Military Presence and History

Throughout the South I have been pleased to see both a military presence as well as obvious support for our military.  It contrasts with some West Coast experiences like San Francisco refusing the battleship Iowa from WWII and the island realtor who will never fly the American flag on patriotic holidays, substituting instead a peace flag.   Must sees in Charleston are Patriots Point, Fort Sumpter and the Civil War submarine, the Hunley.

Patriots Point is located across from the historic Charleston and is comprised of the WWII aircraft carrier Yorktown, the destroyer Laffey and the cold war era submarine Clamagore.  Also featured is the Medal of Honor museum and the "Vietnam Experience" exhibit.

View of the aircraft carrier Yorktown and the destroyer Laffey at Patriots Point 

The Yorktown was the first stop at Patriots Point.  It was commissioned in 1943 and named after the ship lost in the battle of Midway, served in until 1975  when it was decommissioned, towed to Charleston and dedicated as a museum.  We toured the ship, from the engine room (that would be horrible duty) to the bridge, which is where I would want to be.

My favorite was the galley used to feed the 3500 personnel

The recipe for the revered Chocolate Chip Cookies was

112 pounds of chocolate chips
165 pounds of flour
500 eggs
100 pounds of granulated sugar
87 pounds of shortening
75 pounds of brown sugar
12 pounds of butter
3 pounds of salt
3 cups of vanilla extract
1 quart of water
1.5 pounds of baking soda

The smell of those baking would be like home.

While doing research on the ship I discovered a story I miss while touring.  As a dog person, it was quite a tale.

Although it is not known exactly when Scrappy arrived on the YORKTOWN, it is acknowledged that he was roaming the docks of Pearl Harbor alone when the ship pulled in to port in 1943. YORKTOWN sailors spotted the dog and smuggled him aboard the ship in a trash can, knowing that the ship’s captain Jocko Clark would not approve of having an animal aboard. But the crew enjoyed him, and he became the YORKTOWN crew’s mascot. The little gray dog’s real name was Scrapper Shrapnel, but most called him by the nickname “Scrappy.”  He was an Airedale; and although small, Scrappy was bold -- challenging the roaring planes on the flight deck for territory. The crew had a small life vest and helmet made for him. With Scrappy aboard, the tensions of warfare were eased.

The highlight of the Yorktown tour was meeting three men, one of whom served on the ship and was present for her commissioning.

Hal Syfrett, now 92,  served on the Yorktown

I also met two volunteers who were Marines in WWII.  The man on the right is 90 and served in a rifle company on Okinawa, the one on the left 94 was a fighter pilot.  The right hand gentleman asked if I liked Marines, and when I said I loved Marines he demanded a kiss.  I obliged and kissed them both.  What a naughty pair those two were!

WWII Marines

Perhaps because it was my era, the Vietnam Experience exhibit was the most poignant.  

Recreation of a Camp

As one toured the camp the loudspeakers constantly played the sound of helicopters, landing and taking off, an ongoing backdrop to life in the camp.

Advanced air support provided significantly improved medical intervention compared to prior wars.

The display included a River Patrol Boat from the Brown Water Navy which refers to naval activity on rivers which are often brown from land run off.  The Brown Water Navy was used extensively in the Civil War and revived in Vietnam.

River Patrol Boat

The simplicity and poignancy of the loss of south Carolinians was depicted in the dog tag display.

Fallen South Carolinian Dog Tags

Sadly, the Cold War era submarine is in need of considerable maintenance for which no funding exists.  We toured it and my thought that the submarine service was not for me, even though my height would be an advantage, was reinforced.

The boat tour to Fort Sumpter was pleasant and the historical background was laid out by a lively Park Ranger named Antoine.  There were many school groups on board and he had them engaged.  I thought that if I had had history teachers who brought the stories alive, I would have loved history.  It is only with age that I have developed an interest in the subject, perhaps a feature of perspective???

