Blog Archives - CULPEPER MINUTE MEN - MUSTER CALL

Culpeper Vietnam Veterans Day

3/29/2022

29 Mar 2022 Culpeper, VA

CMM members at the Vietnam Veterans Day ceremony, left to right, front row: Chip Daniels (dual), Dale Corey (dual), CMM Honorary President Charles Jameson, Virginia SAR 1st Vice President Ernie Coggins, Sean Corrigan (dual), CMM President Tom Hamill. Second row: Bill Schwetke, Keith Price, and Barry Schwoerer (dual).

The Culpeper Minutemen Chapter organized and led Culpeper's ceremony marking Vietnam Veterans Day. Also participating were VFW Post 2524, the Culpeper Minute Men Chapter of the DAR, Virginia Order of Founders and Patriots, Virginia SAR 1st Vice President Ernie Coggins, and members of four other Virginia SAR chapters: Col James Wood II, Col William Grayson, George Washington, and Sergeant Major John Champe. Culpeper Mayor Frank Reeves was in attendance.

Winchester National Cemetery Vietnam Veterans Day Ceremony

3/29/2022

29 Mar 2022 Winchester, VA

The Color Guard Members and the flags and wreaths.

Today is Vietnam Veterans Day, so the Winchester Red Cross and the Col James Wood II Chapter jointly hosted an appropriate "Welcome Home" Ceremony at Winchester National Cemetery. Bill Schwetke, a Vietnam Veteran, represented the CMM by presenting the chapter wreath, marching in the Color Guard, firing in the musket salute, and he was the keynote speaker.

Bill's keynote address was "Another Day in a Long War" (with apologies to Ethel & Price), a perspective on the last day of the war.

Advancing the Colors.

Bill notes that his remarks are to the Vietnam Veterans present, including those buried in Winchester National Cemetery.

The Virginia SAR Attends the Virginia DAR Annual Meeting

3/26/2022

24-27 Mar 2022 Richmond, VA

Virginia SAR compatriots at the Virginia DAR State Meeting, left to right: Pat Kelly, 2nd VP Bill Greaf, President Bruce Meyer, Jay Henn, George Corbett, Jeff Thomas, John Turbyfill, Bill Schwetke.

The Virginia DAR is holding their Annual Meeting at the Marriott in Richmond this weekend, and Virginia SAR President Bruce Meyer is a special guest. A special invitation was also extended to Immediate Past-President Jeff Thomas and several other Virginia SAR members attended with their wives, most notably John Turbyfill, whose wife is LeAnn Turbyfill, the Virginia DAR State Regent. SAR attendees included President Bruce Meyer (Thomas Nelson, Jr Chapter), 2nd VP Bill Greaf (Williamsburg Chapter), Jeff Thomas (Fairfax Resolves Chapter), Jay Henn (George Washington Chapter), George Corbett (Richmond Chapter), Pat Kelly (Thomas Jefferson Chapter), John Turbyfill (George Washington Chapter), and Bill Schwetke (Culpeper Minutemen Chapter).

During the Opening Night Banquet President Meyer brought greetings from the Virginia SAR and Immediate Past-President Thomas was recognized for forging our partnership with the Lafayette Trail, Inc., which the Virginia DAR has also joined. The Lafayette Trail is placing markers to note visits by Lafayette in 1824-5, and preparing to celebrate the two-hundredth anniversary of Lafayette's visit. Julian Icher, president of The Lafayette Trail, Inc., was the guest speaker at the Opening Night Banquet.

Plaque Dedication for Colonel Charles Broadwater

3/20/2022

20 Mar 2022 Vienna, VA

On a chilly, blustery, Sunday afternoon in Vienna, the Fairfax Resolves Chapter and the Society of the War of 1812 in Virginia conducted a joint ceremony to honor Colonel Charles Broadwater, signer of the Fairfax Resolves, and his son, Lt. Col. Charles Lewis Broadwatwer, veteran of the War of 1812.

Honorary CMM President Charles Jameson renders honors as he presents the chapter wreath.

The CMM contingent of participants was led by Honorary President Charles Jameson, who presented the chapter wreath. Both Charles and Bill Schwetke participated in the Color Guard, with Bill participating in the musket salute. They were joined by seven dual members of the chapter.
The Fairfax Resolves Chapter, in honor of 250 years of liberty, is marking the graves of all of the signers of the Fair fax Resolves on 18 Jul 1774.

CMM participants, left to right: Jeff Thomas (dual), Virginia Northern Region Chairman Dale Corey (dual), Bill Schwetke, Mike Weyler (dual), Honorary CMM President Charles Jameson, Dave Cook (dual), Marc Robinson (dual), Virginia SAR 1st VP Ernie Coggins (dual), Sean Corrigan (dual).

