My Fellow Missourians:
This past Saturday I had the experience of a lifetime attending and speaking at the 100th Anniversary of the re-dedication of the refurbished Missouri Monument at the Vicksburg National Park in Vicksburg, MS. This monument commemorates the Missourians that served on both sides of the Civil War. It is hard to describe the feeling of being in the exact location where there were 19,000 casualties. These soldiers were called by their States to serve in a cause even though they may not have believed in the cause. Since these servicemen were loyal to their States and their Nation, I believe it is our obligation to preserve and protect their reputation and honor their patriotism.
In 1917, 54 years after they fought each other during the Siege of Vicksburg, Union and Confederate soldiers from Missouri gathered at the Vicksburg National Military Park to dedicate a monument to that battle where, literally, brother fought against brother. A total of 27 Union and 15 Confederate regiments from Missouri – 15,000 men were engaged at the Siege of Vicksburg. (In total, 150,000 men from Missouri fought in the Civil War on either the Union or Confederate side.) The Missouri Monument in Vicksburg is one of the few that honors soldiers from the same state who fought on both sides of this terrible conflict.
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