The Old Soldier Has Fallen

Friends and Family of Jefferson County’s Frank Woodruff Buckles, seated at lift, held a belated birthday party for the 107-year-old WWI veteran in the summer of 2008 at his farm east of Kearneysville. Buckles was born Feb. 1, 1901. A portion of W.Va 9 was named last week in his honor. (Above)The Birthday cake and road sign bearing his name.

Blow your bugle
Play Taps.
The last solider of that Great War has passed.
The echo’s of all those that went before him can be herd.
A chapter in American history has closed.
94 years ago he left for the war to end all wars and through God’s mercy
He came home.
The years passed and he became the sole voice of all those Americans who fought in World War I
He was the last man standing.
Play the dirge and carry him gentle to his rest.
Bury him among his comrades, there waiting to welcome him.
Remember his sacrifice from all those years ago.
Frank Woodruff Buckles has left us at 110.
In his death he has left each of us a gift.
The history he represented so well
and the grace and kindness and dignity he showed us in his life.
James P. Whipple
03/03/11

Boehner rejects Buckles Lying in state at us Capital

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, says he is opposed to the last surviving veteran of World War I lying in state at the U.S. Capitol rotunda. Boehner's press secretary, Michael Steel, says the Speaker believes the most appropriate venue to honor Buckles' life and service is in a memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery in the shadow of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Unknown Soldier was killed in World War I. Reaction from the West Virginia Congressional Delegation on the Speakers decision was one of outrage."It is unconscionable that Speaker Boehner would deny this honor to the last living American veteran of World War I,"Senator Manchin (D) said in a statement released to the press. "Frank Buckles was the standard-bearer of a great cause, and spent the last years of his long life fighting to make sure that our country pays proper tribute to all World War I veterans. Now it is our turn to fight to make sure our country honors him and all the World War I veterans for whom he fought with the highest degree of respect. In His statement Senator Jay Rockefeller (D) said "This is a big disappointment and a surprising decision by the Speaker "My resolution is simple. It would have provided a fitting tribute to Frank Buckles - the nation's last Doughboy. I hope that the Speaker will reconsider his refusal to honor Mr. Buckles in this way."
Buckles' funeral is scheduled March 15 at Arlington, David DeJonge family spokesman said in a published interview. An unnamed person from Arlington Cemetery said “Arlington National Cemetery would have a hard time trying to control the crowd that would be at the service.”
Thousands of veterans from across the nation would like to gather at the Capital to honor the late Frank Woodruff Buckles may not have that opportunity. Buckles passed away Sunday at his home near Charles Town at the age of 110.
As of this writing the West Virginia delegation as well as the Majority Leader of the senate Harry Reed (D) are in discussions with the Speaker of the House John Boehner.
President Obama earlier in the issued a proclamation, ordering that flags across the nation be flown at half-staff on the day of Buckles' burial.Former Americans who have been honored by lying in state in the U.S. Capitol rotunda include past Presidents, distinguished members of Congress, as well as civil rights leader Rosa Parks, two Capitol police officers killed in the line of duty and World War I General John Pershing.
James P. Whipple

Catfish Moon

Catfish Moon is a comedy/drama by Laddy Sartin. The Play is directed by Glenn Frail.
An old Chinese fortune cookie once noted that “a true friend walks in when the rest of the world walks out” and this is what three former childhood friends, Curley, Gordon and Frog, learn one evening on old fishing pier. This old fishing pier on Cypress Lake is now showing the signs of its age, but it had served them well for many years, as a meeting place for three best friends when they skipped school, for skinny dipping and fishing and even when they experienced the mysteries of girls. Struggling with the pressures that come with middle age, the friendships that they thought would never die are tested when Frog discovers that Gordon is dating his ex-wife. Under the magic of the catfish moon, the weight of adulthood is lifted by laughter and their mutual love for fishing and each other.
Director Glenn Frail has assembled a stellar cast to bring this comedy/drama to the Old Opera House stage, including: Shannon Spears as Betty, Jerry Miranda as Curley
Keith Shifflett as Frog, Will Heyser as Gordon.
Show Times are Fridays & Saturdays, March 18, 19, 25 & 26 at 8:00pm ($17 Adult / $8 student). Sunday matinees, March 20 & 27 at 2:30pm ($15 Adult / $8 student)
To make a reservation call the Old Opera House at (304) 728-7979 or email The Managing Director, Steve Brewer at ooh@oldoperahouse.org.
This play is rated PG13

HARPERS FERRY CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE

SUBJECT: The Cult of Lincoln
The Speaker:
Kyle Wichtendahl lives in southern Frederick County, Maryland, and is a regular attendee and member of the Harper’s Ferry Civil War Round Table. He recently graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland where he studied History. The American Civil War has been a lifelong passion and several members of his family served in the war for both the Union and Confederacy. During the summer season, he works for the National Museum of Civil War Medicine’s Pry House Field Hospital Museum at Antietam National Battlefield. He is also an avid Civil War re-enactor.

