Well we are one week from Christmas as I begin this report.  The end of each year brings a time of reflection on what we have been given, what we have given and perhaps time for plans to be made of what we hope to accomplish in the coming year.  Please consider stepping into one of the leadership positions next May  I will list some of the activities and great things many of our fellow IASSAR members have been involved with since my last report on Nov. 1, 2008.  November 2008  2nd Fran Keith updated me on IASSAR member address changes from returned newsletters.    2nd Request from IASSAR Chaplain John Scarpino to place the following on the website under the Chaplain’s Section,  "Freedom is the most precious thing a man can possess. It is appropriate that our prayer today be George Washington's address, "Prayer for the United States of America," exactly as it is preserved in the Chapel at Valley Forge. Let us pray...   "Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy Holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government, and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow Citizens of the United States at large.   "And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the Characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation.  Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."   Let us pray for the well-being of our troops wherever they may be and their safe return home. May we all live in freedom and in a world of peace. In Your name, we pray. Amen.   John J. Scarpino, Chaplain IASSAR  2nd Received a report on the National Guard Ribbon cutting ceremony from Editor Fran Keith. Below is an excerpt from his report.  After the ribbon Cutting ceremony yesterday at Camp Dodge, I had a chance to talk with BG Steve Bogle.  I welcomed him to SAR and he told me something of his family history research. I didn't get to see LTC Hapgood - a former member of IASSAR after the ceremony. I then toured the ARNG Freedom Center.    Since that time I have thought about using the National Guard and the Freedom Center as a program and meeting place for a general IASSAR meeting or for a Central IOWA chapter meeting.   The "Citizen Soldiers" of our Revolutionary War, who were ancestors of all members of SAR, set an example of heroic acts of patriotism by ordinary men and women that resulted in formation of our Nation.   Today, the members of the National Guard of Iowa and America continue that tradition of the Citizen Soldier.   What better way to celebrate and thank these men and women than to have a program in their new Armory.  There are classrooms to seat over one hundred or the drill hall where the dedication happened on Saturday. It might be best to wait until all equipment and units are installed.  There were many empty rooms on Saturday.   It would be perfect for a Veterans Day or Memorial Day program for the future.  I plan to write a letter to BG Bogle and LTC Hapgood thanking them for inviting us (IASSAR) to their new Armory.  And suggest that IASSAR might like to return again.  3rd Received request from GJ for help on his application.  I responded and forwarded to Registrar Bill Lees.  4th Central Iowa Chapter President Scott Rowley and IASSAR President attended a welcome home ceremony for IA National Guard units at Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa.  4th Responded to a request for assistance from Mayflower member about helping her get information to apply for DAR membership.  This young lady was related to SAR member.  4th Did a Footnotes search for the above and sent to requestor.  4th Historian Ray Prusia article added to website.  5th Received genealogy information from SAR-Talk  5th Received request from MK of Waterloo, for help in applying to IASSAR.  5th Received reports from National Aaron Adams.   I forwarded to Sec Volney Smith and Treas. Dean Swearingen.  5th Received offer of assistance from Cedar Rapids DAR member and forwarded her prospect.  5th Signed up fro Wreaths Across America Newsletter and forwarded to Fran Keith and Scott Rowley.  5th Sent out request to 120 IASSAR members to join with us in anyway they could with the Wreaths Across American Project.  6 responded.  They were, Charles Montgomery, Dave Faybik, Volney Smith, Fran Keith, Tim Rowley and Scott Rowley (and me).  A 300% increase over last year!!!!  5th Received copy of letter with Iowa Patriot story idea from editor, Fran Keith.  5th Fran Keith taking charge of Wreaths Across America project in Des Moines.  5th Shared information with David W. Swafford, Editor, Drumbeat, General Society of Sons of the Revolution information about a possible future article.  7th Fran Keith contacts National Wreaths Across America about our group in Des Moines.  8th Sent the following to family members of the recently discovered Revolutionary War Veteran Ebenezer Ayres. To Ebenezer Ayres descendants (at least those for who I have e-mail address).  Our favorite researcher (Barbara MacLeish) has found yet more information. This mentions some early activity of Ebenezer D. Ayres in what is now Lee, County, Iowa.  Enjoy, Mike Rowley ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From Barbara,  The story I told you about, involving Ebenezer D. Ayres, is from the following:  Letter written by Hawkins Taylor to Shambaugh, January 1893, from  Washington DC.--about early land claims. IOWA HISTORICAL RECORD VOL. XIV July, 1898. p 313 Iowa Historical Record excerpt:  The first settlements were made in the fall of 1834. I went there June 9, 1836. The claim laws were then in full force all over the Territory; they were simply the neighborhood rules, there was no law of any kind in force in the Territory. After the land was surveyed they very generally organized as township organizations, but at first they were known as settlements. The Bullard settlement, the Howard settlement.Little Cedar, Deer Mark. Lost Creek, and so on named after the first settlers, villages, and streams, these settlements from the timber and formation of the country were well understood. By their rules the settler was allowed to locate a half section of land, half timber and half prairie and within three months he had to build a cabin or break five acres of prairie and that would hold his claim six months. There was no record; each of these settlements was supreme. These claims were all laid out east and west, and north and south, they took the chances of the Government surveys. The town sites were simply " squatter claims " and they were under the squatter regulation and if there was a life lost in defending a squatter claim I never heard of it; in fact I never heard of a claim dispute in the early days except in a case where Martin Chany, who afterwards went to Iowa City, I think, built a shanty on a claim on which the Iowa Penitentiary at Fort Madison is now located, and E. D. Ayers, who was adjudged by the settlers the rightful claimant, threw the shanty in the river. That ended the contest.  8th Follow up   Just a bit more documentation on the information I sent earlier.  Found again of coarse by Barbara M.  Thanks,  Mike Rowley  Annals of Iowa   By Samuel Storrs Howe, Theodore Sutton Parvin, Frederick Lloyd,  Sanford W. Huff, Charles Aldrich, Edgar Rubey Harlan, Annals of Iowa 1870 p 332 RECOLLECTIONS OF THIRTY-FOUR YEABS AGO. BY HAWKINS TAYLOR. On Saturday, in early May, 1836, in company with Col. Wm. Patterson, A. H. Walker, and Green Carey (the two latter now dead), we crossed the Mississippi river from Appanoose to Fort Madison, Wisconsin (then spelled Ouisconsin).          