2012 Marshall Hope Award For Most Outstanding Department Newsletter Department of Ohio - Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Volume 9, Issue 2 Winter 2017 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE INSIDE THIS Remembrance Day History ISSUE: Patriotic Instructor Mike Spaulding (with assistance from Sons of Veterans Reserve 2 – General William T. Major General Robert Grim) presents the history of Remembrance Day. It started with an Sherman Award Recipient effort in 1956 to honor the Grand Army of the Republic by the Auxiliary to the SUVCW, who commissioned a monument to the GAR featuring a larger-than-life likeness of Albert 2 – Benjamin F. Stephenson Memorial Plaza Woolson, who at age 109 was the last surviving member of the GAR and the last documented Civil War soldier on either side. 3 – Patriot Day Program Sadly, Woolson died in August before the monument was dedicated. Shortly after his 3 – Old Greencastle death, the 75th National SUVCW and 70th National Auxiliary Encampments were held Cemetery Clean-up in Harrisburg, PA. During the encampments, a special trip to Gettysburg was organized where 3,000 people witnessed a parade and the dedication of the GAR monument. 4 – Civil War Veteran For many years prior to this, Pennsylvania SUVCW Brothers and Auxiliary Sisters Finally Laid To Rest had been commemorating the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery and the 5 – 73rd O.V.I. Regiment Gettysburg Address. They held a banquet on the Saturday closest to November 19, the Band 2018 Schedule date of the original ceremony. Beginning in 1957 a ceremony to remember the GAR would 5 – Spotlight on Civil War be held at the new monument on the same date as the banquet, and 500 people made the Memorials & Monuments procession to Ziegler’s Grove on that first Remembrance Day. The modern Remembrance Day is organized and sponsored by the SVR. A parade 6 – General William H. Lytle featuring several thousand uniformed SVR members and others, echoing the original Memorial Service cemetery procession on November 19, 1863, is a popular attraction with visitors. A 6 – Signals Officer’s Report President Lincoln reenactor performs the Gettysburg Address, and, as in 1957, there is a ceremony at the GAR monument bearing Woolson’s image. During the ceremony, a 7 – Help Save Ohio’s Civil memorial wreath is placed, speeches are made, and a check is presented from the SVR to War Heritage the Gettysburg National Military Park for monument and memorial preservation. 9 – Baseball (October Patriotic Instruction) Message From Commander James Crane Brothers of Ohio, I have been very busy representing you at several events taking place over the past two months. One was the dedication of the USCIS office in Columbus, Dates to Note: naming it after Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Richard Enderlin, a Civil War hero from January TBA – Annual Chillicothe. During that ceremony we had the pleasure of seeing a Navy Chief taking the Mid-Winter Meeting Oath of Allegiance to this country to become a citizen. It was also a pleasure meeting Richard Enderlin, his grandson, and spending time with several members of the Sgt. February 1 – Deadline Enderlin Camp. Good job CC John Huffman. for submissions to the Spring newsletter By the time this newsletter comes out, I will have completed a couple of Camp Installations. Please remember to contact me to schedule your Installation, as they all May 30 – Memorial Day need to be completed by the end of January 2018. About half of the Camps have been scheduled so far. June 9 – 136th The Department Encampment will be on Saturday, June 9, 2018. We will be Department of Ohio Encampment in returning to the Clintonville Woman’s Club in Columbus and more details will be coming Columbus out soon regarding the details. Thanks to PDC Pete Hritsko, and his wife Judy, for working on this Department event. August 9-12 – 137th Lastly, as the holidays are upon us, please have a wonderful holiday season this year. National SUVCW Encampment in Boston, It is my favorite time of the year and a great time to spend with your families. Please Massachusetts keep in your prayers the men and women who are currently fighting for our country. