The Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park 10th Annual Flag Replacement Ceremony
The Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park 10th Annual Flag Replacement Ceremony
Please take your seats before 5 p.m. and prepare yourself for the loud Rolling under cannon salutes. We would like to extend special thanks to Dean Bass and Spirit of Texas Bank for their continued support of Friends of the Flag Foundation since its inception in 2011, as well as, their ongoing participation and support at each Annual Flag Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag Replacement Ceremony over the past 10 years. Mayor Pro Tem, Duke Coon
Pledge of Allegiance to the Texas Flag State Representative, Will Metcalf Honor the Texas Flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible.
Invocation Cannon Salute
e vision for e Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park A heartfelt thank you to Colortech Direct for their generous contribution of Craig Campobella print, design, and creativity of collateral materials for today’s ag raising and memorial dedication. Together, we honor that same kindness and support given to History of the Friends of the Flag Foundation, Inc. numerous organizations throughout the community, time and time again, by their Chartered October 29, 2010 friend and ours, Founding Board Member Cameron W. Bammel. David Clements
Dedication of the Cameron W. Bammel Memorial Joined by wife Stacy Bammel and family at the base of the Sarah Dodson Tri-Color Lone Star Flag, with a special presentation by Joe Kolb Cannon Salute
“TEXIAN” Dedication Poem A special thank you to Spikes Group for nancially supporting the Friends of the Flag’s Read by Dave Parsons, 2011 Texas Poet Laureate goals and purposes for e Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park. Follow along on page 6
“Beautiful Texas” We also wish to thank the Conroe City Council, the Conroe Parks Department, and e Sons of the Performed by Marieda Kilgore Republic, Lone Star Chapter #58; Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Nathaniel Hart Davis Chapter; along with the Texas Volunteers participating with the “Rolling under” cannon. In addition, we Flag Raising of the Texas Revolution Battle and Rally Flags thank H-E-B grocery, the Montgomery County Historical Commission, and Boy Scout Troop #776 By 13 Honorary Flag Raisers from Conroe for their participation in today’s ceremony. Concluding Remarks
"God Bless the U.S.A.” Performed by Payton Kuehn Cannon Salute
2 3 Cameron W. Bammel 2020 Honorary Flag Raisers (1962-2019)
e Friends of the Flag Foundation is pleased to dedicate this Coahuila y Tejas Flag (1821-1836) ...... Texas Independence Flag Raiser 10th Annual Flag Replacement Ceremony to our dear friend and Founding Board Member, Cameron Wayne Bammel. 1824 Alamo Tricolor Flag (1835-1836) ...... David and Cathi Clements Cameron died at age 57 on October 26, 2019 a er a long illness which conquered his body but never dampened his spirit. Flag of the Texas Navy (1836)...... Dave Parsons and Family Cameron Bammel was a highly-respected Conroe businessman, owning and operating Impact Printing for 32 Alabama Red Rover Flag (1835-1836) ...... Alabama-Coushatta Principal Chief years. His involvement with e Lone Star Monument and Herbert Johnson Sr. Historical Flag Park began at the outset in 2006 when sculptor Craig Campobella shared his vision for a Historical Flag Park New Orleans Greys Flag (1835-1836) ...... Marieda and Lee Kilgore to honor the Texian and Tejano volunteers who fought in the Texas Revolution. Cameron produced all of Craig’s Come and Take It Flag (1835) ...... Annette Spikes and sons, Barkley Spikes, presentation materials from concept to realization. He was a and Trey Spikes devoted founding member of the nonpro t Friends of the Flag Foundation, Inc. He enthusiastically donated his time and printing services whenever needed to promote the vision Sarah Dodson Tri-Color Lone Star Flag (1835)...... Family of Cameron W. Bammel for e Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park and the mission of the Foundation. Cameron loved Conroe and Montgomery County, supporting numerous community and Troutman Lone Star Flag (1836) ...... Jim Walker and Jaden Roles charitable events. He provided his services to the annual Rett Syndrome fundraisers, donated programs for numerous City of Conroe musical productions at the Crighton Goliad Severed Arm Flag (1836) ...... Charlie and Senie Fogarty eatre, the annual Conroe Kidz Fest, the Texian Heritage Festival, and the Conroe Cat sh Festival. He unsel shly donated his products and services to people in need. He produced San Jacinto Liberty Flag (1836) ...... Dean Bass and Family graphic design and printed materials for Pregnancy Assistance Center North, Montgomery County Youth Services, the Salvation Army, New Birth Ministries, Montgomery County First Flag of the Republic (De Zavala 1836) . . . Craig, Cristy, and Bristol Campobella Assistance League, and many others. Most notably, Cameron Bammel was a devoted son, husband, father, brother, and friend to Second Flag of the Republic (1836) ...... Texas Independence Flag Raiser all who knew him. He married Stacy, his high school sweetheart, in 1981. ey were blessed with son Shane Bammel and his wife Taryn. Cameron was also survived by his mother Lone Star Flag (adopted January1839) ...... Family of Bruce Henry Angalene Bammel and mother-in-law Jody Smart, along with a multitude of adoring loved ones and friends. e Friends of the Flag Foundation is proud to memorialize Cameron W. Bammel’s contribution to e Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park with a monument at the base of the Sarah Dodson Tri-Color Flag. To the very end of his life, Cameron was a proud Texan and an American patriot.
