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Webb's bill leads charge for marking Civil War's 150th anniversary
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By Preston Knight -- pknight@nvdaily.com
NEW MARKET -- It's almost as if 150 is the new 30.
Turning 150, which the opening of the Civil War is about to do, is nothing to frown upon, Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation officials say, and it's about time the nation took notice. Virginia's plans to celebrate the war's sesquicentennial have been ahead of other states, they said, but with the introduction of the Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission Act of 2009, others may soon catch up.
U.S. Sens. Jim Webb, D-Va., and Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., introduced the act, which establishes a commission to commemorate the 150th anniversary, on Oct. 22, according a news release from Webb's office this week. The legislation has been referred to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, of which Landrieu is a member, it states.
Terry Heder, the foundation's program manager for field services, serves on five local sesquicentennial committees. He said the proposed bill is important because it finally brings focus to the war's legacy at the national level.
"The state and localities are off to a formidable start, but you'd love to see a national focus," Heder said. "This gives it more weight."
Webb recently helped secure $9 million in funding for the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program, its largest one-time allocation. In the news release, he said the intention of the sesquicentennial commission is to ensure proper recognition of the anniversary.
It will consist of 25 members from government, business and the academic field, the release states, and will work with state and local governments, among others, to assist with sesquicentennial activities.
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation Executive Director Denman Zirkle said the commission is a big deal because, perhaps as the result of political correctness or some other reason, people are shy about the Civil War.
"It's time for us to shed that mantle," he said.
The sesquicentennial is expected to mean a lot to Virginia both in terms of tourism and educational opportunities. In Shenandoah County, Zirkle said focus will be on the role hospitals played in the Civil War, such as the one that now houses Holtzman Oil Corp. in Mt. Jackson.
"It's a touching story," he said.
Thinking about the War Between the States, someone (I forget who) remarked that before the war, it was "The United States ARE..." and after the war, it became "The United States IS..."