I, _____, appointed a _____ in the Army of the United States, do solemnly swear, or affirm, that I will bear true allegiance to the United States of America, and that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies or opposers whatsoever, and observe and obey the orders of the President of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the rules and articles for the government of the Armies of the United States. Officers Oath, U.S. Army, 183062
Treasonagainst the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. Constitution of the United States, Article III, Section 3
Gen. David Berger, commandant of the Marine Corps, just made news for forbidding the display of Confederate symbols on Marine installations. But the debate over the Confederate battle flag, images, statues, and other symbols has been raging for years. Cloaked in terms of history and heritage, the continued use of Confederate symbols has often ignored the nature of that heritage, which is grounded in secession, oppression, and war. Today, one of the continuing holdouts on this issue is the United States Army, which currently names ten Army posts after Confederate generals. Often upheld as monuments to military history, they are indeed that, but that history does not belong to the United States. That history belongs to the Confederate States of America, to slaveowners, oppressors, and oath-breakers. To memorialize Confederate generals is to uplift symbols of treason. It should go without saying that the U.S. Army has no business doing this.
After the Charleston church shooting in 2015, the Army again resisted renaming its bases. Brig. Gen. Malcolm Frost, the Armys director of public affairs, held the line: every Army installation is named for a soldier who holds a place in our military history. Under that logic, we could have posts named after Field Marshal Irwin Rommel, Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap, Gen. Iwane Matsui, Gen. Ernst Kaltenbrunner the former two being honorable opponents and the latter two being convicted war criminals. You cannot separate a soldier from the causes he or she served. The individual cannot be separated from cause or conduct.
The cast of characters selected for memorialization is a mixed bag of miscreants. Several were slaveowners. Seven, including Robert E. Lee, were oath-breakers, having graduated from West Point and taken an oath to the United States. These officers should be singled out for opprobrium, and not commemorated. They violated those most sacred oaths, given freely, in the service of a rebellion against the very military they had once pledged to serve honestly and faithfully. They did neither. Indeed, Gen. Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard fired the first shots of the Civil War, on the Union garrison of Fort Sumter.
That accusation of oath-breaking cannot be levied against the remaining three, but that is hardly absolution. Maj. Gen. John Brown Gordon had no military background, was a slaveowner from a slave-owning family, and remained anti-reconstruction until his death. Brig. Gen. Henry L. Benning was a virulently pro-secession and pro-slavery politician for more than a decade before the Civil War and for a decade after. Col. Edmund Rucker enforced a rebel draft order in pro-Union East Tennessee and maintained a long association with Nathan Bedford Forrest, tainting any Army legacy beyond redemption. Indeed, Rucker was never a part of the U.S. Army, and why he should be associated with an Army fort used for the training of aviators is unclear. All of these officers served an armed rebellion that resulted in the death of over 600,000 soldiers and 50,000 civilians and the devastation of wide swaths of countryside. These men did nothing to deserve lionization by todays Army, the descendent of the Union Army that fought valiantly, if imperfectly, against those who rose in revolt.
Despite claims that the war was less about slavery and more about states rights, that position is not supported by the evidence. The war was primarily about the southern states desire to keep people from a different race as property. The Declarations of Causes made by Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, Virginia, and South Carolina are replete with mentions of slavery (83 times), while thin mention is made of rights (16 times). Records of the proceedings which led to the Ordinances of Secession are clear: The key issue was the institution of slavery and the differential between the northern and southern states as a result of this reprehensible practice. In the words of Henry Lewis Benning himself, before the Virginia Convention in 1861:
What was the reason that induced Georgia to take the step of secession? This reason may be summed up in one single proposition. It was a conviction, a deep conviction on the part of Georgia, that a separation from the North-was the only thing that could prevent the abolition of her slavery. If things are allowed to go on as they are, it is certain that slavery is to be abolished. By the time the north shall have attained the power, the black race will be in a large majority, and then we will have black governors, black legislatures, black juries, black everything. Is it to be supposed that the white race will stand for that? It is not a supposable case.
Pay tribute to the soldiers who fought in the U.S. Army and not against it. Its perverse that the Army has retained bases that honor rebels without a corresponding memorial to Union soldiers. Brig. Gen. William Bowen Campbell and Gen. George G. Meade still have their forts, but Maj. Gen. George B. McClellans was closed in 1999, Gen. Winfield Scotts was renamed and closed. Where is Fort Grant (abandoned in 1905) or Fort Chamberlain, or perhaps Fort Sherman? Gen. Ulysses S. Grant became president and led Reconstruction efforts for eight years. The erudite and eloquent Brig. Gen. Joshua Chamberlain earned a medal of honor at Little Round Top and later became governor of Maine. Gen. William T. Sherman? His results were unambiguous but his methods questionable. Still, we named a widely used medium tank after him surely that is worth consideration as a new name for Fort Benning home of the U.S. Armys Armor Center.
