Save
the Sons of Confederate Veterans
Walter C. Hilderman III
P.O. Box 297
Eutawville, S.C. 29048-0297
www.savethescv.org
Dear Compatriots and Friends,
Before I ask you to become involved in the controversy that has developed within the Sons of Confederate Veterans, it is proper to tell you that I have only been a member of the SCV for a short time. During my nearly forty years as a Confederate reenactor, I have been involved with Confederate heritage issues and have worked with SCV members on numerous monument and preservation projects. I was active on the letters-to-the-editor page of the Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, NC) when that newspaper attacked the South, the Confederacy and our heritage. Also, I was most likely the only Charlotte/Mecklenburg police captain to have had his office computer confiscated for inviting city and county employees to Confederate Memorial Day ceremonies; but that’s a story for another time.
I joined the new Sgt. Aaron L. DeArmond SCV Camp #1981 when its several members withdrew from the Maj. Egbert A. Ross Camp #1423 in Charlotte and formed the DeArmond Camp in nearby Matthews, North Carolina. Founding members left the Ross camp when the United States flag and the Pledge of Allegiance were banned from Ross Camp meetings. The Ross SCV camp is currently controlled by individuals who are members of, or share ideologies with, the League of the South, a well-known anti-United States government and neo-secessionist organization. The banning of the U.S. flag and pledge at Ross camp meetings was the culmination of a struggle that had existed within that camp for some time; a struggle that has surfaced in SCV camps all over the nation. The underlying problem is this: an organized effort is underway to change the direction and philosophy of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
In the past, the SCV has been a defender of Confederate heritage and an archive for American history. Now, several national and local SCV leaders, under the influence of individuals such as Mr. Kirk Lyons and of organizations like the League of the South and the Council of Conservative Citizens, are guiding the Sons of Confederate Veterans toward a philosophy of secessionism and racism. As a result, some of our local camps are attracting politically active racists and modern-day secessionists. These people are working to advance their radical views by usurping the good name and reputation of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. This course of action is in violation of our SCV Constitution, of the publicly stated goals of our founders, and of common human decency.
Recently, an SCV camp commander in North Carolina, Compatriot Gilbert Jones, who has publicly opposed this redefining of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, was accused of violating a "gag-order" resolution that forbids public comment on the issues and individuals involved in this controversy. Additionally, other North Carolina SCV members; some in leadership positions at the camp, brigade and army level; are accused of misconduct arising from their participation in the recent Army of Northern Virginia elections. All of these men opposed Kirk Lyons’ candidacy for ANV Commander; objecting to his long-standing connections to racists and anti-government organizations. As a result, these members are under investigation and/or have been threatened with expulsion. Enforcement of the "gag-order" resolution against these individuals and others will suppress debate on the issues and will purge the SCV of those who are resisting the subversion of our organization’s honorable goals.
As a result of this situation, representatives from several North Carolina SCV camps, including several division officers and a representative from South Carolina, attended a recent meeting to develop a course of action. We agreed that, 1) the corruption of SCV principles must be stopped; 2) that the national membership must be informed of these subversive activities; and, 3) that those who would turn the SCV into a secessionist and racist organization must be removed from our membership.
Those of us who attended the meeting, and others who have joined us since, have formulated the following plan. I was asked to make this initial contact with the SCV members throughout the nation. We need your help to accomplish our mission.
Our first and most immediate goal is to prevent the use of the unconstitutional "gag-order" resolution to expel Gilbert Jones and others. If the gag order is enforced against these members for merely opposing Kirk Lyons and exposing this controversy to the light of day, the likely result will be a crisis within the SCV that will quickly spread beyond North Carolina.
Second, we must develop a network of SCV members and camps throughout the nation that will publicly condemn the infiltration of the SCV by racists and secessionists and who will work toward their removal. We must condemn both the message and the messengers. (One way to do this is to pass a resolution making the display of the flag of the United States of America and the Pledge of Allegiance to that flag, a part of your monthly camp meetings, along with the display and salutes to your state flag and the Confederate flag, as suggested in the Camp Handbook distributed by SCV International Headquarters). We intend to build a movement within the SCV that will identify the extremists and vote them out of office or obtain their resignations. If they are secessionists, let them join the League of the South. If they think racism is a virtue, let them join the Ku Klux Klan. Now is the time. We all must choose: heritage or hate.
Third, we ask that you respond to this letter by offering your help and support. Give us your ideas. If you have questions, ask for more information. Give copies of this letter to anyone who is concerned about the cause of Confederate heritage. We will need several points-of-contact in each state. As SCV camp, brigade and division commanders offer their support; they will become responsible for coordinating this effort within their normal geographic areas of responsibility. Give us your address and/or phone number, or contact us by email at savethescv@yahoo.com. Provide us with contact information for as many SCV members, in as many camps as you can. In order to keep the SCV membership informed, we have set up a website at www.savethescv.org. Please check this site often for information and suggestions as to how you can help.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans is the only organization with the history, credibility and resources to successfully protect and defend our nation’s proud Confederate heritage from those who would destroy it. If that honorable mission is corrupted, ours will surely be a lost cause. Seldom in life is the choice between right and wrong so clear.
We must be steadfast in our loyalty to the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Our Confederate heritage is too precious to abandon. Our forefathers are watching.
Yours in the Cause,
Walter C.
Hilderman, III
Sgt. Aaron L. DeArmond Camp #1981, Matthews, NC
PO Box 297
Eutawville, SC 29048-0297
www.savethescv.org