoln-Cushing Commander Nalls,  DC MOLLUS Commander Pollock,  Brothers, Sisters, and Companions. 

The meal and fellowship have been wonderful.  I thank you for your hospitality and generosity, which have become your trademark in the Department of the Chesapeake .   I am here today as the designated representative of the Department of the Chesapeake  Commander, Brother Robert Moore, to conduct the instillation of Lincoln-Cushing's 2012 Officers.  Commander Moore has asked  that,  I present you his greetings and his heartfelt wishes for the continued success of the Lincoln-Cushing Camp in the coming year.   

As we come together now to install your officers, I would ask you to consider the following.  Our organization has three principles that are resolute and enduring.    We are charged to be Fraternal, Charitable,  and Loyal.  These three simple words are the watch words of your  elected officers and stand as the very heart and soul of our organization; uniting each of us in service to the past, present, and future generations of Americans. 

In Fraternity we find strength through the shared experience of honoring the memory of the men who sacrificed life, limb, and family to preserve the Union.  As they were bound together in their great efforts to win freedom for the slave and reestablish the United States,  we must likewise be bound together to achieve our goals to ensure that they are never forgotten.  Fraternity is the glue which binds us to that task of service to the past.

In Charity we provide hope for others who have been worn down by the wars of our time.  Abraham Lincoln said we should bind up the wounds and care for the widow and orphan.  Through the giving of our time and fortune we can still fulfill Lincoln's commission today.    We must commit to visiting the veterans of our wars, and assist the widows and orphans of our time.  Charity is the glue which binds us to the task of service to the present.

In Loyalty we move forward and plan for tomorrow.  we must ensure that future generations will not see that, we allowed the light to go out and that the grass has overgrown the grave and monument.  We must make a commitment to teach the next generation to love their country and the rich history that proceeded them.  We must be  dedicated to the education of youth and ready to persevere in the face of all those who would deny our children this heritage.  Loyalty is the glue which binds us to the task of service to the future.

Your  officers for 2012 will soon be installed in their post.  It will be their duty to conduct themselves and the Lincoln-Cushing Camp in accordance with these principles of our great order.  May God grant them the wisdom to lead and may God bless the work of your camp in 2012

In Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty

Mark R. Day, Junior Vice Commander Department of the Chesapeake SUVCW

Oration "The Legacy and meaning of our Fourth of July Celebration"

Jefferson Graveside Oration for July 4th 2010

Monticello, VA

Mark R. Day

     Good Morning to each of you (other comment as appropriate about the weather etc.)  I thank Lee for the wonderful introduction which he has afforded me  this morning and I also want to thank the Sons of the American Revolution for granting me the opportunity to speak today.   As I began to prepare my comments, I sought to read what had been written on the topic of July Fourth in the past.   I needed to gain a sense of the importance the 4th of July held throughout the history of our nation, and how this day has come to be a springboard for the expansion of political, social, and economic  innovation.   Today, I have taken comments made by  men such as Thomas Jefferson, Frederick Douglas, Walt Whitman, and John F. Kennedy as my illustrations for proving the enduring power of the 4th of July to educate Americans about democracy.

     Now you can well imagine that the language and focus of these earlier orations were as varied as the personalities of those men who made them.    However, there are common themes which emerge from the comments of these great Americans.  I have placed these themes into two clear categories.   The First of these categorizations is the call to resist oppression.  This theme was  championed by both  Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Douglas throughout their  lives and we shall hear their  words spell out the need for continued resistance to oppression in every form.  The  second theme speaks of the traditional ideals  embodied in the spirit of our American Character .  Walt Whitman and John F. Kennedy are men who understood that spirit and character all too well, having both seen the hardship and sacrifice of war as well has the human ability to transcend the suffering and emerge a stronger people for it.  My object today shall be to use the words of these four men to quicken our spirit and enliven our love of liberty.

     What better setting could be found to begin a discussion of the call to fight against oppression, than this hallowed place where the spirit of Thomas Jefferson has found eternal  rest, {use arms to emphasize the location}.   Our surroundings stirring, within our hearts, the memory of the nation's founding and the emancipation of America from Great Britain. 