Appanoose was then the larger town, and aspired to be a great city very soon. The old man White and his son-in-law, Doolittle, owned the ferry, and they had but a day or two before returned from the Ohio river with an old steam ferryboat. We landed at the point below the mouth of the branch below the present penitentiary. The first thing that presented itself to our view was the wreck of a board frame house that had been capsized and thrown over the high bank down into the river, the day before. On inquiry, we learned  p 333  that a man by the name of Martin Chany claimed, by squatter right, a tract of land above the town plat of Fort Madison, and now mainly occupied "by the penitentiary grounds, and in accordance with claim laws, had built a house on it to hold his claim. Col. E. D. Ayres and others, claiming the same ground under an older " squat," as they said, came to town in force and capsized Mr. Chany's house, and would have capsized him if they could have found him. We found that public sentiment was with Ayres. Chany left and went to Iowa City. Years after this, I believe, and the last I heard of him, he was still claiming the land, and may be now for .• all I know.  8th I received a helpful website from IASSAR member Paul Gordon http://www.midatlanticarchives.com  10th Received current CAR Newsletter from Kathy Ehmcke. These  newsletters are really quite impressive.  Your webmaster posts the newsletters on the www.iowasar  they are well worth looking over.  10th Received feedback from PH and HR.  Thanks guys I appreciate all feed back.  Both positive and instructional.  10th sent the following letter to members.   To whom it may concern:  FYI Mike Rowley President Iowa Society of the Sons of the Ametrican Revolution  From: Whittaker, William E  To:  Sent: Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:36 am Subject: Fort Madison in danger, assistance needed.  Fort Madison in danger, assistance needed.  The Fort Madison site (1808-1813) is arguably the most significant historic site in Iowa. It was the first  U.S. Military post on the Upper Mississippi, the site of the only War of 1812 battle west of the Mississippi, the location of Black Hawk's first military action against the U.S., and the site of the first military cemetery in the  Upper Midwest. Excavations in 1965 demonstrated that the fort is well preserved under parking lots in the city of Fort Madison, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Despite its obvious national significance, the Fort Madison site is now in danger; the owners of the  parking lots are considering developing the site or selling it to other developers. There is no legal way to force a landowner to preserve an important  site. Attempts to purchase the site by the Archaeological Conservancy have stalled and thus far attempts to get the Fort Madison City Council involved are not taking root. Our next strategy is to get as much public support as  possible for preservation of Fort Madison. If we lose this site it will be a embarrassment and disgrace for anyone who cares about U.S. history.  Our goal is to find stable public or private ownership for the fort, to transform the site into an attractive park that describes the importance of its history, and to erect a memorial for the soldiers that fought, died, and were buried there.  At this time, we need to identify people willing to speak up about preserving Fort Madison. Activities  include writing letters to newspapers, TV stations, and legislators. We need to do this in a coordinated manner, to make sure the message gets out to the people who need to hear about it. We also need people who are comfortable talking to the press and legislators.  If you are interested in helping or want more information, please send me an e-mail (william-whittaker@uiowa.edu) Please include your name and the city you live in. Please forward this to any others who might be interested.  Thank you,  Bill Whittaker Archaeologist, editor of Frontier Forts: Indians, Traders, and Soldiers in Iowa, 1682–1862.  University of Iowa Press, Iowa City (coming out in 2009).     __________________________ William E. Whittaker, Ph.D., RPA Office of the State Archaeologist 700 Clinton Street University of Iowa Iowa City, IA 52242 319-384-0937 fax 384-0768  william-whittaker@uiowa.edu  10th Updated address for IASSAR member HR on both the National site and our State records.  This insures continued delivery of SAR Magazine and newsletters.  10th Webmaster posted the letter to our website.  It (IASSAR website) was later mentioned in a newspaper article.  11th Outstanding  1 article (about the discovery of yet another Revolutionary War Veteran buried in Iowa, Ebenezer Ayres) appears in the Des Moines Register.   11th Received the following letter.  Save Fort Madison  Nov. 11, 2008   Thank you for responding to my plea for help for Fort Madison. It was gratifying to see how far the message spread, hitting listservs I never knew existed, generating responses from across the country (one from Australia!).    Today, Veterans Day, 200 years after Fort Madison was founded in 1808, is an auspicious day to start this campaign.  Many of you wanted more information, others already want to start contacting people. Here are more details about the fort, what is happening, and what our next steps are. If you know of others who would be interested, have them contact me (william-whittaker@uiowa.edu). If you want no part of this, let me know and I won’t bug you again.   A. Why is Fort Madison Important?   Fort Madison- Iowa’s Most Important Historic Site. Fort Madison, built by the U.S. Army in 1808 and abandoned in 1813,  is arguably the most important historic site in the state of Iowa.    1. It was the first U.S. fort on the Upper Mississippi River. After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, vast areas along and west of the Mississippi were now legally under U.S. control, however, Great Britain still threatened to take over the Mississippi River trade. To counter this threat, the U.S. government built three forts to assert control over the Mississippi. Fort Belle Fontaine was erected in St. Louis in 1805 to protect the mouth of the Missouri. In 1808 Fort Madison was built to control the Upper Mississippi near the strategic Des Moines Rapids, and Fort Osage was built along the Missouri near Kansas City to control the western Indian fur trade.    2. It was the Location of the only War of 1812 battle west of the Mississippi. Native Americans of the region were displeased with the new fort, feeling that it was an unnecessary military provocation that threatened their established trade networks. Many Indians were aligned with the British, who still effectively controlled trade from the Mississippi to the Great Lakes. Several skirmishes occurred early in the fort’s history. After the War of 1812 broke out between the U.S. and Britain, British-allied Indians such as the Sauk, Winnebago, and Meskwaki attacked Fort Madison. Several soldier and Indians were killed. After the allied Indians held the fort under siege, it was abandoned and burned in September, 1813.   3. It was the location where Black Hawk rose to prominence. Black Hawk was probably the most famous and infamous Indian leader of the nineteenth century. While he is better known for his alliance with Tecumseh during the War of 1812 and the subsequent Black Hawk Uprising of 1832, Black Hawk first rose to prominence during the 1813 siege of Fort Madison, where he demonstrated a willingness to change strategies and tactics in order to defeat a better-equipped military force.     