Memorial Day 2017 - Remembrance Service for the Fallen

A Remembrance Service for the Fallen was held at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Montgomery the evening of Sunday May 28th in commemoration of Memorial Day.  Confederate veterans were well represented including SCV Camp 1524, the Prattville Dragoons, as well as a Montgomery Sons of Confederate Veterans camp, the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Ladies Memorial Association.  The program included the posting of colors, banners for the various organizations in attendance and the Dragoons were able to place the SCV flag on the stage.   Camp Commander Waldo hand made a magnolia leaf wreath which Quartermaster Bill Myrick adorned with a few Confederate Battle Flags and placed among the other societies' wreaths on stage when introduced during that period of the program.  1st Lt Harold Grooms and Compatriot Tyrone Crowley also attended representing the Dragoons, all these men veterans.  One of the little Battle Flags fell off the wreath and a lady at the service attempted to return it to 1st Lt Grooms who offered for her to keep it as a keepsake after they chatted and she revealed she attended Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery as a youth and had proudly carried the Battle Flag at games and parades as part of the school band.  The service also included music and a guest speaker.  It was a beautiful wonderful tribute to the heroic soldiers who have fought and died to protect their homes and nation as part of the fabric of our American history.

Prattville Dragoons Host School Visit

Compatriot Tyrone Crowley of SCV Camp 1524 along with Camp Commander Waldo's wife Kerri visited the 1st and 3rd graders at Alabama Christian Academy in Montgomery AL.  Tyrone was dressed in period attire as President Jefferson Davis and Kerri was dressed in a period gown depicting his daughter Maggie.  Kerri made the presentation to the first graders including both classes, taking them on a time machine journey back to 1861.  The students were told about the history of Alabama from the era including their home in Montgomery, the First White House of the Confederacy.   Tyrone led the presentation to the 3rd graders from both classes including relating the childhood of Jefferson Davis and leading to his service as President of the Confederate States of America.  The teachers and students thoroughly enjoyed this living history and the girls especially loved the hoop skirt ball gown worn by Mrs. Waldo.  The children asked many questions demonstrating their interest and one teacher expressed his appreciation saying that bringing history alive was wonderful for the kids learning experience.

ACA First Graders with Tyrone and Kerri

Prattville Dragoons Clean Local Cemeteries

Two cemeteries were cleaned up on Wednesday, May 17th by members of Camp 1524. Doster cemetery was cleaned by Compatriot Bill Myrick and the Robinson Springs cemetery was cleaned by Tyrone Crowley, Bill Gill, Bill Myrick, and James and Larry Spears. In addition, Confederate Battle flags were replaced as needed on those Confederate veterans' graves. Pictured below are a grave marker at Doster cemetery where Past Commander Myrick worked. The last photos are of Robinson Springs cemetery one of which shows the cemetery before work began with many wildflowers in bloom.  The Dragoons care for Robinson Springs cemetery as part of the Sons of Confederate Veterans Guardian program. 

Prattville Dragoons Indian Hill Cemetery Workday

SCV Camp 1524 members Tyrone Crowley, Quartermaster Bill Myrick, 1st Lt Harold Grooms and Camp Commander Stuart Waldo participated in a cemetery workday at Indian Hill cemetery in Prattville on Saturday morning May 20th.  All arrived and commenced work even before the 8am start time in order to beat  the heat.  Tyrone Crowley used his weed trimmer and lopping shears all along the frontage and perimeter fence line.  Harold, Bill and Stuart mowed the cemetery, knocking down the spring flowers and grass among the trees and graves in the historic cemetery.  Commander Waldo also used some diluted bleach to clean the mildew from the vinyl fencing posts and slats at the cemetery entrance.  This cleanup was the latest in dozens of such workdays conducted by the camp in the past few years as the Dragoons have adopted the cemetery as part of the SCV Guardian Program including a cemetery rededication in April 2015.