     Very near the end of his life, on June 24th 1826, Thomas Jefferson wrote a commentary on the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.   In that letter Jefferson said that he hoped ,   " July 4 be to the world, what I believe it will be -- to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all -- the signal of arousing men to burst the chains under which monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the blessings and security of self-government.  For Jefferson the 4th of July was a day to remember not just the act of declaring independence but a day upon which,  we would renew our commitment to the philosophical ideals behind the document he had written.   Jefferson understood that such ceremony would be necessary  to educate succeeding  generations of Americans in the essential principles of our government,  the importance of individual rights and  the value of self government {popular sovereignty}.   In the concluding paragraph of his letter of June 24th, Jefferson further advised, that  the duty of every citizen is to be vigilant and involved in constraining the power of government by making it the servant of the people.  His strong beliefs are revealed by the final  four sentences of his letter in which he talks about  the  relationship between the  government and its people as well as the need for celebration of the fourth of July.   "All eyes are open, or opening, to the rights of man.  The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of God.  These are grounds of hope for others.  For ourselves let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them."   This is  the proof of Jefferson's innovation and legacy to democracy.  He opened eyes to the idea of individual rights by taking  the ideals of the enlightenment, such as popular sovereignty and individual liberty and creating a new sense of entitlement in the American people and the world as a whole.   His work gave rise to a physical sense of freedom not just an ideological one.  This was what the world would come to emulate and America   celebrate.  The fact that we are here today celebrating for the 235th time the pronouncement of the Declaration of independence is the proof that Jefferson's commentary was correct in saying the first  4th of July  firmly established the reasons for the celebration and the importance of the day in our lives.

     Twenty-six years later Frederick Douglas, in his 1852 fourth of July Speech,  gave us another interpretation of the importance of the fourth of July by saying that the spirit of the Fourth of July was similar to the celebration of Passover for the Jewish people.   Douglas had been asked to speak in commemoration of  Independence Day and spoke eloquently saying that  by claiming the right of Independence from Great Britain the founders were delivering political, economic, and personal freedom for Americans.  He reminded the listeners that as Jefferson had stated, for the first time people would have,  the freedom {self determination} and protections to secure the course of their  individual lives .   Douglas  then went on to say the founders understood that government could become tyrannical if it were thought to be infallible.  They, the founders,  broke from Great Britain and because they felt oppressed, became restive, and saw themselves as victims of oppression by a government which no longer represented their best interest.  Douglas said  "the Declaration of Independence is the RINGBOLT to the chain of your nation's destiny: so indeed, I regard it.  The principles contained in that instrument are saving principles.  Stand by those principles, be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all foes, and at whatever the cost."  In the light of current events and the issues of our own times we need to be reminded that the  founders had sought to promote a nation in which justice, humanity, and liberty were the final word.   However  as Frederick Douglas's speech progressed he used the day to open a dialogue on the issue of slavery, another form of oppression and forced servitude of the people.   He used his declaration day speech to awaken people to the plight of Africans and the fundamental unfairness of slavery by comparing the nation of justice, conceived by the founders, to the reality of his time.  Douglas asks " What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim" .   By bringing forth the issue on the 4th of July Douglas brought the people of the United States face to face with the fact that the nation was not following the ideals of the founders.   Through his speech Douglas established the fourth of July as a time when we can be introspective and evaluate the condition of our Union,  be conscious of the realities of our times,  and seek to emulate the founders when dealing  with the issues which trouble our nation and world.  Much of the world has  accepted Jefferson's ideas and heard , as Jefferson says, "the signal of arousing men to burst the chain . . . and to assume the blessings and security of self-government as evidenced by the spread of self government."  The speech by  Douglas is the perfect example of Jefferson's legacy of eye opening.  Douglas is calling for throwing off the saddle of slavery , and Mr.  Jefferson was right in believing , all men would seek to arise and burst the chains of oppression.   The American legacy  of democracy and popular sovereignty demands that today, as in the past,  that when we are called to stand by the principles given to us by our founders we as a people do not lose sight of those ideals upon which the nation was founded or forget our legacy as an example of hope to the world.  Failure to do so would make Jefferson's statement "My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on Earth enjoy." a prophetic epitaph for shortsightedness and apathy.  So today let us celebrate with passion the resistance to oppression and the glorious example which was provided  to all the people of the Earth through the bravery and statesmanship of men such as Jefferson and Douglas.

