Sons of the American
Revolution
April 2017
Contents
Meeting announcement
Revolution History note
Program Schedule
Other Dates of Interest
Misc. reminders and information
The April meeting of the Tampa Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, will held on
Saturday, April 15 at the Lewis Hill, III Boy Scouts of America Service
Center 13228
North Central Avenue, Tampa, FL 33612 from 11:30-1:30. The April
meeting will be our JROTC recognition weekend. We have invited the JROTC
programs in our area to send their award-winning cadet and guests to
attend. Unlike previous years, when the chapter hosted a more formal
luncheon, we’ve planned a short business meeting and hot dog picnic at the Boy
Scout Center. During the meeting, we will introduce and recognize the
cadets.
In addition, we’ll announce our Chapter nominee for the Enhanced
JROTC Program and invite the cadet to read their essay, “How ROTC has prepared
me to be a better citizen of the United States of America.” Compatriot
Terry Doan, our ROTC chairman, asked me to add, “This will be a fun event and a
good chance to recognize those young people who can reaffirm our faith in the
greatness of the American spirit! (And wear comfortable clothes!)”.
Compatriot Doan also wants to thank all of you that made (or will
make) the special effort to visit the many high schools in our area to
personally present the JROTC medals and certificates to these exemplary young
people.
The March
meeting was held at the BSA Service Center. The speaker was Richard Wainio
who provided an update on his October 2014 presentation on the Panama
Canal. Mr. Wainio lived and worked in the Panama Canal Zone for many
years. As the former Planning Director of the Panama Canal Commission, he was
able to give us a first-hand account of the work on the Canal. Compatriot Jack Bolen donated a book on the
Panama Canal, that had been purchased by his father many years ago, for
presentation to Mr. Wainio.
________________________________________________________
Revolutionary History Note
People
who study the military have been intrigued with the question of who holds units
together on the battlefield. For some
the quick answer that comes to mind are the NCOs. In conflicts that involve small unit
engagements Lts. And Captains sometimes come to mind
in addition to the sergeants.
In Washington’s Continental army the basic building block
was the regiment and on many Revolutionary War battlefields it was the
regimental commander, usually a colonel (sometimes a major) who did the
job. They were in the thick of the
fighting and their presence and leadership was invaluable on many
battlefields.
In most regiments the colonel was elected/selected by the
men once the unit was formed. So, it is
reasonable to conclude he was already seen as a leader in the local
community. This was the case with John
Haslet who was selected to command the Delaware regiment when it was formed in
January 1776.
The regiment moved north and
joined Washington’s Army just prior to the battles around New York. In August,
the Delaware regiment defended the American
right at the Battle of Long Island. As
the American left dissolved under the weight of the British flank attack,
Haslet’s Delaware regiments and Smallwood’s Marylanders held the American right
until compelled to retreat. Haslet was
on court martial duty in the city when the battle began but quickly rejoined
his regiment and helped lead and organize the fighting retreat. Haslet and his regiment fought well again
during the Battle of White Plains.
As the army retreated into Pennsylvania, Haslet was hard
pressed to keep his regiment intact.
Battle casualties and the expiration of enlistments reduced the regiment
to 100 men by mid-December. These 100
men, under Haslet crossed the Delaware River and participated in the attack on
Trenton on Dec. 26, 1776. The following
week, Haslet and the men from Delaware
were again in the forefront at The Battle of Princeton. When the brigade commander, Hugh Mercer went
down, Haslet assumed brigade command and managed to rally the troops. However,
he did not live to see the victory he and his men were instrumental in
achieving. He was killed during the battle with a ball though his head. Following the loss of Haslet at Princeton,
the few remaining members of the regiment disbanded and the original Delaware
regiment ceased to exist
Haslet’s leadership of the Delaware regiment during the
first crucial year of the war gave them a reputation of being one of the few
regiments that Washington knew he could rely on.
-----------------
The rest of the story: The regiment was reformed later in
1777 and fought well in the battles around Philadelphia in the autumn of
1777. In 1780 Washington sent them south
with Gates where the regiment for all intents and purposes was destroyed at the
debacle at Camden.
_________________________________________________________
April 15 - JROTC recognition:
Boy Scout Annex
May 20 - Rodney Kite-Powell: History of the Tampa Bay
Area
Boy Scout Annex
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Other Dates of Interest
April 13-16 - Vietnam Memorial
Traveling Wall
Wallace
Brooks Park, Inverness, FL
April 25 - Honor Flight - St Petersburg/Clearwater
Airport
May 13 - Commemoration of the Battle of
Thomas Creek - Jacksonville
May 19-21 - Florida Society BOM and
Annual Meeting - Kissimmee
June 6- Honor Flight - St
Petersburg/Clearwater Airport
July 7-13 - National Society Annual Congress
- Knoxville, TN
Information
available at www.sar.org/sar-annual-congress
Registration
form not yet available
August 20 - tentative FLSSAR
Regional Meeting
(times
and site-somewhere in Tampa-to be determined)
October 25-30 - tentative Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall
Hillsborough
County Veterans Memorial Park
_________________________________________________
Misc. Notes and reminders:
Chapter Website—remember you can find information about the
chapter and programs on the chapter website. http://www.tampasar.org/
One of the duties of the Chapter Chaplain is to send cards
to our members that are sick. Another is to send a sympathy card to the family
of a member who has passed away. If you know of anyone that should be the
recipient of these cards please mention it to Chaplain Sessums or one of the
other officers at our next meeting.
Chapter officers and committee chairman are encouraged to
send any pertinent information they wish included in the newsletter to the
editor.