Posted on 12/14/2002 7:05:02 AM PST by FreetheSouth!
12-12-2002
Compatriots,
Today started off as another great day for H.K.'s March Across Dixie. We had 5 marchers to go along with H.K. We marched along Hwy 80 East into Choudrant, LA amidst a ear blasting parade of cars and trucks blowing horns and waving.
As we proceeded out of Choudrant, we were contacted by the local radio station for a live On-the-Road interview. It went great and brought out more people as we came into Ruston, LA. Just outside of Ruston we were met by a reporter from the Ruston Daily Leader Newspaper. We made the front page of Thursdays paper. All went well through-out the City of Ruston. We then left Ruston heading west on Hwy 80.
We had barely made it to the City Limits of Grambling, LA. when we were accosted by several hoodlums from the local Government Housing project. They were shouting vulgar phrases, throwing pieces of wood and several of them were even wearing full face hoods. Just as they appeared so did one of Grambling's Police officers. The offending people still proceeded to threaten to shoot and kill us all.
A woman from the local newspaper who had stopped to get a story for her paper never even got to take the picture of (as she referred)some good looking guys. The police officer then told us that he was going to escort us to the Mayors office, where the Mayor was waiting to meet with H.K. We loaded the vehicles and followed him down the road. He then pulled over after going only 50 ft. and got out of his car and told us that the Chief of Police was coming. After about a minute the Chief pulled up.
He then jumped out of his car and asked H.K. just what he was doing. H.K. tried to show the Chief some papers explaining what he was doing. The Chief slapped it away and told us that he did not have time for all of this and that we needed to get out of Grambling, NOW !!!!. H.K. told him that we were to go and see the Mayor, and the Chief said that we were not going to see anybody and that we would not go into Grambling at all. We explained to him what had happened back up the road and he was not concerned in the least.
We asked him if he would excort us safely out of Grambling and he told us that we would not get anything from him. Then he said again, "Get out of Grambling, NOW !!!! or else". We were still getting threats from the group that had gathered behind the Chief, who had chosen to do nothing about this.
We then thought it best to call the Sheriff's Department go get some help from them. They did have to come out to aid us 3 different times. The last time that we had to call them was when we were approached by a car as we left out of the City Limits of Grambling. The driver told us that we should get into the van and leave the area, as there was a group of people waitng ahead of us to "do us harm". The sheriff's office then sent out 2 patrol cars to stay with us until we finnished the march for the day at the outskirts of Simsboro, LA.
Marching with H. K. were the Commander and Adjutant of the Ward Camp in Farmerville, the Commander of the Nicholson Camp in Ruston, the Northeast Brigade Commander and the Commander of the Hot Springs Camp of the Arkansas Division. Also joining us on our march were 2 members of the Benton Camp of Monroe and another member of the Nicholson Camp of Ruston. We could not have asked for a better day of marching and defending our heritage.
M. Todd Owens
Commander, Northeast Brigade
Louisiana Division
Sons of Confederate Veterans
12/14/02
H K and Terry Lee have had to suspend their “March Across Dixie” due to problems with their van. The “March” will be suspended until the 29th of December if the van is fixed by then, later if not. The van is leaking oil, burning oil and losing power. Some good Confederates in North Louisiana have offered to put the van in the shop in their area. However, H K and Terry want to take the van home to Ashville and have it fixed there. They had already planned to go home for Christmas anyway.
These two men have forgone paying jobs in order to support the Confederate cause with this march. They are using their personal van for this effort. They are relying on donations from camps and individuals for food, gas and lodging for the trip because they have already spent all their own personal funds on the “March”.
H K has been marching 20 miles a day, six days a week, since October. Everyone who has walked with him on the trip can testify to how tiring the 20 miles can be! He is very tired and needs to go home to see his family for Christmas. He has been willing to face hostile crowds for our cause – was attacked by a hostile crowd in Grambling, La just yesterday. He is giving more for the cause than we have seen anyone do in our lifetime.
Terry Lee has called and got an estimate of $2500 to replace the engine in his van. Everyone in the Confederacy needs to pitch in and help these two Confederates. They have given time, money, energy, courage and now the engine in their van in their extreme effort to raise funds for Heritage defense. Kirk Lyons has set up a fund to fix the van. PLEASE rush donations to:
SLRC
P.O. Box 1235
Black Mountain, NC 28711.
Be sure to designate that it is for van repairs.
Any money left over after fixing the van will go to H K and Terry Lee’s expenses on the rest of the trip. All other donations will go to the SLRC and SCV Heritage defense fund.
Please don’t let their “March Across Dixie” end because of a lack of funds. Donate what ever you can to this fund ASAP. Feel free to forward this message to others.
John P Pate
Major Jesse M Cooper # 1665
DeRidder, La
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