4. It was the location of the only real military battle in Iowa. Iowa does not have a rich tradition of military battlefields. Other than Fort Madison, no other fort has ever been attached by Indians. The only other military “battles” were the bloodless 1837 Honey War with Missouri and the Civil War Battle of Athens, neither of which involved fighting or resulted in casualties in Iowa.  5. The oldest U.S. military cemetery in the region was located at Fort Madison.  Soldiers killed in early skirmishes with Indians were probably buried outside the fort. During fighting in July 1813 four U.S. soldiers were killed, and were almost certainly buried in the parade ground of the fort, since soldiers could not leave the walls of the fort to bury them outside. Given the excellent preservation of the fort, there is a good chance that these graves still exist.   6. It has great symbolic meaning to Native Americans, especially the Meskwaki and Sauk. The defeat of the U.S. military at Fort Madison meant that Iowa would effectively remain under Indian control for two decades.  The Sauk and Meskwaki (Fox), who controlled the Mississippi and eastern Iowa, benefited the most. It was not until 1834 that the U.S. built another military fort in Iowa, Fort Des Moines in Montrose, not far from Fort Madison. Fort Madison, along other Indian successes in the War of 1812, emboldened Native Americans and showed them that resistance, or the threat of resistance, could be used against the expanding United States. It was only after Black Hawk’s uprising was crushed in 1832 that military resistance by Indians east of the Mississippi ceased.   7. Fort Madison is well preserved. Although it is hidden under blacktop parking lots, the foundations of Fort Madison are largely intact. Emergency excavations of part of the fort by Marshall McKusick in 1965 demonstrated that the fort foundations were buried by silt and historic fill, and that the heat of the burning fire carbonized and therefore preserved much of the fort that collapsed into the foundations. Future excavations, using techniques not used by McKusick during his rushed salvage excavation, could determine important information such as the spatial layout of the fort, the location of activity areas, establish the extent of Indian presence within the fort, the diet and comparative wealth of officers and soldiers, and the position of soldiers and Indians during the siege.      B. Why is Fort Madison in Danger?   A lack of institutional memory- there are no villains. The location of the original Fort Madison had been known or suspected by settlers in the 1830s and later residents of the City of Fort Madison. A large monument was built in the early 20th century to mark the fort location; this monument still stands next to U.S. Highway 61. In 1965 the Sheaffer Pen company was building a water line across its parking lot, where the fort was long rumored to have stood. When the construction crew encountered fort-period material, they asked the Iowa State Archaeologist to excavate the new utility line, and provided financial and logistical support. Marshall McKusick’s excavations showed that the fort was deeply buried under silt and historic fill and largely intact. Because of Sheaffer’s cooperation, the fort location was confirmed, a wealth of new historical information was obtained, and Sheaffer was able to build its waterline.    Sheaffer later sponsored efforts in the 1970s to have the fort listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Because of Sheaffer’s demonstrated commitment to preservation of the site, Fort Madison was considered to be a success story for historic preservation. In 1983 the reconstructed Fort Madison was built a few blocks west of the original fort, much of the volunteer labor supplied by inmates at the penitentiary.   Eventually Sheaffer Pen was bought by BIC USA, which did not have local connections, and is headquartered in Shelton, CT. While it is impossible to say, it is likely that the Sheaffer Pen Company’s institutional memory about protecting the fort was not transferred to BIC USA, and most of the older workers and directors at Sheaffer who remembered the importance of the fort since retired. When BIC USA sold the property in 2007, the developer who purchased it might not have known that substantial portions of the fort remained intact under the parking lot, or he might not have known its true significance. Having invested a lot of money into the property, the new owner, a small-scale developer, cannot afford to sell the property at a major loss. It is for this reason that we are not publicizing his name, he is probably in a bad situation that is not his fault.   Attempts to get the Archaeological Conservancy to purchase the site has not worked yet. There is no legal way to force someone to preserve a site that is important, even if it is on the National Register. The probable soldier burials might be an obstacle to development, since human remains are legally protected, but it is not a permanent solution and is fraught with its own technical issues.   C. What can we do about this?   We must figure out a way to purchase the property and preserve it.  We need a stable public or private ownership and preservation plan for the fort. If it continues to be treated as a commercial property it will soon be in jeopardy again. First, the public needs to be informed about the importance of Fort Madison and the threats posed to it. This public pressure will ensure that whoever buys the site knows that the nation is watching, and that preservation is the only real option. In addition, it is clear that people in Iowa need to realize the significance of Fort Madison, not just as a nuisance to be preserved, but as an amazing historic relic of U.S. history that needs to be celebrated. Instead of a drab  parking lot, this spot should be a beautiful park with monuments explaining the history and layout of the fort, and a large memorial to the soldiers who died there fighting for the United States.   Once public appreciation for the fort emerges, the next step is to find funding for the purchasing of the property. Since the fort is of national significance, it may be appropriate for citizens to apply for federal funds to purchase and preserve the fort. Alternatively, citizens may also apply for state funds to save the fort. If this does not work, a capital fund drive will have to be undertaken (I think we all hope it does not come to that).                                                   Finding funding will have to be undertaken by you. While I can inform the public about their options and the importance of the fort, as a University employee I am prohibited by law from lobbying state or national legislators. I can bring you together, but if you really want to save the fort, you will have to come together and talk to state and national legislators on your own.      D. What Now?   Wait, Write, and Raise Don’t start writing letters just yet. For now, start contacting other citizens interested in saving the fort, and have them contact me (william-whittaker@uiowa.edu). We especially need people in southeast Iowa to participate.   