Fort Sumpter was the most defensible fort in the Charleston Harbor area, serving as part of the coastal defense system. As South Carolina seceded, followed by other southern states, the Confederacy took over most of the forts and naval yards but Fort Sumpter remained in Federal hands.    When Union officer Major Anderson consolidated his troops at Fort Sumpter, the Confederacy demanded his departure and gave him one hour to leave.  When he refused the shelling began and when fire threatened his ammunition and the fight appeared hopeless after 30+ hours, Anderson surrendered.  This marked the beginning of the Civil War.

  

Charleston Harbor was also the site of the first successful submarine attack in history on February 17, 1864, when the H.L. Hunley made a daring night attack on the USS Housatonic, sinking her in shallow waters. The Hunley, built in Mobile, was a privately financed vessel hoping to gain the $50,000 bonus for sinking the Union Housatonic so that blockage runners could enter the harbor.  Although the Hunley survived the attack, she foundered and sank while returning from her mission.

It was not until 2000 that she was brought to the surface.  Her location had been found and documented by a man named Spence in 1970 but no further efforts were undertaken to verify and retrieve the vessel.  In 1995 a NUMA dive team, headed by novelist Clive Cussler claimed discovery of the sub.  Litigation was undertaken regarding competing discovery claims but later dropped.

The raising of the submarine and subsequent restoration is a wonderful story.  Many experts have collaborated including marine archeologists, genetic detectives, genealogists and specialists in the preservation of relics.  The sub was placed in a fresh water tank with electrical current for over a year and is now in a Draino like fluid to remove the calcium encrustation from the iron surface.  There were 8 men who died in the last voyage and their remains were recovered and their likenesses and physical descriptions recreated from the skeletons.  DNA allowed some genealogical identification as well.

The Raising of the Hunley

The Hunley was only 40' long  and 4'3" high 

The still encrusted Hunley

Apart from the commander of the submarine, Lieutenant George E. Dixon, the identities of the volunteer crewmen of the Hunley had long remained a mystery. Douglas Owsley, a physical anthropologist working for the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, examined the remains and determined that four of the men were American born, while the four others were of European birth, based on the chemical signatures left on the men's teeth and bones by the predominant components of their diet. Four of the men had eaten plenty of corn, an American diet, while the remainder ate mostly wheat and rye, a mainly European one. By examining Civil War records and conducting DNA testing with possible relatives, forensic genealogist Linda Abrams was able to identify the remains of Dixon and the three other Americans: Frank G. Collins of Fredericksburg, Va., Joseph Ridgaway, and James A. Wicks. Identifying the European crewmen has been more problematic, but was apparently solved in late 2004. The position of the remains indicated that the men died at their stations and were not trying to escape from the sinking submarine.

Crew member facial reconstruction

On April 17, 2004 the remains of the crew were laid to rest at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston.  Tens of thousands of people attended including some 6,000 reenactors and 4,000 civilians wearing period clothing. Color guards from all five branches of the U.S. armed forces—wearing modern uniforms—were also in the procession.

The last funeral of the Civil War

Charleston

South Carolina is a lovely state, particularly since I think we have hit the weather sweet spot.  Not 30 degrees as it was when Jane and I visited nor the 100 degree, 80% humidity of summer.  Even the bugs have been manageable.  The scenery is peaceful with huge oaks dripping moss, endless small islands and wetlands and plenty of squirrel activity to function like Sunday cartoons for Max's viewing pleasure.  The food is good with lots of local seafood, still key lime pie but now peach cobbler as well.  The people are gracious and helpful, EXCEPT when driving.  Both in Hilton Head and now Charleston we find they are aggressive and not very skilled.  I was amazed when crossing in the crosswalk, coming from the Fort Sumpter Museum, and a woman driving fast cut right in front of me while I was 30% through the crosswalk.  I raised my hand in an Italian style gesture (no finger) and said something out loud, "What the heck."  The man behind me said "you must not be from around here."  I said no, and he explained that is how they drive.  He was from Denver.  I had no idea the "slow country" and gracious South would drive like NY City folk.  Pedestrian beware.