The Subject
In 1919, a giant bronze likeness of Abraham Lincoln was erected in London England’s Parliament Square. The space is one generally reserved for monuments to England’s most treasured historical figures, but throughout his term as President, Lincoln was the subject of scorn and ridicule throughout English society. Nevertheless, in the decade during and after the First World War, Lincoln enjoyed a massive upwelling of popularity in England. While contemporaries painted him as a buffoon, for the early twentieth century English, Lincoln was a triumphant symbol of republicanism, popular sovereignty, and the endurance of democratic government under the threat of war. Throughout the world, Lincoln has become a lens for viewing the United States and its values. Lincoln’s early 20th century popularity speaks to a radical change in English culture between the American Civil War and the First World War, but also reveals a growing warmth toward American ideals and an attempt to make Abraham Lincoln the basis of an Anglo-American alliance in the 1910s and 1920s. The presentation will discuss the details of this seemingly bizarre “Cult of Lincoln” and its implications for the US, the UK, and “The Special Relationship.”
The Meal
A family-style meal will be served at 7:00 PM prior to the program. The cost of the meal is $15.00 per person. Reservations for the meal must be phoned in no later than Sunday, March 6th, to Allison Alsdorf, at 304-535-2101 or you can email her at alsdorf@comcast.net. The menu will be Corned Beef and Cabbage, Carrots, Potatoes
Iced Tea, Irish Soda Bread, Butter & Dessert.
DATE: Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
TIME: Dinner 7:00 PM; Program 8:00
PLACE: Camp Hill Methodist Church, Harpers Ferry, WV
SPEAKER: Kyle Wichtendahl

West Virginia Mine War Tour News

There is a lot of news for our upcoming inaugural West Virginia Mine War Tour scheduled for this June 16-18. At this time, we only have about a dozen seats left. Sales have been steady and with considerable upcoming publicity, they may go fast. Here’s the news:
Coal Country Tours to be featured on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” program. I was contacted a few weeks ago by producers from NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Guy Roz, one of their most experienced reporters, wanted to do a story on southern West Virginia and he was interested in the history of the Battle of Blair Mountain as well as the current fight to save it from destruction by mountaintop removal mining. I traveled to Logan County, WV a couple of weeks ago and spent a day on and around Blair Mountain with Guy and his crew. We discussed the history of Blair Mountain and the future, including the fact that there are many folks just like you who have a deep interest and appreciation for this important historical site. Please tune in this Saturday or Sunday (I will e-mail everyone when I find out which day) to “All Things Considered” airing at 5:30 pm on WV Public Radio.


Coal Country Tours announces the Southern Appalachian Coal Railroad Tour. We are proud to announce the Southern Appalachian Coal Railroad Tour now scheduled for September 14-17. This tour, which will focus on the Chesapeake & Ohio, the Norfolk & Western, and the Virginian Railroads, will depart Charles Town, WV for a four-day, three night exploration of the railroads that made the coal fields of southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, and southwest Virginia accessible to the world. Participants will have a chance to visit museums dedicated to all three lines, as well as to explore the coal mines, company stores, and coal and railroad towns that exist because of the railroads. On the final day of the tour we will ride the Amtrak Cardinal along the Kanawha River and the New River Gorge following the original route of the C&O from Montgomery, WV to Staunton, VA. Details, itinerary, and prices can be found at our web site at http://coalcountrytours.com/. Additional passenger pick-up will be available in Roanoke although drop-off will be in Staunton.


Dinner at the Whipple Company Store. At one time, there was a restaurant in the Whipple Store and owners Joy and Chuck still utilize it for special occasions. Lucky for us, they have agreed to serve us dinner after our tour giving us a leisurely evening to take in the atmosphere and revisit the hidden corners of this remarkable building. Entertainment may be in the works as well.
Dinner at Matewan with retired and active coal miners and their families. We are scheduled to visit Matewan, site of the deadliest gunfight in U.S. history on the second afternoon of our tour. After a visit to the Depot Museum we will tour the town including a step-by-step walkthrough of the famous shoot out. After a quick trip across the river to Kentucky to visit the graves of Sid Hatfield, Ed Chambers, and Cabell Testerman, we will return to Matewan where we will sit down to dinner at United Mine Workers Local 1440 with active and retired coal miners and their families. Who better to discuss the history, the present, and the future of coal than the men and families who have lived the lives of American coal miners and who have sacrificed so much in doing so?


Extra “freebie” in the form of the play “A Comic Opera.” For participants who plan to arrive in Charles Town a day early, we may have an extra treat in store for you. We are now attempting to make arrangements for a presentation of the play “A Comic Opera” to be performed either at the Old Opera House or in the courtroom where Bill Blizzard and other coal miner leaders were tried for treason and murder following the Battle of Blair Mountain. Written by Dan Lutz, “A Comic Opera” explores the Bill Blizzard trial and the events surrounding it in 1922 Charles Town.
http://coalcountrytours.com/ 540-233-0543

Appalachin Trail Conservancy Holds Cake Baking Contest for 86th Anniversary

Harpers Ferry, WV (March 01, 2011) – In celebration of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s (ATC) 86th anniversary, ATC will be holding a cake baking contest on Saturday March 5th from 9am-5pm in their Visitor Center in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Contestants will be judged based on taste, presentation, and originality. Admission is free.
Contestants are asked to bake their favorite cake and bring it to the ATC Visitor Center by 11:00am Saturday, March 5th.
At 1:00pm. submissions will be judged based on taste, presentation, and originality. Once the winner has been announced, everyone will enjoy sampling the cake entries. In addition, during this celebration ATC will also offer a 1-day only membership discount to the public.
If you are interested in participating or judging this contest, please contact Dave T. at dtarasevich@appalachiantrail.org

EVENT OVERVIEW:
Who: All friends of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Where: ATC Visitor Center
799 Washington Street, Harpers Ferry WV
When: Saturday, March 5th 2011 (from 9am-5pm)
@ 11am all cakes must be submitted to ATC’s Visitor Center
@ 1pm winner will be announced
@ 1:05pm all uneaten cake will be available for everyone to enjoy
About the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy mission is to preserve and manage the Appalachian Trail – ensuring that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for centuries to come.
For more information please visit www.appalachiantrail.org. or contact Javier Folgar Appalachian Trail Conservancy Tel: 304.535.6331 or email: jfolgar@appalachiantrail.org