Good morning, I am Mark Day, and I represent the Sons of
the Union Veterans of the Civil War, the successor organization to the Grand
Army of the Republic, and whose members are the descendants of the brave men
who fought the War to Preserve the Union.
More over today, I stand here as the Commander of the Department of the
Chesapeake Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, of which Maryland is part,
to honor the men of Western Maryland, both Black and White or Blue and Gray, who struggled throughout the terrible Civil War, which ripped our national union apart.
The veterans of Western Maryland, both those of the Grand Army of the Republic and the United Confederate Veterans, we
recognize today all believed in the cause of Liberty; for which they willingly suffered
and in many cases had witnessed friends and family die to preserve. They were patriot hero's in every sense of
the word and we owe them a debt, which can never be fully paid through either
our oration or humble tokens of honor.
Just for a moment try to place yourself in
the position of these men from the towns and
cities of Western Maryland. Men with names such as Samuel Broom, Augustine Mason, Oliver Hicks,
and Benjamin Brooks each stepped up to the recruiting table to become Musicians, Doctors, and Infantry soldiers fighting for the right to enjoy the fruits of their own labor, which we call Liberty.
Following
the War the Grand Army of the Republic was represented by two post here
in Hagerstown, the Reno Post and the Lyon Post. During the terrible ordeal of the Civil War
these men and their confederate counterparts were enemies, but following the war they became brothers in arms as they worked
within their communities to support the widows and children of lost comrades and
to honor the memory of the sacrifices made by soldiers
of both sides through patriotic education of the public and participation in local civics.
It is fitting therefore that we, the
recipients of their sacrifice in the name of Liberty and Union, take time to rededicate these monuments and dedicate
a new monument to the men of Lyon Post #31. These
brothers have done their duty and passed the torch to us. Now it is our duty to continue their yet unaccomplished
task of preserving our nation's history and remembering that, the cost of our
Liberty was found in the sacrifice of patriot blood.
May God grant us the wisdom to always be a
people who remember the sacrifices made by men in both Blue and Gray and may we also remember that they came together to help heal and reunite our nation as Americans.
Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to speak. May God bless our great Union and preserve our belief
in Liberty for all mankind..
Written by Mark R. Day 21 September 2013 [10:30am], copyright by Mark R. Day, 21 September 2013, all rights reserved.
Note: This revised speech was the product of a hastily made change to the original when, I was told that my talk had to fit the programs theme "Reconciliation and Remembrance." I was asked to speak at the Confederate cemetery re-dedication and the local commander of the SCV was to speak at the re-dedication of the Reno GAR marker.
Note: This revised speech was the product of a hastily made change to the original when, I was told that my talk had to fit the programs theme "Reconciliation and Remembrance." I was asked to speak at the Confederate cemetery re-dedication and the local commander of the SCV was to speak at the re-dedication of the Reno GAR marker.
No comments:
Post a Comment