We are staying in a fabulous County park where the infrastructure is maintained, the staff are accomodating and the attractions rival private theme parks.  There are splash zones, spray water features for the little ones, kayak lakes and a dog swimming area.  The RV sites are shaded and large. I did discover, not having watched much TV in the RV, that a shady spot may mean no satellite TV.  I am not missing much and the Internet suffices.

I walk Max and found this at the park entrance-lit in the hours of darkness and used as a landmark for campers coming in after dark.

After Hours Campground Entrance Landmark

Such a peaceful place to walk Max

Cardinals are a such a treat

The Park has a wonderful Christmas Light Display.

Yesterday was a leisurely trip to the adjacent Wadmalaw Island to see the Charleston Tea Plantation and the Angel Oak.  The tea plantation is of recent vintage, now owned and run by the Bigelow family, but grows tea plants that were imported for a plantation northeast of the current one in 1880.  The tour is informative and one learns the process of preparing green, oolong and black tea and observes the equipment that is used.  Because it is the weekend and before the first flush of the year, no actual work was being done.  It is the only tea plantation growing and processing tea in North America.  The tea is grown without pesticides or fungicides and is served at the White House.  It is also a larger leaf style which gives a richer, smoother flavor.

Tea Plants on the Charleston Tea Plantation

On the route back to the campground we were able to view the Angel Oak, estimated to be 3-400 years old.

Angel Oak

Henry Flagler, St. Augustine, and the Sea Islands of South Carolina

Growing up in California, I learned that the first settlement in the United States was in Jamestown in 1607.   In fact, there was a settlement in 1565 in St. Augustine, Florida (and the Spanish settled in New Mexico in 1598).  The old saying that history is written by the victors is so true.  St. Augustine today is touristy but not overly so.  The old buildings and original fort, Castillo de San Marcus, are close together and quite lovely.  The fort was used to defend the city during a time when the Spanish and British vied for control of the New World.  The British controlled the fort following the French and Indian War in 1763 and used it during the Revolutionary War.  Then it was in Spanish hands but in 1821 the US acquired Florida from Spain and the fort was used to house American Indians during the Indian Wars.

Castillo de San Marco

The Population of Florida is now nearly 20 million!

The history of major east coast Florida development revolves around Henry Flagler.  While we have all heard of Rockefeller and Standard Oil, Henry Flagler was a cofounder of the company and is credited with taking the company public, this enabling its growth and prominence.  Henry's first wife was not well and he took her to Jacksonville, Florida for her health.  The change did not provide much benefit and she subsequently died.  When Flagler remarried he traveled south to St. Augustine and, not able to slow down and finding accommodations without the amenities to which he was accustomed, he proceeded to build the Ponce de Leon Hotel in 1888.

Ponce de Leon Hotel-Now Flagler College

He also bought the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax Railroad which later became the Florida East Coast Railway System.  Over the years, Flagler continued to build the rail line south along the east coast of Florida, adding hotels as he went.

Flagler decided to take the rail line all the way down to Key West.  Pigeon Key housed the workmen who built the railroad that connected the Homestead area of South Florida to Key West, starting in 1903.  At one time, due to the wrecking business, Key West was the wealthiest city in the US.   Shallow waters and the lack of navigation aids resulted in many wrecked ships and the salvage business proved so lucrative that rumors persist that ships were lured to their demise.  Before the railroad, the only access to Key West was via boat, over 100 miles.  Under Flagler's direction, while he was in his late 70's and 80's, the railroad reached Key West in 1912.  The project has been characterized as the most ambitious engineering feat ever undertaken by a private citizen.

Original Building on Pigeon Key where Railroad Construction Workers were Headquartered

The railroad ran until 1935, when a hurricane devastated the Keys.  The railroad, which was by then suffering financial problems, was seriously damaged and the State of Florida used the still viable columns and paved over the rail bed, permitting the first automobile traffic traversing the Keys.

