Department of North Carolina
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
Department Order #5
Series 2015-2016
9 November 2015
Veterans Day
Section 1: Wednesday, 11 November 2015, is Veterans
Day. The Department of North Carolina is
very fortunate to have a history of strong veteran participation among its
membership. For example, in 2011, a
survey was taken within the Ruger Camp #1 which revealed that 71% of the Camp’s
adult members were US veterans. Today, I
am sure our Department ranks very highly when looking at the percentage of
veterans within our membership.
Section 2: Brothers, some of you serve or served
as career military men, and some of you served as citizen soldiers. No matter how we served our country, we all
made sacrifices, as did our families, and as did our Civil War ancestors whose
service and sacrifices are not forgotten.
Section 3: What is a veteran? The following quote (author unknown) says “A
veteran is someone, who at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable
to the United States of America for an amount up to and including their
life. That is an honor, and there are
way too many people in this country who no longer remember that fact.” Another unknown author said “In war there are
no unwounded soldiers.”
Section 4: Brothers, you and your families should
all be proud of your military service, and the sacrifices that you have all
made. I also believe our Civil War
ancestors would all be proud of our veteran status, as they were all very proud
of theirs. To the Brothers of our Order
that are active military or veterans, and to all veterans, Thank you all for your service!
Section 5: All Brothers
and Camps of the Department of North Carolina are encouraged to
participate in Veterans Day
observances in their local communities on Wednesday, November 11, 2015. One of the “Purpose & Objects” of our
order is to “cooperate in doing honor to all who have patriotically served our
country in any war.” I call on you all
to fly your flag from your house, attend a local ceremony, or visit a war
memorial or cemetery. If nothing else,
thank a veteran for his or her service--many veterans have never heard the
words "thank you."
Section 6: The following quote is from former
senator, governor and veteran Zell Miller:
“For it has been said so
truthfully that it is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the
freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom
of speech. It is the soldier, not the agitator, who has given us the freedom to
protest. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose
coffin is draped by the flag, who gives that protester the freedom to abuse and
burn that flag.”
So Ordered this 9th Day of November, 2015
Yours in Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty,
Dennis C.
St. Andrew, PDC
Commander, Department of North Carolina
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
Attest: John
France, Department Secretary/Treasurer