We need not limit ourselves to the Civil War or to general officers; a base named after Gen. and later President Dwight D. Eisenhower or Pvt. Rodger Young would both commemorate the best the Army had to offer.
Today, more than ever, Americans are more widely (although by no means universally) equating confederate symbols and attitudes with pervasive racism and oppression, which was not ended by the Civil War. Indeed, by retaining those symbols we are perpetuating the philosophies that were the very foundation of the Confederate States, and the very rationale for treason. Today every single individual in the U.S. Army who enlists or accepts a commission swears an oath to support and defend the constitution of the United States. To elevate those who rebelled against those United States to a status which obscures their perfidy or conceals their service to a government founded on oppression rather than freedom should be unacceptable for a military service. Treason it was, and treason most foul, and it is not too late to reconsider the historical influences that led the Army to retain base names that commemorate officers whose cause was despicable, conduct dishonorable, and legacy disgraceful. We should not retain such obvious symbols of treason.
Col. Mike Starbaby Pietrucha was an instructor electronic warfare officer in the F-4G Wild Weasel and the F-15E Strike Eagle, amassing 156 combat missions over 10 combat deployments. As an irregular warfare operations officer, Colonel Pietrucha has two additional combat deployments in the company of U.S. Army infantry, combat engineer, and military police units in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is mere weeks from retirement.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force or the U.S. Government.
Image: Bowling Green Daily News (Photo by Miranda Pederson)
See more here:
The Army Should Rid Itself of Symbols of Treason - War on the Rocks
- Jackboot - Wikipedia - December 8th, 2016 [December 8th, 2016]
- The Federalist #51 - Constitution Society - January 8th, 2017 [January 8th, 2017]
- Free oppression Essays and Papers - 123helpme - January 25th, 2017 [January 25th, 2017]
- Labour movements in Congo Brazzaville: Between oppression and self determination - CADTM.org - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- A Modern Choice on Life - Harvard Political Review - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Opinion: While true oppression exists, hypocrisy of some women is clear - Shelby Township Source Newspapers - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Understanding Information Oppression in the Era of Trump - MediaFile - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Angolans Bravery Broke Down Chains of Colonial Oppression - Minister - AllAfrica.com - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Hoosier attorneys travel to Rwanda on legal mission trip - Indiana Lawyer - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Bishop: Government has betrayed me over refugees - Premier - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Open Letter to NFL Players Traveling to Israel on a Trip Organized by Netanyahu's Government - The Nation. - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Police Disperse Shiite Protesters Demanding Release Of El-Zakzaky - SaharaReporters.com - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Turkey's HDP Women's Assembly issues feminist call-to-arms against 'one man rule' - Left Foot Forward - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Collin Nji: The first African to win Google's CodeIn Challenge - Pulse ... - Pulse Nigeria - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Student leader says 'black-on-black crime is not a thing,' wants to ... - The College Fix - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Sri Lanka: Tamil Insurgents Marxism Versus Nationalism - Sri Lanka Guardian - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Israeli Knesset 'legalizes' robbery of Palestinian land - Liberation - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- LETTER: Evangelical Lutheran Church respond to political cartoon - The Dickinson Press - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Visiting Our Past: Odyssey of Clyde pioneer Jacob Shook - Asheville Citizen-Times - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Organize to defeat Trump's Muslim ban | Fight Back! - Fight Back! Newspaper - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Do we have a legitimate government? - Altoona Mirror - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Anti-Castro Cuban-American lawmakers see a champion in Trump - The Daily Progress - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Anti-Trump Swedish Government Accused of Hypocrisy for Kowtowing to Iran - Heat Street - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- CSG President vetoes Israel-Palestinian lunch resolution | The ... - The Michigan Daily - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Sweden's 'Feminist' Government Defends Veiling in Iran After Attacking Trump - Breitbart News - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- U. Mass Students Plot Strike Against 'Oppression' of Migrants - Breitbart News - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- March on Washington: Drawing the Line between Empowerment and Oppression - The Index - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Ethiopian Athlete Who Made Anti-government Gesture in Rio Reunites With Family - Voice of America - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Mottley: Tax clearance certificate an 'instrument of oppression' - Loop Barbados - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Sweden's 'feminist' government criticized for wearing headscarves in Iran - Washington Post - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Turkey purge: dark cloud of oppression hangs over country's universities - Times Higher Education (THE) (blog) - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Fox News' Todd Starnes Redefines 'The Deplorables' - Forward - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Christophobia: a Global Perspective - AINA (press release) - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- AzaadiFreedom from Indian Oppression - Economic