4 5 TEXIAN Of the San Jacinto battleground, Texian, a word immortalized Now the world over Colonel Juan Almonte, Santa Anna’s aide, was the rst By the actions of these gallant few. To call his attention to the heralding of two golden stars Floating in the familiar eld of green, white and red Yet, these were seemingly ordinary men Over that unlikely mission fort Alamo, small stars With common everyday problems, desires, prejudices, at foreshadowed the larger single searing symbol Fraught with human frailties, not ideal or perfected. Emblazoning our ultimate ag of Texas independence It is said that even General Sam Houston We y so proudly today. And each of the banners Years before these momentous days, at ew over those many battles, all spoke Standing deeply depressed perched With the same unwavering intonation, No! Top deck on the river boat Red Rover, No, we will not become minions! Imagine with me Was saved from a suicidal fall by the sudden e cacophony of these many varied accents, Flash of auburn plumage as an eagle, a Cherokee Of Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Omen foretelling a greatness to come, swooped And Tejano, lilting together in the casting throng, Auguring down toward him— A composition of the most unlikely of battle eld Symphonies, a timpani for independence. Today we stand with one of Houston’s resurrected warriors So perfectly formed by Campobella’s sword, ennobled Walt Whitman wrote in his Leaves, Amongst these thirteen ags, not an hour’s drive north ey were the glory Of where his grand triumphant destiny brought us ours, Of the race of rangers, matchless Where the wa ing fragrances of a salty gulf coast breezes With a horse, a ri e, a song, a supper, And the pungent smoke of gun powder sweated the air Or a courtship, large, turbulent, brave, at breathed life into the edging hopeful breast Handsome, generous, proud, aectionate, Of a stately body to come, making legend these hallowed Bearded, sunburnt, dressed in the free Winged emblems now fully realized, as our omens, Costume of hunters, not a single one eir bright feathers forever woven with the blood Over thirty years of age. Of these many iron willed, uniquely, soulful Menagerie of men: these Texians. ese were the men and boys Of whom Walt called the jetblack Sunrise at the last battle Goliad, e same ebony tinted sun that fell on David Mercier Parsons e hardened rough hewn clay arch 2011 Texas State Poet Laureate Of the hallowed battle eld Alamo, where [email protected] | www.daveparsonspoetry.com Within the brawny breastworks of both at simple chapel complex “TEXIAN” was composed in response to a request from the City of Conroe & Lone Star And the ragtag men staged within Monument & Texas Historical Flag Park Committee, to be read at the opening, unveiling Was mirrored these same ceremonies on the 175th anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto, April 21, 2011. Uniquely Texian traits.
Texian, Texian, Texian, the word at soon returned a jetblack siesta 1. References to Col. Juan Nepomuceno Almonte were found in the Texian Iliad (University of Texas Press) by Stephen L. Hardin. To the soldiers of Santa Anna 2. References to Sam Houston’s encounter with the eagle on e Red Rover were found in Sam Houston (University of Oklahoma In the far ung elds of beach brush, Press) James L. Haley’s biography. Mesquite, live oak, and pines 3. Craig Campobella is the sculptor of the statue of the Texian centered in the e Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park in Conroe, Texas.
6 7 A Brief History on The Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park
Craig Campobella’s Concept Drawing for the Park (ca 2006)
Founding Members of Friends of the Flag Foundation, Inc. (November 2010) Craig Campobella working on The Texian In alphabetical order: Cameron Bammel, Cristy Campobella, Craig Campobella, monument in clay before casting it in bronze. David Clements, Larry Foerster, Bruce Henry, Marieda Kilgore, Joe Kolb, Kathleen Rowland, Annette Spikes, Dale Trimble, and Jim Walker.
he Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park is a unique, educational outdoor museum T open seven days a week, located at 104 I-45 N, adjacent to the Montgomery County Library in Conroe, Texas. Examples of thirteen battle and rally ags that ew across Texas during its ght for independence can be seen, day or night, atop 35’ ag poles, with each ag’s history inscribed upon a bronze plaque. A bronze bust of Dr. Charles B. Stewart greets visitors at the Park’s entrance as they make their way to “ e Texian”, the Park’s centerpiece, both created by artist Craig Campobella, visionary of the Park’s design. “TEXIAN”, a poem penned by 2011 Texas State Poet Laureate Dave Parsons for the opening of the Park in 2001, is on display, as well as, a bronze plaque outlining 16 historic battle sites for Texas Independence de ned by Sacred Soils of e Texas Revolution, a historic time capsule now a permanent addition to the Park. For more information about e Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park and the Friends of the Flag Foundation, Inc., please visit www.texas agpark.com.