Dragoons of SCV Camp 1524 Participate in Prattville Cityfest

A number of Dragoon members participated in the Prattville City Fest event on Saturday May 13th and were well rewarded for their efforts. An unbelievable amount of contacts were made with an appreciative public who, one after another, opened up about their love for our Confederate heritage and their thankfulness that the Sons of Confederate Veterans and he Prattville Dragoons are there for them helping to advance the Cause and preserve Southern heritage. As always happens in public ventures in which the Dragoons participate, it is like a dam breaks and the public rushes to us to express their love for this period of history and their gallant ancestors who fought for Liberty. A number of men expressed interest in joining the SCV and learning more about their ancestors.

Many thanks to all who worked so hard to set up and take down the exhibits plus interact with the public. Pictured below you see several scenes from the day at the Dragoons' booth. Our exhibit garnered a lot of attention and many sales of Quartermaster items including Confederate flags and tote bags. We also gave out a few hundred mini Battle Flags, SCV coins, Alabama Division educational posters, and free literature.  The day was very enjoyable, successful and worth the effort. 

Alabama Memorial Preservation Act

The Alabama State legislature passed SB-60 and Governor Kay Ivey signed into law the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act "to prohibit the relocation, removal, alteration, renaming, or other disturbance of any architecturally significant building, memorial building, memorial street or monument located on public property which has been in placed for 40 or more years".  The Sons of Confederate Veterans worked to get this legislation passed in the face of the politically correct historical revisionism which has led to the removal of historical monuments across the country, most recently the General Lee, General Beauregard and President Jefferson Davis monuments by liberal race bating hate mongers posing as the city council and mayor of New Orleans.  This Act protects monuments honoring those who helped shape the history of the state of Alabama from colonial times to the heroes of recent 20th and 21st century conflicts, including those who fought to defend their homes and state in the War for Southern Independence.  The Act issued in its final form can be found on this link - http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2017RS/PrintFiles/SB60-enr.pdf.

Prattville Dragoons May 2017 Camp Meeting

The much anticipated May SCV Camp 1524 meeting with Brigadier General John Scales, U.S. Army, retired, as the speaker was held Thursday night, May 11th at the Prattmont Baptist Church. General Scales was most informative in his presentation of “Did Forrest Make a Difference”. General Scales has written a book about General Forrest and it will be available to the public in a few months. In his presentation, General Scales outlined Forrest’s entire career with the Confederate Army from the time he enlisted as a private for one month before he was promoted to Calvary Colonel until the end of the war when his troops stacked arms on 9 May 1865. 

Following a devotional and Invocation by Chaplain Snowden, Commander Waldo read the SCV Charge.  Compatriot Will Dismukes was sworn in as the newest member of the Dragoons and SCV.  The upcoming events for the camp and the Alabama Division of the SCV were highlighted and then announcements were made including reports from compatriot Tyrone Crowley for a presentation he helped make at Alabama Christian Academy and from Sam Reid who made a presentation to the Autauga Geneological Society.  Following the presentation by General Scales, the SCV closing and a Benediction by Chaplain Snowden closed the meeting

Nearly 50 persons attended this meeting with members of several other camps present along with many guests.  Many thanks should be extended to all who attended and invited others to come.  A BBQ dinner was hosted by 1st Lt Harold Grooms who also led planning for the meeting event.  Harold brought chopped BBQ and camp stew and he and Mrs. Grooms led the setup including decorating the venue as well as breaking down and cleaning afterward.  Quartermaster Bill Myrick and wife Peggy brought their world famous baked beans and hummingbird cake.  Commander Waldo brought potato salad and desserts.  Adjutant Sutherland brought plates and utensils and came early and stayed late helping with the setup and cleanup. We appreciate all who assisted in the planning and  execution of this most enjoyable camp meeting many who stated it was the best in memory and a huge success.

Pictured below you see the head table consisting of Brigade Commander Butch Godwin, Dragoon Commander Stuart Waldo, General John Scales and Dragoon Sam Reid who served in the military with General Scales and arranged for him to speak to us. Also pictured are photos of part of the crowd and a photo of 1st Lt. Commander Harold Grooms who was the program chairman. Also pictured are Will Dismukes receiving his SCV certificate and General Scales making his presentation.