The American Standard Bearer

I bought a Charlie Daniels Band 8-track in 1975 and wore it out. I was a long haired college student back then who thought Charlie Daniels was very hip. It would be fair to speculate that many who were like-minded fans in ‘75 now hold political and social views opposed to those expressed by Charlie Daniels, but not me. I, for one, applaud his patriotism and the good work he is doing.

Charlie Daniels Brings a Slice of America to Troops

By American Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 19, 2005  – When you think of the Charlie Daniels Band, songs like, "In America", "The South’s Gonna Do It Again", "This Ain’t No Rag, It’s a Flag" and "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" come to mind.

The common thread running through these hits is that they express a sound that is unique to America and communicates the very spirit of the American people.

This week, through the combined efforts of the Tennessee National Guard, United States Army-Europe, Central Command in Southwest Asia, and the nonprofit organization "Stars For Stripes", the CDB took that spirit to Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq and Germany. The band traveled more than 16,000 miles and performed up to 3 shows per day for American troops deployed in the war on terrorism.

“I wish that all Americans could spend just one day among the brave men and women who defend this country in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Daniels. “They live in constant danger in dusty, desolate desert camps, wearing body armor in sweltering weather, missing their loved ones. My trip only re-enforced what I already knew, the American forces are the finest in the world. I can’t even articulate my love and admiration for them.”

The CDB took every opportunity to see as many of America’s fighting forces as possible during the whirlwind nine-day tour which featured several "surprise" performances. Supposedly only stopping through Kyrgyzstan "en route" to Afghanistan, the band delighted the troops with a late evening acoustic performance immediately after their twenty plus hour flight from the United States.

Weather conditions prevented their landing at Bagram, Afghanistan, where a concert was planned. The military C130 cargo plane diverted to "K2" in Uzbekistan and within a few hours, the weekly "Bingo" tournament was followed by an impromptu concert by the Charlie Daniels Band. Back on schedule the following day for the flight to Kuwait, the plane stopped in Bagram for refueling. Determined to bring a much-needed morale boost to the men and women in this area who had just the day before lost several of their comrades in a tragic helicopter crash, Charlie insisted on "christening" the Pat Tillman Center which opened earlier that week. Soldiers crowded into the beautiful new facility to listen to the CDB perform and get an autograph and have photos taken with the group.

Next for the group was a 9-hour C130 flight in Kuwait to visit the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 230th Area Support Group. While in Kuwait, they performed for more than 5,000 troops at Camp Arifjan. Early the following morning the caravan traveled to Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq, signed autographs and snapped photos before and after the shows, and entertained more than 3,000 multi-national troops. The group then flew by armed Blackhawk helicopters to Forward Operating Bases Bernstein, Cobra, and Caldwell in Northeastern Iraq, where they visited and entertained the soldiers of Tennessee’s 278th Regimental Combat Team. The final leg of the journey brought them back to LSA Anaconda in Baghdad to perform for more than 5,000 troops there.

Stopping in Germany on the return trip to the U. S., Daniels was presented with the Commanders Award For Public Service from the United States Army, Europe Commander, General B.B. Bell, for his contributions and unwavering support for the United States Military.

"It’s amazing to watch Charlie communicate with the troops over here," Said Major General Gus Hargett, Tennessee’s Adjutant General. "Charlie is a performer that bridges the gap between generations of Americans. Some of these songs were hits before many of these men and women were born, but you see young and old alike, cheering and singing along with every song the band performs."

The following is a press release from the Flag Manufacturers Association of America, an organization formed to establish standards for the manufacture of American flags by American flag makers. The U.S. flag industry, like many other industries has been under increasing pressure – some might say attack – from foreign flag makers, most notably the Chinese. And to make matters worse, some foreign manufacturers have been printing "Made in America" on flags knowing how sensitive US consumers are to buying foreign-made American flags.

Now, New Jersey prison inmates are making flags, effectively putting more pressure on an industry already under seige. But more importantly, the notion that convicted felons should be given more consideration than a law-abiding individual who needs to provide for a family is destructive to our society. Imagine a Scott Peterson making your next American flag while a man or woman who has been making flags for 25 years is now forced to hit the unemployment line.

I think New Jersey inmates should stick to cleaning up the highways.

THE AMERICAN FLAG- A GREAT SOURCE OF PRIDE
So Why Are They Made By Convicted Felons?

MT. LAUREL, NJ – The graves of servicemen and servicewomen who fought for our country are being adorned by grave marker flags that were made by convicted felons. The Flag Manufacturers Association of America (FMAA) seeks assistance in putting a stop to this disrespectful practice.

Many New Jersey counties are purchasing grave marker flags for use in cemeteries that have been produced by convicted felons.  This prison production of flags teaches inmates a trade for which few United States jobs exist.  Moreover, the jobs that do exist in the sewing industry and garment manufacture trade are now being taken away from law abiding citizens and county residents and given to prisoners. There has to be a better and more productive use for prison labor.