While staying in St. Augustine, we were again lucky to find a park with a lovely wetlands view.

Joan enjoying the sunset and Max looking for critters

Leaving Florida we traveled a mere 100 miles to a lovely resort in Hilton Head, SC.  After waiting one night, we scored a very private waterfront campsite.

Our motorhome looks out at the water and the site has grass and foliage

We have as neighbors a fun group of 4 brothers, Dad and their male dog enjoying a four day "Boys' Outing."  The dog named Jello (the grandkids named him, poor boy) and Max became buddies.

Max and Jello

A day's outing to the sea islands, Beaufort and St. Helena, resulted in stocking the freezer with local shrimp and buying a sweetgrass basket from the artisan's front yard.  In the Gay Fish Co. shop we met the current Mr. Gay who explained the photos on the wall, ranging from his very young looking Great Grandfather in his Civil War Uniform to his Grandpa and father, who founded the fish company.  Mr. Gay grew up on St. Helena and said in his early years thought the only while women in the world were his mother and sister as St. Helena was populated by Black descendants of early slaves on the island.

The Gay Fish Company is named for the owner's father, Mr. Gay and is not a statement of lifestyle preference

Current Owner, Mr. Gay

Gay Company Shrimper

Sweetgrass Baskets are a local specialty and are made from marsh sweetgrass (now hard to find) and wrapped with palmetto strands.  They are labor intensive and we found Ms. Lillie on St. Helena Island in her yard weaving baskets and displaying them for sale.

Lillie Charlton Making Sweetgrass Baskets

Sweetgrass Basket

While Ms. Lillie is from Mt. Pleasant, north of Charleston, her husband is from St. Helena.  St. Helena was an isolated Black island community following the Civil War and is known for the African based dialect, Gullah, that was spoken on the island for over 100 years.  She said she speaks a bit of Gullah but her husband really does.  Sweetgrass baskets are an African tradition and were originally used to collect rice in the "Rice Coast of West Africa."

Cubans in South Florida and the Conch Republic

CUBANS

We continue to experience the Cuban exile influence.  The trip to the salon for a pedicure provided an hour long talk about the lady's experience as a sixteen year old, coming as part of the Mariel Boat Lift in 1980, when Castro opened prisons and encouraged dissidents and other "undesirables" to leave Cuba.  Castro's agreement to the mass departure, estimated to be as many as 125,000 over a six month period, resulted from 10,000 Cubans trying to gain asylum by going to the Peruvian embassy.  Her personal background was interesting, with a Chinese mother and French father.  She later married a Cuban man of Lebanese origin.

The next experience occured at lunch in a small Cuban cafe in Key West.  You reached the restaurant, named Juan Loves Lucy,  by walking down a narrow corridor from the street.  Visible behind the open air cafe was a small hotel, originally the Custom House.

Cafe Juan Loves Lucy

Inn behind Juan Loves Lucy

Being the only customers, we began a conversation with Juan, who along with his wife Lucy, owns the cafe.  Lucy was in Cuba, visiting relatives but Juan says he never goes and he expressed a continuing hatred for Fidel Castro.  He showed us an album of his artwork, including the translation of his story of coming to America:


In 1994 we escaped in a raft.  Many of those who sailed that day were lost at sea.  The huge storm was right behind us.  We used our rain wraps as a sail.  It took us to a ship.  We all shouted thanks with joy.  We were saved.  I gave my Virgin my thanks.

