1.Regarding this touchy subject of re-writing history to fit the current
mode of how people thought and should think, I quote from this week's issue
of TIME MAGAZINE's article on "Home Schooling. Is it bad for America?"
On page 48 of the article,  the writer states: "Thomas Jefferson and the
other early American crusaders for public education believed (public)
schools would help sustain democracy by bringing everyone together to share
values and learn (a) common history."

This is what seems to have been happening over the past few
decades......students at all levels of American education have been taught
to look at a certain aspect of American history, particularly
 the ante-bellum South and the Civil War, as living a way of life that was
tantamount to Nazi Germany. We have been taught a "common history" that may
not be all that correct.
I think that it behooves all of us to read and read and read, everything we
can get our hands on and, thereby, try to find out what really went on in
the minds of people who lived then.
I will never defend the practice of slavery. Slavery was reprehensible
enough without folks today having to change historical thought and rewrite
the truth in order to make sure that slavery remains
condemned.
The men on the CSS Hunley were heroes. They fought to defend their country.
What subsequent generations have not been taught is that until after the
Civil War, people saw themselves as "Virginians"; "North Carolinians";
"South Carolinians"; "Georgians".
Not until after Appomatox, did we become "Americans."

2. As a life long Tidewater Virginian, I have heard the stories all my life
of the U-Boats that sniffed around our coasts during WWII.
We have known for about 25 years that there were German soldiers who had
been found dead on the beaches during the war when their U-Boat
malfunctioned and they all drowned as they were trying to get to shore.
These men were found dressed in American style clothing , made with American
clothing manufacturers' labels sewn inside them, and were carrying all kinds
of sophisticatedly created identification documents, such as American
passports, driver's licences, etc.
Yes, they are buried in the Hampton National Cemetary and you may call the
cemetary at 757.723.7104.
A nice lady there named Gloria will take your name and address and send you
information about the German soldiers who are buried there, if you ask.

Deane Ferguson Mills
York County Virginia

Randy Cabell wrote:
I note with some sadness that the plans to honor the men of the CSS Hunley
down in Charleston, SC have been trashed by some few as 'honoring a regime
which was every bit as bad, and commited atrocities as bad as the NAZIs.'
But as a partial answer, I wonder if anybody can help me with a bit of
Virginia history, also involving an 'enemy' submarine.

My father was army liason officer at the 5th Naval District in Norfolk
through most of WWII.  After the war, he told a story of one of the first
sinkings of a German UBoat off the Virginia capes, probably late 1942 or
early 1943.  It seems a PBY on patrol caught U-____ on the surface charging
its batteries, dropped bombs or depth charges set to minimal depth and sank
it.  The PBY, running low on fuel then radioed its location (before GPS!)
dropped life rafts to survivors and returned to Norfolk.  Navy ships and
aircraft could not find it when they reached the area.  Two or three days
later, a smart staff officer realized the sub was in the Gulf Stream when
sunk, so calculated the northward movement, dispatched rescue craft, and
there they found the survivors and unfortunately the bodies of many who had
died from exposure.

To make a long story short, a funeral with full military honors was given
the dead crew members at the US Military Cemetery in Hampton -- German
flags, German music ('Deuschland uber alles', I guess).  I have never read
of this anywhere, and 20 minutes ago was unsuccessful finding anything about
it at the Library of Virginia or the Hampton Military Cemetery.

Can anybody point me to a source for further information?

Randy Cabell

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