     Now having completed our examination of how the fourth of July has been used as platform to call for resistance of oppression and let us turn to the review the impact of tradition and the Fourth of July in molding the character of Americas and our democracy.     These are intangibles, you cannot hold them in your hands, you cannot see them take physical form.  However they are relevant in any discussion of what makes you an American and what are American beliefs .  These  are traits such as our democratic spirit and the traditional core values, which were passed down over the generations and  have molded our character.  In the preface of his historic work "Leaves of Grass Walt Whitman writes this of America "Here is not merely a nation but a teeming nation of nations . . . Other states indicate themselves in their deputies but the genius of the United States is in the common people."   Much has been said and in recent years on the topic of core values.  Our view of the world and the subsequent reactions we have are filtered through these fundamental idea's and traditions which I will simply call the American Character.  Over the years writers and statesmen have sought to distil these sacred truths into words.    In the late nineteenth century poet Walt Whitman identified the American spirit as a "deathless attachment to freedom" that consisted of the following elements "a fierceness when roused resentment, a curiosity which welcomed novelty,  and wonderful sympathy. "  In the twentieth century  John F. Kennedy spoke of them as "classic ideas rooted in religious freedom,  enlightened idealism, patriotism, and individualism."    In both cases we are left with the notion that the American spirit is one in which the beliefs of the people are in sync with the fundamental principles of the founders.  The American spirit is distinct in the world and provides our people the will to resist any attempt to impose injustice and limit freedom.   The American spirit that has evolved would be welcomed by Jefferson who once stated that the lack of such a  spirit would lead to a lack of involvement and blind trust in leaders and institutions,  which may not be able to govern themselves, lest be able to govern others will lead to the failure of our republican form of government.   We are required to ask questions and hold government accountable to "We the People." 

Then and now the American people have lived by the principles and ideals of the founders and they these traits have become a fixed element of our personal and national character.  Americans will not accept tyranny in any form  and our idealism has been the backbone of the expansion of democracy throughout the world.   John F. Kennedy had  stated that "religious freedom,  enlightened idealism, patriotism, and individualism " were they key components that defined the American Character  and if we take this to be the modern concept of our national character,  the following ideals would be evident.   America rejects the repression of religious faith in every form.   One of the earliest acts of legislation dealing with religion was Jefferson's Statutes of Religious Freedom which, later influenced the creation of a constitutional clause that says, Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion.   Second on the list of characteristics would be patriotism.  Americans have a deep sense of patriotism which is instinctual and has given them the unlimited energy required to fight off despotism and totalitarianism, promote freedom, and be willing to stand up for human rights where ever they have been found to exist. Lastly Individualism has become a keystone of American character.  Individualism supports freedom of thought, freedom of self expression, and freedom of worship.  For Americans the right to hold different opinions or the right to put those opinions forward is essential .   In his 1946 speech John Fitzgerald Kennedy, then seeking office as Congressman from Massachusetts spoke on American idealism saying "Our American idealism finds itself faced by the old world doctrine of power politics . . . but if we remain faithful to the American tradition. our idealism will be a steadfast thing, a constant flame, a torch held aloft for the guidance of other nations.  John F. Kennedy used his fourth of July address to call for us to be faithful to our traditions and principles,  we must honor that call.  Some may say that the times have changed, our traditions no longer are valid,  or that we must conform to changing world standards.   To that we must unanimously answer "No."    Two Hundred and Thirty four years ago Thomas Jefferson wrote a document, based on the sound ideals, which became a beacon to the enslaved people of the world,  One Hundred fifty- eight years ago Frederick Douglas continued that tradition by calling attention to the slavery of Africans, and Sixty-four years ago John F. Kennedy  reminded us that these values were  our lasting legacy.   Are we to disregard all of that long history out of right and forget the lesson because we have become complacent and disinterested.   