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah !!!!!!! Preserving the memory of the Grand Army of the Republic and our ancestors who fought to save the Union 1861-1865. Page 2 THE BUCKEYE BUGLE Major General William T. Sherman Award Two years ago, the Sherman Camp No. 93 of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War voted to create the Major General William T. Sherman Award and left it to the current Camp Commander to determine the criteria and the recipient. As the Commander noted this was not meant to be a “Best Brother Award.” With so many hard- working, dedicated, and devoted Brothers there can be no such thing as the “Best” Brother in Sherman Camp. This year’s recipient is one of the quieter Brothers yet he is nearly indispensable. First of all, he is a Camp officer which requires that he be present at every meeting, every ceremony, and every public gathering of the Camp. He can be said to fulfill the requirements of his office with dignity and respect. The recipient is also a vital volunteer with several of our partner organizations, especially the Miami Valley Military History Museum. Brother Brent Davidson He is a volunteer and organizer with the Patriot Freedom Festival and receives the General W. many other veterans’ organizations in our area. Finally, our winner T. Sherman Award certificate from Sherman has been one of our biggest fundraisers, helping out or working by Camp Commander Mike himself at nearly every Dayton Dragons game fundraiser this summer Spaulding earlier this and in preceding years as well. It can be truly said that the Camp year. would not be as successful as it is without the many contributions of our Brother and Chaplain Brent Davidson. Benjamin F. Stephenson Memorial Plaza Dr. Benjamin F. Stephenson founded the Grand Army of the Republic on April 6, 1866. Over twenty years after his death on August 30, 1871, a large granite memorial was placed at his gravesite in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Petersburg, Illinois and dedicated in 1894. Over the years the grounds surrounding the obelisk began to show their age and were in need of maintenance. The Department of Illinois proposed establishing a Memorial Plaza with paved bricks consistent with memorial designs of the Grand Army View of the proposed of the Republic from the 1880s to 1920s. Signature bricks could be purchased Dr. Benjamin F. in three sizes, 4 x 8, 8 x 8 or 12 x 12 and engraved with an individual or Stephenson Memorial Camp/Department name. Plaza at his gravesite in Rose Hill Cemetery. Earlier this year new Commander-in-Chief Mark R. Day visited the gravesite and later released a communiqué regarding the Memorial Plaza. He expressed his desire to see the plaza completed and available for everyone to visit, providing a tangible symbol for educating the public about the Grand Army of the Republic. The Department of Illinois developed a plan to finish the project but funding is necessary for its completion. Information about the Memorial Plaza can be found on the Department of Illinois website at www.suvcwil.com. As an incentive, CinC Day offered to provide an appropriate certificate to any Camp that donates at least $100 and an appropriate streamer to any Department that has at least 75% of its camps donate at least $100. At its September meeting, the Jacob Parrott Camp No. 33 deemed it proper and fitting that the Camp containing Brother David Rish, the recipient of the last five B. F. Stephenson Awards for recruiting be one of the first camps in Ohio to heed C-in-C Day’s recent call to action. Several current and past Camp Officers donated funds to allow the Camp to purchase a brick paver. THE BUCKEYE BUGLE Page 3 Patriot Day Program On September 23, 2017 the General William H. Lytle Camp No. 10 Department of Ohio Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War participated in Patriot Day in Mason, Ohio. The Brothers reported that they had a number of people stop by their table which was staffed by Brothers Larry Collins, Woody Cook, Jim Crane, Richard Davis, Jim Houston, Ralph Kidd, Rob Kidd, Kerry Langdon, and Michael Mershon. The group displayed several authentic artifacts from the Civil War plus shared stories and information about the Above – Pictured (l to r) are Lytle Camp Brothers Rob conflict with attendees. Kidd, Kerry Langdon, Ralph Kidd, Richard Davis, and Woody Cook at their Students Prepare for Gettysburg Trip Patriot Day table. Below – Parrott Camp Brother On October 13, Wyandot County Museum and Jacob Parrott Camp Ronald Marvin speaks to Upper Sandusky eighth grade No. 33 Patriotic Instructor Ronald Marvin spoke to 120 8th grade students. students at the Upper Sandusky Middle School in preparation for their upcoming annual trip to Gettysburg, PA and Washington, D.C. He spoke about the Civil War, the Gettysburg battle and several of the Ohio regiments with Wyandot County men who fought in the battle. Marvin also shared actual Civil War artifacts from the museum’s collection with the students and discussed the various G.A.R. Posts and monuments throughout Wyandot County. Old Greencastle Cemetery Clean-up On July 22, August 26, September 23, and October 14 Brothers from the Sherman Camp No. 93 led a community clean -up project at the Old Greencastle Cemetery near Dayton. The Camp has been involved with the formerly neglected cemetery since 2011.