FMAA has expressed concerns over this issue with the New Jersey Department of Corrections and the Department has made it clear that they will continue to produce the flags and supply the municipalities/counties. FMAA has also sent letters of request to numerous government officials in the tri- state area and received support from numerous dignified representatives.

From a historical perspective; in 1997, the US Department of Justice Federal Prison Industries withdrew its proposal to produce flags when they recognized that the American Flag is a truly unique product. They realized that it was symbolically inappropriate to have prisoners making the greatest symbol of our nation. .

As the association representing the manufacturers of flags produced in the United States, FMAA seeks support to stop this disrespectful practice by proposing legislation that will prevent the purchase by New Jersey municipalities and counties of United States flags manufactured in the prisons of New Jersey.  The American flag belongs to the people of the United States and is a great source of pride. The graves of our service personnel who fought for our freedom should not have a United States flag made by imprisoned laborers who have had their freedoms taken away.

“The United States flag does not belong to any one political party, nor does it represent any one political view,” remarks Sandy Van Lieu, FMAA Chairman. “It is our strong belief that the American public and particularly the residents of New Jersey should be able to purchase a United States flag that has been made by honest and earnest American workers.”

The Flag Manufacturers Association of America is a non-profit trade association, established in 2003, representing the leading United States flag manufacturers. It is dedicated to educating and promoting the quality, variety, and proper use of flags manufactured in the United States. FMAA sponsors the “Certified Made in the USA” program that certifies your flag has been made in the USA of materials that are domestic in origin and that all processes in every step of its manufacture were completed in USA facilities with USA labor.

For more information on the Flag Manufacturers Association of America or the “Certified Made in the USA” program, please contact the headquarters office: 15000 Commerce Parkway, Suite C, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054; Phone: 856-439-0500 or fax: 856-439-0525.

On Wednesday of this week, we featured a story about comments that the
publishing mogul, Rupert Murdoch, made concerning the decline of
newspapers. He was warning newspaper publishers to direct their efforts
to online publishing.

Here we are, two days later with two more stories about the serious and accelerating decline of newspaper circulation:

Tribune Co. to Show Circ Losses; ‘L.A. Times’ Down More than 5.5%

April 15, 2005 –  The head of The Wall Street Journal’s empire, Peter Kann, could be sweating over his job, again.

And it was only a few years ago that they mocked Matt Drudge.

Oh, the curiosity of these young rascals! The gay student in this story inadvertently put his proverbial finger on it. He asked what he evidently viewed to be a rhetorical question, when in fact, it isn’t even close.  He would do well to consider that there might be people out there in the great American landscape who actually do not engage in sodomy. What a refreshing viewpoint that would be.

From the New York Post
April 14, 2005 –  WHEN U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (above) spoke Tuesday night at NYU’s Vanderbilt Hall, "The room was packed with some 300 students and there were many protesters outside because of Scalia’s vitriolic dissent last year in the case that overturned the Texas law against gay sex," our source reports. "One gay student asked whether government had any business enacting and enforcing laws against consensual sodomy. Following Scalia’s answer, the student asked a follow-up: ‘Do you sodomize your wife?’ The audience was shocked, especially since Mrs. Scalia [Maureen] was in attendance. The justice replied that the question was unworthy of an answer."

This story is slightly amazing to me. I mean, Rupert Murdoch’s a very smart guy, so I’m wondering – did the lightbulb just light up? Newspapers around the country are watching their circulations dry up, and yet, the fact that a lot of people are now getting their news online is presented as a revelation.

And it’s not limited to 18-34 year olds either. White collar America is surfing for news while they leisurely eat their lunches at their desks or sip their morning coffee.

Let’s face it – newspapers cost money, they’re cumbersome, and they turn your hands black.

News Corp.’s Murdoch: Newspapers Must Embrace Internet
Wednesday, April 13, 2005 (AP)

WASHINGTON — Rupert Murdoch urged newspaper editors Wednesday to embrace the Internet, saying print news executives have "sat by and watched" as a new generation of digital consumers has turned away from newspapers.

The chief executive of News Corp. (NWS) cited a recent report commissioned by the Carnegie Corporation, a philanthropic foundation, showing 44 percent of 18-to-34-year-olds say they use Web sites at least once a day for news.

News Corp. is the parent company of the Fox News Channel, which operates FOXNews.com.

Murdoch said newspapers must overhaul how they gather and deliver news to collect the readers and advertising revenue shifting to the Web.

"The trends are against us. Unless we awaken to these changes which are quite different than those five or six years ago, we will, as an industry, be relegated to the status of also-rans," Murdoch told the annual meeting of the American Society of Newspaper Editors (search).

"We’ve been slow to react. We’ve sat by and watched," he said.

When the Web was emerging in the 1990s Murdoch expressed skepticism about its business prospects. He referred to himself and other newspaper executives as "digital migrants" who are too old to have grown up surfing the Net but now must learn to direct their business toward those who did.