Juan explained that their rescue just preceded Clinton's change to Cuban refugee policy, instituting the current "wet foot, dry foot rule."  As a result, he and his wife spent 8 months in Guantanamo while the US decided his fate.  In the end he was able to choose Virginia as his destination.  He did not want to go to Miami as he wished to learn English and develop useful American skills.  Because he sensed we were truly interested he gave me his card, with his blog address and encouraged me to read the entry called "Rebel," about the night of the revolution, a petrified six year old and his dog Rebel.

http://cubaenmi.blogspot.com/2012/06/rebelde.html

Juan Ego is a self taught artist.  Some of his art is on his blog at

https://plus.google.com/105984311971650590789/posts/Z1B3g2qPSvD?pid=6230786300014944818&oid=105984311971650590789&authkey=COm8h9jQtfSLmwE

Coincidentally, among the books I brought along was The Boys from Dolores, a story of the Castros and others who attended Dolores, the Jesuit school in Santiago, Cuba. Nonfiction but reading somewhat like fiction are the well researched stories of men who went to school together in the 40's and 50's, where they ended up and their views of Cuba's experience and the Castros.  The author visited Cuba many times and includes his observations.  The book was published in 2007 and included some of the following interesting facts/observations:

2.2 pounds of pork cost about 10 days' wages

Medical school is the first choice for advanced education among students and entry is based on grades, test scores and also on things such as who you know and membership in communist youth groups.  Despite this, doctors do not make as much as busboys

Operation Peter Pan was organized by the Catholic Church following closure of all Catholic schools replaced by state run schools with precisely proscribed curriculum.  The church arranged for over 14,000 mostly boys to travel to the US and live with foster families or relatives and continue their Catholic education.  Many never saw their parents again.

It is estimated that there are nearly one million Cuban exiles in the United States.


THE CONCH REPUBLIC

The Keys are a unique place where free spirits can find a home.  Over 100 years after the Civil War, during which Florida was part of the Confederacy, the Keys again found it necessary to proclaim their independence.  The impetus was an instance of clueless, governmental overreach.

On April 18, 1982, the United States Border Patrol established a roadblock on U.S. 1, just south of Florida City. The only access point by land from the Florida Keys to the mainland was closed, and people leaving the Keys were treated as though they were exiting a foreign country.

The U.S. Border Patrol claimed that the roadblock was established to stop “illegal” immigrants from entering the mainland United States from the Florida Keys. Every car leaving the Keys was checked thoroughly by the Border Patrol, including unlikely hiding places such as glove compartments and under seats.

The 17-mile traffic jams that accompanied the roadblock had an immediate negative impact on tourism in the Florida Keys. Reservations were canceled, hotels stood empty, and local attractions had no customers.

Community leaders from Key West filed an injunction against the U.S. Border Patrol roadblock in Federal Court in Miami. The court ruled that the roadblock could continue.

As Key West Mayor Dennis Wardlow left the courthouse, he was greeted by press from around the world. When asked what would happen next, the mayor said, “Tomorrow at noon, the Florida Keys will secede from the Union!”

The press — and federal agents — flooded Key West the next day. As promised, at noon on April 23, 1982, Mayor Wardlow read a Proclamation of Secession, declaring that Key West would be a sovereign nation known as the Conch Republic.

Having changed his title from Mayor of Key West to Prime Minister of the Conch Republic, Wardlow followed his mock secession with a declaration of war on the United States. The “war” started and ended with loaves of stale Cuban bread being broken over the head of a man dressed in a U.S. Navy uniform.

After one minute of rebellion, Prime Minister Wardlow surrendered to Union forces at the Navy base in Key West. He immediately demanded $1 billion in foreign aid and war relief “to rebuild our nation after the long federal siege.”

With their highly publicized mock secession and fake war against the United States, the residents of Key West successfully used humor to bring attention to a serious issue affecting the local economy.

Following widespread reports of the establishment of the Conch Republic, the U.S. Border Patrol roadblock was quickly and unceremoniously removed.

Today, the Conch Republic continues to issue its own passport. The republic has its own flag with the motto “We Seceded Where Others Failed.” In April each year, Key West residents and visitors celebrate the independence of the Conch Republic.

The 32nd Anniversary Conch Republic Independence Celebration includes a raising of the official Conch Republic flag, a parade, a Drag Race on Duval Street (high heels, not cars), and numerous other excuses to party through the end of the month.