Over the next few weeks I will e-mail you directly with specific newspapers and TV stations to contact. We want to make sure that something is being sent to all the regional media outlets instead of deluging the Fort Madison paper with lots of letters; this is a site of national importance, not just Fort Madison. These letters should hit on a few of the “Why is Fort Madison important?” points. Please write them in your own words, editors get suspicious when all the letters are identical.   The effort to raise money to save the fort will have to be led by people from southeast Iowa, with help from anyone else who has experience in this matter.  They will have to form their own committee to speak directly with state and national legislators and solicit letters of support from the community as a whole. If you are interested in participating this effort, let me know. Again, once it gets going, I have to stay out of this part of the effort.    Thank you, and I am proud to have so many people looking after Fort Madison!    Bill Whittaker  11th Sent link to DM Register article to SAR-Talk and IASSAR webmaster  http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008811110388  13th I mailed the following letter to 120 member of IASSAR IASSAR Compatriots,  2 things  1.   Living in the Des Moines area, I am sometimes forgetful that we have many members that live out of Iowa but choose to be a part of the Iowa Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.  We appreciate your membership.                                                       I mentioned in a past e-mail that there was going to be an article in the Des Moines Register on veterans day.  For those of you that don't have access to the Register, here is the link to the article.  http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008811110388  2. We invite you to join us in 2008 at any of the http://www.wreaths-across-america.org/ being held concurrently on Saturday, December 13th, 2008 at 11:00 AM.  The Central Iowa Chapter will be honoring those veterans buried in Woodlands Cemetery, on ML King Parkway in Des Moines, Iowa.  We can have a Fall get together afterwards if there is interest (but you have to let me know).  Compatriot Charles Montgomery has offered to mark the occasion at the  Rev soldier's grave in the Dahlonega Cemetery in Ottumwa, Wapello county.    Compatriot Volney Smith has offered to mark the occasion  at  Joel Buffington's grave marker in Mills County.  Please join any of these members or plan one closer to your homes and let me know about it.  A few minutes of remeberance seems a small price to offer.  Click here for a complete list of participating locations.   Respectfully,  Mike Rowley President, IASSAR 515-975-0498  13th Received news of the death of last Iowan who was a  “Real Son” of a Civil War Veteran.  I wrote and sent story idea to multiple publications.  13th Received news of the death of IASSAR member John Brockway.  14th Received certificate for new IASSAR member JP. Signed and mailed immediately to Sec Volney Smith.  14th Received request for information from prospective member JM of Ankeny.  15th Received request for application information from prospective member LL who read article in the DM Reg.  15th Sent out the following obit.  John Horton Brockway, 94, died Thursday, November 13, 2008, at Wesley Acres Retirement Community.  Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Monday at Central Presbyterian Church of which he was a member.                                                   Burial will be 11:00a.m. at Grandview Cemetery in Grandview, IA.  John was born in Chiucago, IL, on April 24, 1914, to James and Mary (Horton) Brockway.  He grew up in Muscatine where he graduated from Muscatine High School and Junior College.  He later went on to complete his education at Iowa State University.  John served in the U.S. Navy Construction Battalion during World War II.  He moved to Des Moines in 1946, where he worked as the Executive Vice President of the Iowa Dairy Food Association, later addingf the Iowa Hotel-Motel Association to his responsibilities.  He retired in 1986.  John served as Chairman of Govenor Erbe's Tourism Commission and as Past President and charter member of the Golden K Kiwanis, Des Moines.  He enjoyed genealogy, often visiting the Brockway family website.  John expanded his love of history as the State Historian for  the Iowa Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and as a member of the General Society of the War of 1812, Iowa Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, and the Civil War Roundtable of the American Legion.  He actively worked on the committee to restore the Iowa Civil War Memorial and on the Iowa Battle Flags  Preservation Committee.  Left to honor and cherish John's memory are his six children, Judy (Dennis) Madigan of Sun City, AZ, Craig (Donna) Brockway of Cincinnati, OH, Dave (Kathy) Brockway of Olathe, KS Bill Brockway (fiance, Carol Cowan) of Davenport, Kate (Curt) Yocum of Des Moines and Terry (Phil) Holdren of West Des Moines; two nieces, Mary Jane Mosher of Des Moines and Jan Peterson of West Palm Beach, FL; 11 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Mary Lou Hayworth Brockway in 1949; and his second wife, Mary Davy Brockway in 1980; brother Charles Brockway;and aunt Bertha Horton.  Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Iles Funeral Homes Dunn's Chapel.  Memorial contributions may be directed to Central Presbyterian Church, Wesley Hospice, or the Iowa Battle Flags Restoration Project c/o the State Historical Society of Iowa.  From the Des Moines Register November 15, 2008     15th Received a note from Past IASSAR Historian Harold Meeker.  15th Received a note from member BR asking about information on the General Society of the War of 1812.  I responded.                                                                          13 15th Update from Fran Keith who has taken on the work of Chairman of the IASSAR / Wreaths Across America Chairman.     17th Forwarded on the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) information and request to respond, to IASSAR Treasurer Dean Swearingen.  17th DAR member JM responds to WAA (Wreaths Across America) request.  18th DAR member BH assists with information request from prospective SAR member DM.  19th Fran Keith updates me on progress with WAA.  22nd Fran Keith registers IASSAR and Woodland Cemetery as an official WAA site.   Actually it took a great deal of effort on Fran’s part.  THANKS!  22nd The Central Iowa Chapter Executive Committee agrees to pay the cost for 12 Wreaths ($180.).  22nd Made 1st draft of WAA Woodlands ceremony.  22nd Dave Shannon offers to help with WAA.  22nd Members begin search for Color Guard, and bugler for WAA.  23rd Volney Smith contacting media around Mills County for his “personal WWA project.   Volney would be a great person to talk to about how you can do even a one man project.  23rd Just an FYI for those considering helping with Color Guard  An excellent example of photos and videos is listed on the INSSAR site. If you go to  http://www.inssar.org/   highlight Color Guard and then Photo Gallery it will take you to an array of photo's ( of which you can rate) and video's at the bottom of the . The Color Guard videos are entitled "Color Guard at Work", "Instructional" for flintlocks and "New Videos."  24th Questions and update from Chairman Keith about WAA project.  24th Sent request for bugler to  buglesacrossamerica.org no one ever responded from this group.  24th Received the following from IN SAR member.   Mike, Several of us just returned this evening from participating in a school veterans' tribute.  Veteran's tears, children's smiles and the camaraderie of compatriots is what make being in the color guard a very special experience.  