The Tulsa Race Massacre, 1921-- Part 4: Trump and Racism and Tulsa

 Today, opponents of President Trump say his statements and actions embolden white supremacist sentiment in the country.  That includes his opposition to renaming military bases named after Confederates and his emphasis on tough law and order responses to recent protests.

Trump denies any racism on his part and says his administration has been beneficial to black citizens.

Of course, the law and order does not apply to the demonstration, but rather to when they devolve into rioting and looting.  I completely agree with that.  Police should not just stand by and watch when it gets to that point.  They need to stop by whatever steps are necessary.

Tulsa's Republican mayor, G.T. Bynum, has formed a commission for marking the 100th anniversary of the massacre for next year.

Closed Due to Confederadication

That's as in Confederate eradication.  CONFEDERA DICATION.

Certain groups today are bent on destroying the last vestiges of the Lost Cause with a vengeance and I feel that I need to keep up with that at this time.

And, so much is happening that I need to write about three blog entries a day to keep up with it in my Civil War II:  The Continuing Attack on the Confederacy blog.  Right now I am about two weeks behind and would like to get it where I am no more than a day or two behind.

So, in keeping with this, I will not be writing in this blog for awhile until that happens.

So, Until That Time I Will be Suspending This Blog.  --Cooter

Chicago's Mercy Hospital-- Part 2: The Civil War and the Growth of a Chicago Health Care Provider

Mercy Hospital helped Chicago's need for health care as the city grew rapidly in the 19th century.  There were  outbreaks of cholera and tuberculosis.  It became a modern hospital and remained an anchor for care on the city's South Side even to today.

During the Civil War, the Sisters of Mercy treated Union soldiers as well as Confederate prisoners.  In the middle of the war, they moved the hospital to 26th Street and Calumet Avenue near its current location.

Thousands of doctors have trained at the hospital and it was often on the cutting edge of medicine.  In 1955, Mercy neurosurgeon Dr. Harold Vors and his team performed the first successful separation of twins joined at the head.   The hospital also had the first oncology unit in the city.

Over the years the hospital expanded, eventually moving into a new 517-bed facility in 1968.

--Cooter

Death of Roanoke's Last Confederate Veteran in 1941: James Washington Gwaltney

Fromthe October 3, 2016, Roanoke Rimes (Va.) "Looking Back."

"James Washington Gwaltney, Roanoke's last surviving Confederate veteran and the city's oldest resident died at 4:45 p.m. at his home."

He was 96 years old and lived in Roanoke's Virginia Heights neighborhood.  Enlisted at age 16 in Tennessee and fought at Chickamauga.  He attended the veteran's reunion at Gettysburg in 1938, the 75th anniversary of that battle.

--CootConfed

My "Hot" Toys-- Part 2: Airfix HO Soldiers

But even better than the Blue & Gray soldiers were the much smaller, and much less expensive Airfix HO Scale Civil War soldiers which I discovered when we moved to Rolling Meadows, Illinois, in 1963.  When you only get 50 cents a week allowance, this was huge.

The Airfix HO scale soldiers were to go with the HO scale model trains.

They were at the local Ace Hardware right down Kirchoff Road and cost 49 cents for 48 soldiers.  You had to pull them off the plastic runners and file down the stub so they would stand upright correctly.  Now I could make a huge army to fight my wars.

I mostly bought the Union and Confederate soldiers, but they also had soldiers from most wars.  During warmer days, we would go out collecting empty bottles from the neighborhood and we got 2 cents apiece for them.  Get a case and you had another 48 soldiers.  We collected a lot of bottles to say the least.

Recruiting Was Good.  --Cooter

Dead Page: Bonnie Blue and Carreen

Two actresses from "Gone With the Wind"  Die in the last two years.

CAMMIE KING CONLON, 76

Died September 1, 2010.  Played the role of Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) and Scarlett O'Hara's (Vivien Leigh) daughter, Bonnie Blue, whose death from the fall off her pony broke her family up.  I still can't believe that Rhett went out and shot the pony, though.  Was 4 when chosen to play the part in 1939 and liked to joke "that I peaked at age 5."

Three years later, she voiced the part of the doe Faline in "Bambi."  She earned $1,000 for her role in GWTW.


ANN RUTHERFORD (1917-JUNE 11, 2012)

Starred in radio, movies and film.  She was also in the 30s-40s Andy Hardy series.  In "Gone With the Wind" she was Scarlett O'Hara's sister Carreen, who had to take Scarlett's leftover beaus.  In December 1939, while promoting the movie, she visited six Confederate veterans at the Confederate Soldiers Home near Atlanta, Georgia, and one gave her a rose corsage tied with the Confederate colors.

She also had two guest appearances on "The Bob Newhart Show" as Suzanne Pleshette's mother.

In the late 1990s, she was offered the role of the elderly Rose Calvert on he movie "Titanic" but turned it down and Gloria Stuart got it.

I've seen "Gone With the Wind" so many times, I can't remember how many.  I'll sure see it again.

The only major actress still alive is Olivia de Havilland, 96, who lives in France.  She played Melanie.