The Flag of the Conch Republic

Key West Florida | Conch Republic Independence Celebration – Each year Key West locals celebrate Conch Republic Independence Day. The U.S. Coast Guard and Conchs re-enact the battle with water cannon fights in the harbor. The Conch Republic Air Force drops rolls of toilet paper on defending Coast Guard boats.

Dry Tortugas, Crane Point and....Key Lime Pie

We have been eager to visit the Dry Tortugas, which are almost 70 miles Southwest of Key West.  We opted for a float plane, a 1960 de Havilland Otter.  The flight is much shorter than the usual ferry trip, allowing us to send Max to daycare and avoid an overnight boarding.

As it turns out the flight itself was fun, providing a view of the reefs, a couple of wrecks and also numerous swimming sea turtles.  Our pilot, Evan, has an interesting gypsy float plane pilot history, from Montana, to Southeast Alaska, Lake Charles, Savannah and now Key West.

Evan Flying the Otter Barefoot

Construction of Fort Jefferson was started in 1846 for the purpose of controlling navigation to the Gulf of Mexico and protect Atlantic bound Mississippi River trade.  The fort is one of the nation's largest masonry 1800's forts and when construction was stopped, it consisted of about 16 million bricks.

Sea Routes Protected by Fort Jefferson

The fort is now part of the seven island Dry Tortugas National Park and in addition to the Fort,  is noted for bird and marine life as well as shipwrecks.  The islands were first named Las Tortugas by Ponce de Leon, then later shown on mariners' charts as Dry Tortugas to indicate no fresh water was available.

Fort Jefferson with Surrounded by Moat

Building used to heat cannonballs for 30 minutes so they would set wooden ships afire

 During the Civil War the Fort was used to house captured deserters.  It also housed the men convicted of complicity in Lincoln's assassination, including Samuel Mudd.   Mudd had treated John Wilkes Booth and delayed reporting his presence for a day.  When the prison doctor died during a yellow fever outbreak at the fort, Mudd volunteered to take his place and according to reports, heroically worked to save lives.  In recognition of this he was pardoned in 1869 by President Andrew Johnson.

Dr. Samuel Mudd's Cell

Parade Ground seen from interior fort window

The Crane Point Museum and Nature Center is a local Key Marathon attraction, easy to get to but delightful.  We took the 1 1/2 hours tram tour the morning following some heavy rain so had the tram to ourselves.  The guide was delightful, though a volunteer he was a trained biologist who could identify all the plants in what is one of the few remaining hardwood hammocks.

Osprey Nest in the Hammock

Of special importance is the hand built home of the original owner of the property, a Bahamian man who had saved $100 from his work in pineapple fields and bought the 63 acre plot sight unseen.  He and his wife built the small home from tabby, which is sea shells burned to create limestone and then used to make a crude cement like material.  The building stands today, more that a century later while another home on the property, the Crane house-built in 1954 by a famous architect-is unsafe for entry.

Adderly House made of Tabby

 George Adderly and his wife were hardworking entrepreneurs, making a living from collecting and cleaning sponges and making charcoal while clearing land for building and access.
After the tram tour we were able to return with Max and spend another hour walking the trails.

On a lighter note, I am on a mission to find the best Key Lime Pie.  They come in many varieties and locals will argue about which is the authentic recipe.  All seem to have, of course, key lime juice (it must be key limes which are tarter than other limes) and sweetened condensed milk, with graham cracker crusts.  Some use eggs, cooked or uncooked, and some are topped with meringue, others whipped cream.  One touted by a local general store was from The Key Lime Pie Company located in Key West.  It is sold frozen and has a chiffon consistency.  If you don't want the whole pie, you can buy a piece of pie on a stick, dipped in chocolate.  Wonder if they have these in heaven????

Key Lime Pie with Meringue from Herbies

Pieces of this are in the freezer, not to last long

Key Lime Pie on a Stick