Spanish-American War Descendants ‘Remember the Maine’

On February 15, the Sons of Spanish-American War Veterans (SSAWV) will take time to remember the sinking of the USS MAINE which led to a ten-week war between the United States and Spain and a U.S. victory.  The war resulted in Cuba’s independence and U.S. acquisition of foreign territories including Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines.  Spain also came out with $20 million to compensate for its territorial losses.

The acquisition of the Philippines led to a three-year war with Philippine revolutionaries seeking independence status like that granted to Cuba. The Philippines was the first modern U.S. “counterinsurgency” which saw the Army engaged in humanitarian tasks, reconstruction projects and development of localized internal defense forces similar to the work done in Iraq and Afghanistan. That war ended with the Philippine Organic Act of 1902, which created an elected Philippine Assembly, a bicameral legislature, and a Philippine Bill of Rights leading to the U.S. Congress declaring in 1916 its commitment to grant independence to the island nation. World War Two delayed independence until July 4, 1946.

Several key developments to came out of the Spanish-American War.  First, it placed the United States on the international stage as a world power; second, the mobilizations of state militia and volunteer units revealed shortcomings which led to Army reforms in organization and training, the principles of which are still followed, and third, it served to help heal national wounds and unify north and south as President William McKinley, a former Union soldier, identified and placed former Confederate generals in command of U.S. field forces.

An objective of the SSAWV is to educate the general public about the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection and the Boxer Rebellion and the veterans of the conflicts. It also tries to identify and remember the surviving ‘real’ sons and daughters of Spanish-American War veterans, as a living link to history, with cards, letters or visits.  They are supported in this effort by a ladies auxiliary known as the Daughters of ‘98. Individuals with information on ‘real sons’ or ‘daughters’ and persons interested in learning about the SSSAWV or the Daughters can visit the organizational website at www.ssawv.org.

Col. Greg Eanes, USAF (Ret)
Author and Historian
Penhook, Va

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Dear Editor,

I had to read Senator Ruff’s article more than once where he said, “This bill sets up a structure for the community colleges to receive better reimbursements for those non-credit courses that produce independently certified workers that can provide the skilled workers our economy needs.” I guess what he is saying is “that the community colleges should be given money to teach students in the trade crafts like Electrician, Plumber, HVAC, Carpentry, etc.” This would be nice if there weren’t millions of tradespeople standing in the unemployment lines, we don’t need to double the people out of work. And then pay the colleges with borrowed money, put educational expenses on young people and increase the unemployment costs, this sounds like the democratic way to do things. Why not get companies, the State to do O.J.T. – on the job training with people because this is where you LEARN the trade anyway, saving all that money that nobody has to start out with. Especially since he says that there are $2.8 billion worth of brilliant spending ideas already proposed by Senators and only $50 million in “anticipated” money in the budget for the next two years. The problem is JOBS for people, it’s not going to go away as long as politicians think that all you have to do is throw money at the problem and it will go away. That is what you do to disagreeable politicians – you throw them some pork. Like what Virginia Uranium Mining, Inc. did in 2011 when they were lobbying to reverse the no mining law in Virginia. They didn’t do as well as the Virginia Tobacco Commission did when they sent Senator Ruff and two commissioners to the Paris Air Show in 2013. On that trip they landed (no pun intended) a deal with Kilgour Industries, LTD., a United Kingdom based supplier of aircraft frames and machined products who is to locate in Henry County at some time in the not disclosed future. This trip was paid for with monies from the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette companies, I though that that money was for the people who died from lung cancer and associated diseases? I guess a dying economy qualifies for Tobacco Commission funded travel. But what is in it for the Tobacco Commission? Out of the top ten Virginia lawmakers who accepted travel, events and gifts, the ex – Lt. Governor was second and Senator Ruff was 10th, he needs to pick up the pace if he wants to hang with the big boys wearing a Rolex. Maybe the Tobacco Commission will fund a trip to Cancun to study immigration.

Sincerely, Mike Valerio

P.S. Keep the knife in Uranium Mining, is Henry County where they want to dig? Is there a clean conservative politician out there?

Resources: Mecklenburg Sun 2-5-14; THEWEEK.com 1-24-14