"Just watch your teenage kids," he told the editors.

"The challenge for each of us in this room is to create an Internet presence that is compelling enough that users make it their home page. Just as people traditionally started their day with coffee and a newspaper, in the future I hope that the way they start their day online will be with coffee and our Web site."

With all the heated debate surrounding the Confederate flag, it’s important to remember, regardless of your sentiments, that it’s vitally important to protect and preserve any and all artifacts of our history as a nation. We didn’t arrive here today, a remarkably strong republic, by way of a smooth and virtuous route, yet we did arrive here.

We are thankful to those individuals, throughout the United States, who dedicate themselves to the preservation of America’s treasures.

Flag a symbol of Confederate sea raider’s resolve

By GEORGE TUCKER, The Virginian-Pilot
© April 10, 2005

If you are a Dixie-oriented War Between the States history buff and would like to feast your eyes on the flag of the CSS Shenandoah, the celebrated Confederate sea raider that inflicted millions of dollars of damage to Yankee commercial shipping in Pacific and Arctic waters between 1864 and 1865 without having been defeated in naval combat, now is your golden opportunity to do so.

As the stellar attraction in a current exposition at the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond titled "The Confederate Navy," the enormous ensign, a picture of which illustrates today’s column, is the centerpiece of a floor-to-ceiling display case that also showcases many other original artifacts connected with the historic vessel, as well as portraits of her chief officers during its one-time cruise of maritime destruction.

One of these was Norfolk-born Lt. William Conway Whittle , who lived in the still-existing Taylor-Whittle House in the downtown area and is buried in Elmwood Cemetery, where his grave is marked with a striking monument.

Fortunately, Whittle kept a detailed diary of the Shenandoah’s actions, and I was told recently while visiting the exhibit at the Museum of the Confederacy that it soon will be published.

Meanwhile, here is a brief preview of what you will discover in the current show in the Holy City, where the grounds outside its main entrance feature a hands-on display of the anchor and propeller shaft of the CSS Virginia (the former USS Merrimack ) and part of the anchor chain of the USS Cumberland. The Virginia sent the Cumberland to a watery grave in Hampton Roads the day before the historic engagement between the Virginia and the USS Monitor took place in March 1862 .

Before taking in the show, however, be sure to buy a copy of the handsomely produced guidebook, "The Confederate Navy," which explains each of the relics on display in the museum’s three-room, second-floor galleries. These include a marvelously detailed pencil sketch of the CSS Virginia drawn by midshipman Hardin Littlepage , which gave me a better idea of the actual appearance of the celebrated ironclad than I had ever encountered before.

Space limitations prevent me from covering the present show that opened March 8 and will close Dec. 31, 2006 , in detail. So I’m going to quote from the guidebook introduction by John M. Coski , historian and director of library and research for the museum, concerning the reason that the show is exclusively devoted to the naval aspect of the Confederacy.

Coski writes:

"In 1861, Northerners, Europeans and even some Southerners lampooned the notion of the upstart Confederacy challenging the United States Navy. But the skeptics overestimated the power of the much-neglected U.S. Navy in 1861 and underestimated the South’s resourcefulness. Created in February 1861, the Confederate Navy began the war with a handful of lightly armed warships (converted from commercial vessels), materials and shipyards turned over by the seceded states. With these meager resources and with a wealth of trained officers who resigned from U.S. service, the Confederate Navy created a force capable of challenging the U.S. Navy."

With that curtain-raiser, Coski introduces the present exhibition that climaxes with the case in which the impressive flag of the Shenandoah is the featured attraction. So from now on, I’d like to devote the rest of today’s column to the vessel whose voyage of destruction is one of the great sagas of naval history.

Originally a British merchant ship named the Sea King , the vessel was bought by the Confederate government and reoutfitted for warlike purposes. Commissioned in the Madeira Islands on Oct. 19, 1864 , at which time it was renamed the Shenandoah , she set out on her historic voyage to attack Northern whaling ships in the Pacific and Arctic oceans .

Even after her skipper had heard rumors in late March 1865 that the Confederacy had collapsed, he sailed for the Arctic to carry out his orders.

In a six-day period in late June, the Shenandoah captured 24 ships and burned all but four of them. Finally, on Aug. 2, 1865 , the ship received definite evidence of the Confederacy’s surrender, at which time the ship’s officers voted to sail for Liverpool and turn the vessel over to British authorities. And it was on Nov. 5, 1865 , that the Shenandoah’s flag was finally lowered.

Returned by the British to one of the former raider’s officers, the flag was finally given to the son of a noted Confederate oceanographer, Matthew Fontaine Maury, who eventually brought it back to the United States. Finally, one of Maury’s daughters , an officer of the Museum of the Confederacy, donated it in 1907 to the facility’s vast collection of Southern-oriented artifacts.