and Political Weekly - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Iraqi forces advance on Islamic State-held western Mosul - Stars and Stripes - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Henry Rollins Doesn't Smoke Pot, But Demands The Right to Choose To - Weed News - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- UC San Diego Students Protest Visit by 'Oppressive and Offensive' Dalai Lama - Heat Street - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Commentary | We must all stand with Tibet - The McGill Daily (blog) - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- In Trump's America, Christian proselytizing is another form of oppression - LGBTQ Nation - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Elders share experiences with oppression from their youth - B.C. Catholic Newspaper - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Iran tells US chess champion to wear a hijab here's how she responds - TheBlaze.com - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Afro-Mexican people brought to light - The Daily Evergreen - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Online activism is leading the fight against oppression but at what cost? - Asian Correspondent - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Stephen Miller was no hero fighting left-wing oppression at Santa ... - Los Angeles Times - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Grass-roots leaders join call for 'disrupting' oppression that hurts many - Catholic News Service - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- President Trump Breaks a Promise on Transgender Rights - New York Times - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Pussy Riot Protests Through Make America Great Again Viral Video - Conatus News - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Governor Treen brought sunshine to Louisiana governmental conservatism - Bayoubuzz - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- I want an international probe into failed Turkey coup Fethullah Glen - Citifmonline - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Lateral Oppression Hurts Us All - The Lakota Country Times - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- On finding freedom from oppression, fear - Davisclipper - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Supreme Court denies bail to leading anti-base activist in Okinawa; government accused of oppression - The Japan Times - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Disobedience Checks Unjust Laws - The Oberlin Review - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Cycles and Oppression - Patheos (blog) - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Another Jewish cemetery desecrated; what will the President say? Isn't the government supposed to help? - San Diego Jewish World - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- Transport groups hold nationwide transport strike to protest government's PUV modernization program - CNN Philippines - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- Opinion: The Relevance of Orwell's 1984 - Emertainment Monthly (registration) (blog) - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- Monitoring group documents Turkey-backed profiling in Netherlands - Turkey Purge - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- What should we see in the ashes of the Standing Rock protest camp? - Liberation - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Opinion: Focusing on religious oppression in China misses the big ... - CNN - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Trump Vows Teamwork with 'Allies in the Muslim World' to 'Demolish and Destroy ISIS' - Breitbart News - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Freedom House: Chinese Communists Intensifying Religious ... - Voice of America - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- ISIS Threatens China In New Video Showing Chinese Jihadists - Vocativ - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Focusing on religious oppression in China misses the big picture - Gant Daily - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- This Is Why The Youth Is Picking Up Arms In Kashmir - Youth Ki Awaaz - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Saudi Arabia: Music video and government initiatives split society - Freemuse - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- From Latin America to South Africa: it's time for effective solidarity towards Palestine - The Daily Vox (blog) - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- Focusing on religious oppression in China misses the big picture - CNN International - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- Articles: Islam, the Veil, and Oppression - American Thinker - American Thinker - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- UK's student union rebukes officer for Israeli embassy plot - The Electronic Intifada (blog) - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- Public needs to help get government back on track - Fairfield Daily Republic - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- Shahbaz Bhatti's legacy six years on - DAWN.com - March 6th, 2017 [March 6th, 2017]
- The Readers' Forum: Monday letters - Winston-Salem Journal - March 6th, 2017 [March 6th, 2017]
- Focusing on religious oppression in China misses the big picture - CNN - March 6th, 2017 [March 6th, 2017]
- How America Became a Colonial Ruler in Its Own Cities - Vanity Fair - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- Plurality of Americans are right: "dissatisfaction with government" worst problem facing country - Hilltop Views - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- The Oppression of Eve: Was Patriarchy Actually The First Sin? - Patheos (blog) - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- Thousands in women's rights march in Polish capital - National - thenews.pl - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- Probe: Artist Blacklist Antidemocratic Oppression - KBS WORLD Radio - KBS WORLD Radio News - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- Peoples' Tribunal Indicts Myanmar Leaders for Genocide Against Rohingya, Atrocities Against Kachin - The Chicago Monitor - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]