I sincerely wish the Iowa Society similar success. Steve Oberlin Indiana Society VP  25th Responded to questions from prospective member BW of Cedar Falls.  25th Discussed story idea with GSSR magazine editor.  26th Assisted DAR member NG with son’s project.  26th WAA updates from Fran Keith  27th IL SAR member discovers that one of his patriot ancestors and one of my patriot ancestors served in the same area.  He sends me great documentation that I never would have discovered.  28th Volney Smith delivers Record Copy I requested.  I use it to fill out a junior member application for my great nephew.  28th I received information from Fran Keith about prospective member TS from Fort Madison.  28th While looking over the applications for members on the National SAR website I noticed someone from Michigan submitted through an ancestor that was the brother of one of my g-g-g-g-g-grandfathers. Compatriot Rowley,  Your ancestor Valentine Rumel (Rummel) appears to me, from what notes I have, to have been a nephew of my ancestor, George Rummel, 1736-1810 of Adams County Pennsylvania.  The immigrant Amercan founder of this branch of the Rummel family was Jacob Rummel 1698-1759, your Valntine's grandfather  A Jacob Rummel 1726-1759 was Valentine's father. The elder Jacob migrated to Pennsylvania in 1749. Hope this helps. Ed Baugh 28th Submitted article on members to The Banner magazine. 29th another website from Paul Gordon http://www.sonofthesouth.net/revolutionary-war/ 30th Received from Dave Shannon I have received applications for this year's scholarship contest.  Applications are outstanding and who ever is the Iowa winner will represent IASSAR very well. I have been notified by the SAR program chairman that national may not pick up the cost of the trophy and medals due losses in the trust fund due to the economy. I  will be sending out the judging packets in January 2009.  December  1st Secretary Smith sends update of members paying 2009.  Discussion follows that we should pay for those members who are on active duty and deployed.  Let us know if this is your situation.  1st Received clarification from V. Smith. Compatriots,   I don't have all of the BOM email addresses on my computer so will send to you chosen ones.   According to IASSAR By-laws those who haven't paid their dues by December 15 are considered delinquent.  At that time we should drop them from the active rolls.  Any member who has been dropped from the rolls can be reinstated with payment of dues for the then current year.  All of this action should be reported to the National Treasurer General.  Otherwise, we would have to pay National dues for these compatriots our of our Society's treasury.   Dropped members need to be reported to the National Society before January 1  National dues for active members of record with the National Society must be paid no later than January 1.   Thus, we have a short window of opportunity to weed out the non-paying members, get the action reported to National and pay National dues for the rest of us.  I would think that this action could be done by email and confirmed at the next BOM meeting afterwards in order to get it recorded in the minutes.   My mail hasn't come yet for today.  As of this minute, I show 52 members that haven't paid dues for 2009.  I haven't received any dues checks for about a week.  There may be a few stragglers but I expect that we have received about all that we are going to.  Volney H. Smith, Secretary 1870 Ashleaf Circle Waukee, IA  50263-8244  1st Received a photo of a plaque in Lincoln County KY that show those residents who served in the Revolutionary War.  This helped me confirm the service of one of my g-g-g-g-grandfathers.  I have since ordered and received a granite gravestone that I will deliver and install at the small cemetery in a clump of trees just beyond the tobacco field near Stanford, KY.  1st Sent out WAA update letter to 120 IASSAR members, media and other groups  2nd Fran Keith recruits and confirms Jr. ROTC for WAA.                                          2nd Received a note from one of our members, please keep him in your thoughts Michael,  I wanted to inform you that I am leaving for the United Kingdom, 5 December, for four months to learn to fly and instruct in a new jet.  I will then travel to Montreal, Canada for an additional 6 weeks training.  I believe my membership is all paid up.  Please take care of our country while I'm gone.  Please say hi to Mr. Bill Lees for me.   Have a Merry Christmas,  2nd The following is sent out by IASSAR Secretary  The Iowa Society of the Sons of the American Revolution  Chartered September 5, 1893  1870 Ashleaf Circle Waukee, Iowa 50263-8244 December 2, 2008  Dear Compatriots,  I am still in the process of merging lists of active members to arrive at one final, complete list.  Most of you have paid your dues for 2009 but a few haven’t.  We need to have these dues by December 15 as we must pay National dues to the Treasurer General by December 31.  We are required to pay National dues for every man listed on our active rolls with the exception of Life Members.  Life Members pay state dues ($8.00) only.  Dues for 2009 are $25.00 National, $8.00 State for a total of $33.00 for all but Life Members.  Please send your checks payable to IASSAR to me at the above address.  The Board of Managers will drop anyone from active membership whose dues haven’t been received by December 15.  Anyone dropped can be reinstated with the payment of the then current year’s dues according to National and State By-laws.  Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time of consolidating and verifying our membership information.  Fraternally, Volney H. Smith  2nd Charles Montgomery Confirms he will mark the grave of Revolutionary War Veteran Jonathan Woody in Ottumwa.                                                                             17  2nd IASSAR Treasurer, Dean Swearingen confirms he will attend WAA program at Woodland Cemetery in Des Moines.  3rd NOT DOCUMENTED  JUST AN FYI for further research This is a long shot but,  We have some information that may lead us to believe that a Johann Riegel (differant spellings) who was a revolutionary war veteran may be buried in Iowa.  Riegle Entries: 8624    Updated: 2004-06-06 14:51:05 UTC (Sun)    Contact: Charles Riegle Index | Descendancy | Register | Pedigree | Ahnentafel | Add Post-em # ID: I3498 # Name: Johann Adam Riegel # Sex: M # Birth: 31 JAN 1758 in Berks Co., PA # Death: 16 FEB 1812 in Lee Co., IA # Christening: 11 APR 1758 Oley Hills Church # Occupation: Farmer/Revolutionary Patriot # Note:  3rd I sent invites for WWA (Woodland Cemetery) to...   Iowa DAR SUVCW SVR Harkin Grassley Gov Culver Boswell Juice Weekly Des Moines Register IASSAR National Guard Patriot Guard Riders Amvets KCCI TV WOI TV WHO TV WHO Radio City View VA Mr Palmershiem Fox 17 TV City View American Legion  Patriot Guard Riders  4th Received the following  Burlington Hawkeye published online: 12/3/2008                               Effort to preserve fort site heats up By NICHOLAS BERGIN  nbergin@thehawkeye.com  FORT MADISON -- A preservation movement has been gathering steam on the Internet over concerns about the future of the archeological site of the first U.S. fort on the Upper Mississippi River and the location of the only military battle in Iowa where the blood of U.S. soldiers was spilled -- Fort Madison.  