VETERAN VOICE • THE VOICE OF EXPERIENCE • DECEMBER 27, 2013 • 7
Is the South being defeated again? Mary Kemper For Veteran voice
“Southern Discomfort: U.S. Army seeks removal of Lee, ‘Stonewall’ Jackson honors,” trumpeted a headline this week in The Washington Times, referring to storied Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. The story quickly spread, igniting a firestorm of protest around the Internet. Allegedly, the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pa., was conducting a systematic wipeout of Confederate images in its historic buildings. “(The) proposed move (at Carlisle Barracks) is not solely a slap in the face of the south but America’s history,” one commentator wrote on the Times’ website, summing up the feelings of more than 5,000 responders. “It’s time for Americans to stand
up to those bent on rewriting history so that it panders to socalled contemporary sensibilities. Two of the greatest generals are to be snubbed to meet today’s perverse benchmark of political correctness. Pathetic.” Closer to home, a school in Jacksonville, has decided to change its name, Nathan B[edford] Forrest High School, which originally honored the famous Civil War Confederate general, due to concerns over racism. But are these stories really true? No, and yes, respectively. Each, however, has sparked a great deal of controversy. The Jacksonville story is accurate. The Duval County school board voted 7-0 Monday [Dec. 16] to change the name after the current school year ends. Officials will choose between the names Westside and Firestone in January, according to a news report on cnn.com. Forrest, himself a controversial figure both in his day and
Nathan Bedford Forrest today, was allegedly a former slave trader, and his troops were allegedly involved in the massacre of black Union soldiers at a Tennessee fort. He later served as the first “Grand Wizard” of the Ku Klux Klan, but reportedly left the organization after objecting to its mission of violence. A parent of one of the school’s students, Ty Richmond, began a
OUGHTERSON from page 5 Martin Memorial Hospital and vice president of its Foundation; and as chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Membership Drive. He was president of the Martin County Bar Association and was elected county prosecuting attorney for 12 years, from 19601972. Family has always been important to Bill Oughterson and he and wife, Leila, have been married for 64 years. They have two children, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. If a recitation of the facts of Bill Oughterson’s life were all we had, it would a fascinating look at his life and the life of our community. There is more to the story. Bill Oughterson has a passion for tennis. After his college stint on the tennis team, he loved the game so much that he became a professional tennis umpire. He has some great stories to tell about Chris Evert, Katharine Hepburn and others. I, too, have learned something about ‘leaving ‘em wanting more,’ so those stories will wait until next week. Shelley Koppel is a staff writer for Veteran Voice.
See NAMES page 9
FREE MUSIC LESSONS
Purchase select instruments from Guitar Center and get two free music lessons at Guitar Center Studios.*
GUITAR CENTER PORT ST. LUCIE 1707 NW St Lucie West Blvd., Port St Lucie, FL 34986 (772) 344-2945 7941
*Purchase products from Lucero, Mitchell, Simmons, Sound Percussion or Williams and receive two free 30-minute lessons from Guitar Center Studios. Offer valid until December 31, 2013. Offer must be redeemed by January 17, 2014.
7821-gcs-Port-StLucie-Ad-Phase2-9.75x6.3-Final.indd 1
12/12/13 6:26 PM