March 2022 Chapter Meeting

3/15/2022

15 March 2022 Culpeper, VA

Honorary President Charles Jameson, on left, and President Tom Hamill, on right, hold the Virginia Society Cup presented to the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter as the Best Large Chapter in Virginia for 2021.

     The Culpeper Minutemen Chapter gathered this evening in Luigi's Italian Restaurant in Culpeper this evening for our March Meeting. This meeting had two highlights: the induction of a new member, Mark Crain, and the celebration of being named the Best Large Chapter in Virginia for the second year in-a-row!

     The meeting was attended by nine CMM members, eight primary and one dual, and five spouses ow whom three were DAR members.

     Our next meeting will be the Eight Chapter Meeting at Graves Mountain Lodge on Saturday, April 8th, for lunch. Our May Meeting will be a pot luck dinner on Tuesday evening, May 10th, at Lenn Park in Culpeper County.

Left to right: President Tom Hamill, Angela Crain, Mark Crain, and Registrar Bill Schwetke.

Passing of Compatriot Larry Ray Alexander

3/10/2022

10 Mar 2022 Culpeper, VA

Beverly & Larry Alexander at Larry's swearing in as Culpeper Minutemen Chapter President, 21 Jan 2006.

Larry Ray Alexander (23 Feb 1937 - 10 Mar 2022) passed away this afternoon. Larry was a key member of the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter, joining in 2001, and serving in many offices including chapter president 2006-2007. He was a stalwart of our Color Guard and also served as Chapter Registrar (2001-2003), Secretary (2002), Vice President (2003-2005) and Newsletter Editor for several years. He was our First Vice President when we were the Best Large Chapter in Virginia for 2004. He is survived by his wife, Beverly, who is well known to all of us for her many contributions to the chapter and her devoted and extraordinary care for Larry during his recent illness.

There will be a viewing 5:00-7:00pm on Friday, March 19th, at Found & Son Funeral Home, 850 Sperryville Pike. And a Celebration of Life will take place Saturday, March 19th, at 11:00, at Culpeper Presbyterian Church, 215 South Main Street, Culpeper.

2022 National Trustees & Leadership Meeting

3/6/2022

4-5 Mar 2022 Louisville, KY

Virginia SAR participants in the 2022 Spring Leadership Meeting. front row, left to right: Elizabeth Greaf, 2nd VP Bill Greaf, President Bruce Meyer, 1st VP Ernie Coggins. back row, left to right: Trustee Bill Schwetke, Cat Schwetke, Peter Moller (dual-DE), Jeff Thomas, Secretary Tim Dioquino, 3rd VP Mike Weyler, PG Mike Tomme (dual-AL), Ken Morris, Forrest Crain, Brett Osborne, Foundation Chairman & PG Joe Dooley, Cilla Tomme, Jay DeLoach (dual-NC), Pat Kelly, Brooks Lyles (dual-IT), Gary Green (dual-NC). Missing from the picture, but participating: PG Lindsey Brock and Billie (dual-FL), Doug & Alison Collins (dual-KY), Dave Cook, Larry McKinley, Darrin Schmidt, Kirk and Norma Sheap,

At the 2022 NSSAR Spring Trustees and Leadership Meeting the CMM were represented by Bill Schwetke (who also marched with the Color Guard) and the following twelve dual members: PG Lindsey Brock, Virginia SAR 1st VP Ernie Coggins, Doug Collins, Dave Cook, Gary Green, Pat Kelly, Virginia SAR President Bruce Meyer, Peter Moller, Lee Popham, Jeff Thomas, PG Mike Tomme, and Virginia SAR 3rd VP Mike Weyler.

Bill Schwetke, left, presents the chapter lapel pin to our newest dual member, Lee Popham of Florida.

Birthdays & Service Anniversaries for March 2022

3/1/2022

NO IMAGE AVAILABLE

Nathaniel Mothershead
Pvt in John Green's Rifle Company
02 Mar 1754 - 29 Dec 1834

Note: In doing only 1775 Culpeper Minutemen for the highlighted birthday over the next three plus years, many will not have any image, but we still want to honor them. Also of note, Nathaniel Mothershead did not enlist in the Minute Battalion, but was there at the same time and signed up for the regular service (full time) in John Green's Company of riflemen who would be attached to Patrick Henry's 1st Virginia State Regiment.

March Birthdays
Gary Owen Green
William Travis Martin
David Marshall Messick, IV
Ronald Hugh Messick

Marc Service Anniversaries
James Robert Baird - 38yrs
Michael Reed Helmick - 30yrs
George Washington Bryson - 29yrs
George Vernon Godfrey, Jr. - 19rs
John Michael Tomme - 19yrs
Thomas Ingle Jackson - 18yrs
Kenneth Louis Jordan - 17yrs
Ernest Ray Walker - 11yrs
Alexander Payton Burnett - 6yrs
Michael William Dennis - 5yrs