Advertisement  The historic site of the fort and battle lies under the parking lot of the former Sheaffer Pen Co. factory.  Preservationists worry the current owner, Doug Abolt of Fort Madison Properties LLC, will sell the property for commercial development and the site will be destroyed under the wheels of a backhoe in the name of progress.  "They consider the current state of it to be safe because it has been encased in concrete for years and it's untouched. They're concerned that because the property was recently sold and is for sale that something further could happen and it might endanger it," said Fort Madison City Councilwoman Carrie Fraise.  The site has been nominated to the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the 11 most endangered sites in the United States, said Eugene Watkins, manager of replica of the Old Fort Madison.  University of Iowa professor and state archeologist William Whittaker has called the fort "Iowa's most important historical site" and is spearheading the push to save it.  In multiple letters, e-mails and online postings, Whittaker has urged history buffs to write elected officials and start a fund to purchase the site.  "While I can inform the public about their options and the importance of the fort, as a university employee I am prohibited by law from lobbying state or national legislators. I can bring you together, but if you really want to save the fort, you will have to come together and talk to state and national legislators on your own," Whittaker wrote in a letter recently posted on the Sons of the American Revolution Web site.  "Since the fort is of national significance, it may be appropriate for citizens to apply for federal funds to purchase and preserve the fort. Alternatively, citizens may also apply for state funds to save the fort," Whittaker wrote.                                                                             19 Completed in 1808, Fort Madison was the site of the only battle west of the Mississippi during the War of 1812 and was laid siege in 1813 by Indian forces, including the famous Sauk leader Black Hawk.  Soldiers abandoned and burned the fort in 1813, slipping away on the back of the Mississippi River under cover of night.  There is the possibility of soldiers' remains buried at the battle site and directly outside the historic walls of the fort, Watkins said.  "We don't have any idea how many men died at the fort," Watkins said. "Until it's dug up, we won't really know if they're there or not."  If soldiers' bodies are present, that could hinder efforts to develop the site, Watkins said.  While those who resettled Fort Madison have always known or suspected where the old fort stood, the site was not confirmed until 1965 when Sheaffer Pen discovered historical artifacts while laying a new water line across its parking lot.  Iowa State Archaeologist Marshall McKusick excavated a portion of the site that year documenting well-preserved foundations of the fort and many artifacts.  While Fort Madison Mayor Steve Ireland said he was intrigued and excited about the historic significance of the site, he noted the city does not have the funds to purchase the property and has limited influence on its future.  No plan for preserving the site has been presented to the council, Ireland said.  4th Fran Keith send WAA program outline.  4th Sent question to SAR-Talk Is Bill Washington, son of Paul Emery Washington, aka " America's King"  an SAR member?  http://learn.ancestry.com/LearnMore/Article.aspx?.id=37208&o_lid=37208  5th Answer to above. Bill Washington is a member of the New Braunfels, TX Chapter.  He has  a color guard uniform and frequently participates with the San Antonio, TX SAR Color Guard.  6th Sent to SAR-Talk. It seems like Compatriot Bill Washington's unique connection to what might have been a "George Washington Monarchy" would be of interest to our 27,000 members that do not subscribe to SAR-Talk. It might also generate publicity for the SAR if the wire service picked it up.  6th Fran Keith and IASSAR President go through a planning session for Woodland Cemetery WAA event for following Saturday.  While there the KCCI reporter stopped and assured us he would attempt to be there for the event.  7th Judy McNamara confirms that David Leach has agreed to play Taps at the WAA/SAR event.  7th I received the following story by e-mail from one of our members. Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were.  A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the mall.  When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must Have stung  quite a bit.  The complaint: 'Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base:  Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune!  Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special?   Any response would be appreciated.  The response:  Regarding 'A wake-up call from Luke's jets' On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four- ship fly by of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.  At 9 a. m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend. Based on the letter writer's recount of the fly by, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women  who understand the sacrifices they have endured..  A four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects.  The letter writer asks, 'Who m do we thank for the morning air show? The 56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.  Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you....Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.  Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr.  USAF  7th More 2009 dues update from Volney Smith.  Thanks to Volney and to all of our members for responding in a timely manner.  9th Received the following update about Fort Madison, Iowa site Save Fort Madison December 9, 2008   Greetings all! In this update of Save Fort Madison you will read about recent developments, many of which are hopeful, but we still have a long way to go to save the fort.    Overview For those of you reading about this for the first time, the original Fort Madison is located under a parking lot on the east side of Fort Madison, Iowa. Occupied 1808-1813, Fort Madison was the first U.S. military fort in the Upper Mississippi, the scene of the only War of 1812 battle west of the Mississippi, the location were Black Hawk first fought with the U.S., the scene of the only military battle fought in Iowa, and the probable place of the oldest U.S. military cemetery in the upper Mississippi. For these reasons it is arguably the single most important historic site in Iowa, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Excavations in 1965 demonstrated that much of the fort remains intact below the parking lot. Despite its importance, it is in danger.                                                      It has been purchased by developers and there is no legal way to force them to protect the site, and they have not made any commitment to preserving it. After months of failed attempts to get the site preserved, we are now trying to rally public support for preservation. The ultimate goal is to get the site transformed from a parking lot into a park recognizing its historic importance to U.S. history and Native Americans and memorializing the soldiers who fought, died, and were buried there.   Fort Madison in the News A recent article in the Burlington Hawk Eye (Dec. 3) laid out some of the issues, and seems to have finally removed some of the inertia surrounding efforts to save the fort. (It also says I am a university professor and the state archaeologist; I am neither, but I appreciate the promotion).  