For most New Bernians, Confed
erate Memorial Day on Sunday,
May 10, passed virtualy unnoticed.
But for the fact that banks in the
city were closed the Monday fol
lowing—causing some folks to
grumble—no one apparently would
have known or cared.
That is, almost no one. Keeping
memory alive, as they always have
and always will, was the small but
faithful band of women who com
prise New Bern’s chapter of the
United Daughters of the Confed
eracy.
They showed up Sunday after
noon, at the base of the Confed
erate monument in Cedar Grove
cemetery, and held their annual
memorial service there. Admitted
ly, the event attracted scant at
tention from the new generation,
or even oldsters. Well nigh a
century had passed since the boys
in gray bled and died, and their
valor and their bloodshed no long
er impress a busy and often cynical
citizenry.
Time, it has been said, heals all
things. Time likewise erases men
and events of the past from the
ranks of public esteem. This sad
fact is unalterable. Life is for the
living, and yet, we of the South
should have pangs of conscience
when we ignore our own kin who
sleep the last long sleep in a hero’s
grave.
To remember, as the United
Daughters of the Confederacy re
member, need not prolong the bit
terness and the disappointment of
the Lost Cause. All of us, in retro
spect, must in all honesty admit
that victory for the Confederacy
would have only increased the
tragedy of it all.
But admitting as much should
by no means tarnish the heroism
and selflessv, loyalty of those who
died on the s?de of the South. Re
gardless of its] origin, its outcome,
and the resul|j:ing plundering by
carpetbaggers, Uhe War Between
the States was a fight for survival,
and no true son' of the South could
turn his back on the grim role
that was his destiny.
Today, the War Between the
States, for the most part, is a sub
ject for corny jokes. It deserves
better, out of decent respect for
not only the boys in gray but the
boys in blue who rest beneath the
sod within our city limits.
Wars are no laughing matter.
Certainly, even at this late date,
it is no easy matter to find genuine
humor in the only armed conflict
that pitted American boys against
each other in mortal combat.
A boy is a boy, no matter where
he hails from. The Confederate
youngster who gave his all differed
little from the lad who died as a
Yankee. Except for the color of
their uniform, they were possess
ed of the same hopes and dreams.
And when they bled their life away
they experienced the same agony.
The War Between the States was
no more of their own making than
were later wars the making of
Americans who made the supreme
sacrifice at Verdun or on Guadal
canal, or in the horror of Korea.
It has always been true.
So, we pause this morning to
take cognizance of the work that
the New Bern chapter of the Unit
ed Daughters of the Confederacy
has done, and Will continue to do.
Some may consider them outdated
and behind the times, but their
zeal is serving a worthy purpose.
The UDC doesn’t confine its mo
ments of remembrance to May 10.
Each year they hold Lee-Jackson
ceremonies in our local schools.
If these annual occurrences im
press the youth of today as it did
us when we were their age, the
Daughters of the Confederacy are
n’t striving in vain to preserve and
arouse appreciation of the truly
(Continued on back page)
The NEW BERN
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
IN THE HEART OF
EASTERN NORTH '
CAROLINA
5^ Per Copy
VOLUME 2
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1959
NUMBER 7
DAME NATURE’S HANDIWORK—No fancy trimming.*;
are needed to make the Neuse enchanting, under the touch
of mid-morning sun. Objects of ugliness are transformed in
to beauty, when blessed with the perfect setting, and a river
such as this provides majestic and breath-taking proof.—
Photo by Billy Benners.
Craft Named for Local Youth
Continuing Its Navy Service
There’ll be no retirement to
mothballs for the USS Whitehurst,
after its long years of distinguish
ed service.
Named for one of New Bern’s
hero dead—^Ensign Henry Purefoy
Whitehurst, Jr.—it will continue
active participation in the Navy’s
program, as a vessel for training
cruises.
Stationed at Seattle, Wash., the
veteran destroyer has been trans/
ferred from a commissioned status
to an “In Service’’ status, and
turned over to the Commandant
of the Thirteenth Naval District as
the first “Selected Reserve ASW
Ship’’ in that Naval District.
Adm. Arleigh A. Burke, USN,
Chief of Naval Operations, outlin
ed plans for the craft in a pre
pared address. ‘^It should be not
ed,’’ he said, “that the WHITE
HURST is not going to the Reserve
Fleet in the usual sense of the
word. Usually such an impression
implies that a ship is going into
mothballs.”
Elaborating, the admiral explain
ed: “Such is not the case with the
WHITEHURST. She is on active
duty with the Naval Reserve. She
will be manned by a Naval Reserve
crew who will take their weekend
training and annual two-week train
ing cruises in her. A nuclear regu
lar Navy crew will also be assigned
to assist with training and upkeep
on a continuous basis.”
Continuing, Admiral Burke said,
“We are particularly proud of the
Naval Reserve program, because it
is a wholly integrated part of the
flavy. Naval Reserves demonstrat
ed in the Korean war that they
could be mobilized rapidly, and
that they were ready to carry out
any assignment. Their record in
that conflict is one of the proudest
chapters in military history.”
lie added, “The Navy is keenly
aware of the importance of a
strong Reserve. We are constantly
searching for effective ways to
utilize the training and experience
of our Reserve personnel, and to
ensure their readiness. Any future
major conflict will require instant
action. Our Naval Reserve program
has been developeH specifically to
meet this need for immediate re
sponse in the event of war.
“In order to do this, specific
ADMIRED BY CREW
ships and aircraft are being as
signed to selected Reserve units.
It is from this that we have derived
the name of Selected Reserve
which has been established within
the Ready Reserve.”
According to the admiral, “These
selected Reserve units must main
tain their ships and aircraft in a
state of readiness and availability
for immediate employment in the
active forces of the Navy as may
be required. The transfer of ships
like WHITEHURST to the ready
reserve is an important aspect of
this program.”
Concluding, he said, “WHITE
HURST will soon embark upon a
new career in the service of her
country. Her record in thO future
will depend upon the knowledge—
the stamina—and the perseverance
of her reserve officers and crew.
In this new assignment, may
WHITEHURST continue to uphold
the finest traditions of the United
States Naval Service, and may she
perform her duty always with hon
or.”
Naval officers and enlisted men
who served with Ensign White
hurst are gratified to see the ves
sel named for him continue its
career. Others in the Navy, who
were never privileged to know
him personally, but heard of his
bravery, are happy about it too..
His photograph, with appropriate
bronze tablet, is in the craft’s ward
room. It reminds them of tflle words
of President Frainklin D. Roose
velt who wrote these lines in a
citation: “In grateful memory o£-
Henry Purefoy Whitehurst, Jr.,
who died in the service of his coun
try at sea off Savo Island, at-
(Continued on back page]