On July 3rd 1776 John Adams wrote to his wife the following  about the passage of the Declaration of Independence "I am well aware of the toil, and blood, and treasure, that it will cost us to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these states. Yet through the gloom, I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory.  I can see that the end is more than worth all the means, and that posterity will triumph in that day's transaction."  So today ,my fellow citizens, as we once again come together to celebrate the birthday of our nation,  like John Adams two hundred thirty-four years ago we must see through the gloom and hold to the truths of our heritage by continuing the fight to overcome oppression, in whatever form it might take.  We must also resist the temptation to leave governance to the government and preserve the power of the governed over the government, and we must be true to the principles that are enshrined in our National Character.  This is our duty as we celebrate the 4th of July and the proper expression of honor to the founders and all who came after them and expressions of honor.

Thank you for allowing me to speak to you and may the God creator of the Universe bless you and our great country.

Address "Comments to the Thomas Jefferson Chapter SAR upon becoming President"

     VASSAR President Brennan,  VASSAR 1st Vice President Williams, Past Chapter President Kelley, Compatriots and ladies.  I wish to start by first thanking the members of the Thomas Jefferson Chapter for granting me this great honor of being your President.    I pledge to serve you faithfully and ask that you keep in touch with me, advise me, and support me as we go forward together in service to the remembrance of our ancestors and their great legacy of Republican Governance  in 2012.  Secondly I thank outgoing President Kelly for his leadership and dedication to the Thomas Jefferson Chapter.  I would ask that you join with me in giving him three huzzahs for his extraordinary efforts in guiding us these past three years.

     Now I turn to the year ahead of us.  We have a very busy schedule this coming year with both our normal activities and some additional tasks.  In February, I hope many of us will attend the VASSAR Annual meeting in Richmond and see our friend and Compatriot Phil Williams elevated to the post of VASSAR President.  Then on March 3rd we will hold our first Chapter meeting scheduled in 2012 and at that time we will install the rest of our officers for 2012.

     It is however,  the month of September which will require our most significant efforts.  On September 14th and 15th we will host the Mid-year meetings of the State Society here in Charlottesville at the Holiday-Inn University.  This is both a challenge and an honor for us and a task with which, we can only be successful if we work as a team.

     So we have much to look forward to as we begin the 73rd year of the Thomas Jefferson Chapters' service to our community.  May it be a profitable and rewarding year for each of you.  Thank you for coming out this evening,  and may God grant you a safe trip home at the end of the evening.

Article "A Haunting Reminder of Sacrifce"

     On November 5th 2011 Taylor-Wilson Camp #10's commander, Kevin Shroyer joined with eight other re-enactors, blue and grey, to present a program of remembrance on the grounds of Sailor's Creek Battlefield State Park near Farmville, VA.  The nine men stood for more than three and a half hours,  at various positions in the fields and woods of the Battlefield,  as park rangers guided sixty-eight hearty visitors up and down the slopes and valleys that comprise the Battlefields terrain. 

      This assembly of ghostly figures must have made for quite an experience;  for as the visitors came to each of the men a lantern was slowly lifted to reveal a war worn face, which hushed the voices of the visitors as each man  told his story.  On through the deepening darkness the visitors trekked until  each ghostly character was visited in turn.  The most gripping moment however, was left to the end; for as the tour came to a close, the cold stillness of the night was broken by the sound of taps being played in the distance and echoing hauntingly  over the scene.

      Each of the re-enactors represented an individual who was killed during the battle.   Commander Shroyer's character was that of Union 2nd Lt George Peck of the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry.  Commander Shroyer later said that this was one of the best events he had ever participated in and that he had been proud to do it.