Lee McNair of Boone published a well-written letter of support for the preservation of Fort Madison in the Des Moines Register (Dec. 6).    Fort Owner Makes Contact After the Hawk Eye article ran, the Office of the State Archaeologist was contacted by the primary land owner through an intermediary. This is excellent news, since we obviously can make no progress towards saving the fort without his cooperation. Hopefully this will lead to a meaningful dialog about preservation.    Fort Madison City Council  The Fort Madison City Council was also compelled to address the issue of the fort, and hopefully they will be receptive towards future plans of preservation. The council would like to see the site preserved, but they are not sure what they can do, given budget limitations and the fact that it is privately owned.  There is much the council can do to preserve the site, such as zoning changes, possibly tax credits, offering strongly worded official proclamations of support for preservation, offering to maintain the memorial park after it is built, and offering to match some outside funding contributions. Lee County may also be able to contribute to these efforts.   Dr. Watkins’ Efforts Working independently, Eugene Watkins, manager of the replica Old Fort Madison Park, has taken on the task of talking to the media and the city council. Dr. Watkins has been the voice of calm, reasoned concern, and his efforts are greatly appreciated.    Endangered Lists Recently we were told that Fort Madison would be included on the 2009 list of Iowa’s Most Endangered Properties by the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance (www.iowapreservation.org). Fort Madison is also a nominee for the 2009 America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list of the National Trust for Historic Preservation (www.preservationnation.org); the final list will not be presented until Spring 2009. Listings like these help to bring national attention to saving the fort.  Letters of support for listing on the National Trust came from John Doershuk, Iowa State Archaeologist; Rod Scott, President, Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance; Barbara Mitchell, Deputy SHPO, State Historical Society of Iowa; and Josh McConaughy of the Archaeological Conservancy.   Upcoming Talk On January 25 (barring a snow storm) I will be giving a talk to the Iliniwek Chapter of the Iowa Archeological Society. I will be discussing frontier forts of Iowa in general, but I obviously will spend significant time on Fort Madison, given its proximity. 4th Street Café in Keokuk at 2:00. Come early and enjoy lunch with IAS Chapter Members. Non-members welcome for this event.    There are No Villains Just a reminder: the developers are not bad people. By all accounts they are very decent folks caught in a tough situation, they apparently did not know the significance of the site they purchased, and are now faced with difficult decisions. We have a common problem and a common solution; we are all on the same side, we just need to find a way to make preservation work. They did not cause this problem, as was discussed in the last update, a lack of institutional memory and an absence of planning on all of our parts caused this problem.   Parking Lot? I have been asked by a few people why we can’t just keep the site as a parking lot, since the lot preserves the site, and the Sheaffer Pen building needs parking. First, Fort Madison is likely the burial ground of U.S. soldiers killed in action; it is disrespectful to use a military cemetery as a parking lot. Second, the fact that it is a parking lot contributed to the current situation; the public was aware of the fort location during the 1965 excavations but gradually people forgot about it, and by 2007 almost no one in power had any recollection of the fort location. If the site had been a well-maintained memorial park instead of an empty parking lot it would not be at risk right now. If it remains a parking lot, in another 30 years it may be again in danger after we have forgotten its significance; and this time we may not be warned before it is destroyed.   Excavations? I have also been asked if we are planning to excavate the fort. We have no plans to excavate the fort again, we’d like to preserve it in place. Excavation is destructive, and a site as important as Fort Madison should be preserved as best as possible. Perhaps in the future excavation or remote sensing technology will improve greatly and the site can be explored doing minimal damage.  Right now we could re-analyze the excavation records and artifacts from McKusick’s 1965 excavations; we have learned a lot about analysis and fort archaeology in the last 40 years, and before we dig up the fort again, we should better understand what we already have.   Thank you, Bill Whittaker william-whittaker@uiowa.edu                                                          9th Florida SAR member F.L. said they have a member that is moving to Iowa and would like to transfer membership to the Iowa Society.  9th Sent the following update and reminder invitation to 120 IASSAR members.  Compatriots of IASSAR,  Just an update  Iowa Patriot editor and SAR member Fran Keith has given us all a tremendous example of what can be done when even one person steps forward.  I am speaking of the Wreaths Across America project, Saturday December 13th at 11:00 a.m. in Woodland Cemetery in Des Moines.  We have received RSVP's from the Governor's office, the incoming Adjuvant General of Camp Dodge, D.A.R. members, C.A.R. members, SUVCW embers from Cedar Rapids to Des Moines, KCCI TV 8, the Datebook weekly, thew North High Jr. ROTC Color Guard, a bugler and many others.  Join us (or Volney Smith in Mills County or Charles Montgomery and Dave Faybik in Ottumwa or Tim Rowley in Iowa City) for the very brief tribute if you can.  9th Contacted Le Ann Tyson of REMax in Iowa City about the possibility of getting any extra wreaths they might be able to spare.  9th Charles Montgomery and Dave Faybik start to expand the Ottumwa informal wreath program to a bit more.  10th Received the following RSVP for the WAA program in Des Moines Mike:  It was a pleasure speaking with you yesterday. Per our conversation, Col. Tim Orr, current Chief of Staff of the Iowa Army National Guard and the next Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard, has been asked by Governor Culver to be his representative at the Wreaths Across America event at Woodland Cemetery on Saturday. Find attached Col. Orr's bio and photo for your reference.  Don't hesitate if you have additional questions or if we can be of assistance.   Best regards.  Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood Public Affairs Officer Iowa National Guard  10th IASSAR member JK request assistance on applications for his sons.  11th Dave Faybik updates on progress with planned Ottumwa wreath laying.  11th Charles Montgomery updates on progress for planned Ottumwa wreath laying.  11th IASSAR President and DAR member each drive to Iowa City, fill both cars up with wreaths (about 160 or so).  Charles Montgomery meets half way to pick up 8 wreaths for the Ottumwa program.  11th Susan Piper calls and says she knows of 5 children that would be honored to help lay out the wreaths.  IASSAR President gratefully accepts their help.  11th Sent Ottumwa member bio information on Jonathan Woody.  