The following letter has been mailed this date.

The Honorable Bob Goodlatte

7 Court Square

Staunton, VA 24401

Dear Bob,

In the 1980's, I "partnered" with the late and our former Representative Robinson in an unsuccessful attempt to 
convince our Commonwealth's General Assembly to participate with "Washington" in a program to develop State 
Veterans cemeteries. At that time and today, a deceased veteran of the Western region of this Commonwealth had to 
be interned in the Culpeper or Arlington National Cemeteries, as there is no room in the National Cemeteries here 
in the Shenandoah Valley.

The idea was to select Civil War Battlefield sites that were in private hands and negotiate their transfer and 
development into State Veterans cemeteries.

In your future, the survivors of our Virginia "modern" war veterans - those several conflicts since the Korea War - 
will seek burial sites that best honor the grand service that their loved ones performed for our Nation and our 
Commonwealth. There will be a need.

Surly, we are well beyond and above any attitudes such that the heritage of the past could be merged with the 
current to honor both, provide a need, and preserve historical sites of value to the whole Nation.





Very Respectfully,

W. R. Waddell, Jr.

109 Rolla Mill Road

Verona, Va. 24482





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tarter, Brent (LVA)" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 7:36 AM
Subject: Civil War Battlefield Preservation


For Immediate Release
December 5, 2007

VIRGINIA CIVIL WAR SESQUICENTENNIAL COMMISSION ENDORSES BATTLEFIELD
PRESERVATION INITIATIVE

Commission unanimously passes resolution endorsing state funding for
battlefield preservation in the years leading up to the 150th
anniversary of the Civil War.

(Richmond, Va.) - At its meeting last Wednesday, the Virginia
Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission unanimously
adopted a resolution endorsing the Civil War Preservation Trust's
(CWPT) Virginia Sesquicentennial Battlefield Initiative.  The Initiative
encourages state funding for battlefield preservation in Virginia prior
to and during the 150th anniversary of the Civil War (2011-2015).

"This is an immensely promising development for Virginia's
battlefields," said CWPT President James Lighthizer.  "As we approach
the Civil War's sesquicentennial, these hallowed grounds are more
threatened than ever before.  There is no better way to commemorate the
sacrifices of our ancestors than to permanently protect the land where
they fought and bled."

CWPT has spent two decades working to protect hallowed ground in the
Commonwealth and throughout the nation.  While the Trust has already
preserved nearly 12,000 acres of battlefield land at 40 sites in
Virginia, significantly more historic land in the Old Dominion remains
vulnerable to development.  As part of the Initiative, CWPT has
identified in excess of 50,000 acres within the state that should, if
possible, be preserved prior to the Sesquicentennial, lest they be lost
forever.  Nationally, an average of 30 acres of hallowed ground is
destroyed daily.

"The Commission feels very strongly that preservation must be a central
part of our commemoration activities," said Virginia House Speaker Bill
Howell, Chairman of the Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission.
  "As the stewards of these sacred places, it is incumbent upon us to
see them protected so that future generations may learn from them."

The upcoming commemoration is expected to generate increased interest in
both Civil War history and visitation to Civil War-related sites.
Since preserved battlefields function as both outdoor classrooms and
tourist destinations, the Virginia Sesquicentennial Battlefield
Initiative is an ideal way to enhance this period of remembrance.

"Through its actions, the Virginia Sesquicentennial Commission is
ensuring that for generations to come, students of history will be able
to come to the Old Dominion to follow in the footsteps of heroes,"
Lighthizer noted.  "We at CWPT are proud to have such a visionary
partner in our preservation efforts, particularly one which unanimously
recognizes the importance of this undertaking."

In the Initiative, CWPT calls for a yearly appropriation of $5 million
for battlefield preservation to be considered along with each annual
state budget.  If approved, the money will be made available in the form
of matching grants requiring two dollars in private funds for each
dollar allocated by the state.  This mechanism effectively triples the
power of the state's contribution and creates a powerful public-private
partnership.  Previously, in fiscal years 2006-07 and 2007-08, the state
legislature has approved a total of $700,000 in appropriations for
battlefield preservation, funds that have been used toward the
acquisition of the Slaughter Pen Farm in Spotsylvania County and
portions of the Glendale battlefield in Henrico County.

Although the Commission's vote does not guarantee the funding, it is an
important step in formalizing the group's stated intention that
preservation, along with education, must be an important component of
the sesquicentennial commemoration.

In addition to their historical importance, preserved battlefields
maintain valuable open space in some of the state's fastest growing
regions.  Many of these battlefields lie within the Chesapeake Bay
watershed, giving them key environmental importance.  Others, moreover,
contain threatened wildlife habitats, riparian zones and endangered
streams and creeks.

With 65,000 members, CWPT is the largest nonprofit battlefield
preservation organization in the United States.  Its mission is to
preserve our nation's remaining Civil War battlefields.  Since 1987, the
organization has saved more than 25,000 acres of hallowed ground,
including 11,775 acres in Virginia.  CWPT's website is located at
www.civilwar.org.

______________________________________
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html


-- 
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.1/1183 - Release Date: 12/13/2007 9:15 AM

______________________________________
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html