11th Fran Keith sends the name of Jr. ROTC Color Guard member that will participate on the 13th.  12th Dave Faybik attempts to contact J. Woody descendants and invites them to program.  12th IASSAR and Iowa DAR members place 14 wreaths in the WWI section of Glendale Cemetery  and about 50 wreaths in GAR sections at Woodland Cemetery.  12th Volney Smith send dues updates.  12th Dae and Charles confirm Color Guard from the Ottumwa VFW tomorrow and maybe a bugler and "arms"  13th Central Iowa Chapter 2nd VP Jeff Nesler sends poem.  We make 40 copies and pass it out to attendees at the Des Moines WAA program.  A Different Christmas Poem                       The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,         I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.         My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,         My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.         Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,         Transforming the yard to a winter delight.           The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,         Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.         My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,         Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.         In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,         So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.           The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,         But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.                                             Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the         sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.         My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,         And I crept to the door just to see who was near.                  Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,         A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.         A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,         Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.         Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,         Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.                  "What are you doing?" I asked without fear,         "Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!         Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,         You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"         For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,         Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..                  To the window that danced with a warm fire's light         Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,         I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."         "It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,         That separates you from the darkest of times.                  No one had to ask or beg or implore me,         I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.         My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"         Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."         My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',         And now it is my turn and so, here I am.                  I've not seen my own son in more than a while,         But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.         Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,         The red, white, and blue... an American flag.         I can live through the cold and the being alone,         Away from my family, my house and my home.                  I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,         I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.         I can carry the weight of killing another,         Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..         Who stand at the front against any and all,         To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."                  "So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,         Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."         "But isn't there something I can do, at the least,                             "Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?         It seems all too little for all that you've done,         For being away from your wife and your son."                  Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,         "Just tell us you love us, and never forget.         To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,         To stand your own watch, no matter how long.         For when we come home, either standing or dead,         To know you remember we fought and we bled.         Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,         That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."                 PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many         people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our         U.S service men and women for our being able to celebrate these         festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people         stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.                  LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN         30th Naval Construction Regiment         OIC, Logistics Cell One         Al Taqqadum, Iraq  13th The weather warmed the sun came out and people came out at all locations, Des Moines, Ottumwa, Mills County and Iowa City.  Below is just a very brief summary of the 4 events as reported by participating IASSAR members  Iowa SAR members participated in 4 programs around the State of Iowa  1.  Our program was in Des Moines I think we had a great program.  About 50 people came.  We had KCCI TV coverage and a DM Register reporter/photographer there and a WHO radio reporter with audio interviews.   The DM Register gave us a nice story with a photo of one of the dedicated wreaths being placed on a stone.  Their online edition has more coverage.   Our color guard was from the US Marine Corps Junior ROTC program at North High School, our bugler was from American Legion Post 374 of DM.  Our speaker was COL Tim Orr, the newly appointed Adjutant General for the Iowa National Guard.  COL Orr represented Gov. Chet Culver and read a letter from Gov. Culver.  Because of your generous sharing of wreaths, we were able to decorate  veterans graves at Woodland Cemetery (all Civil War), Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines (WW I and II) Two Revolutionary War Veterans, one near Ottumwa and one in SW Iowa near Council Bluffs.  Both of these were covered by local newspapers.   We had people from Iowa SAR, DAR, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, VFW and American Legion.  Mike Rowley, our president Fran Keith our Newsletter editor,                                               Dave Shannon our Boy Scout Chair, Dean Swearingen our Treasurer all participated.   Mike and Fran are doing an after action report while the activities are still hot in our minds and hope - actually plan - to improve on this years ceremony.  We used the suggested program edited to meet our need.      The Sons of the American Revolution celebrates the determination, dedication and sacrifice of our founding fathers (and mothers).  This WAA can only serve to help us do that better in the future.  There are 40 known veterans of our War of Independence buried in Iowa.  They a spread across Iowa, many, perhaps most in small country cemeteries.  One goal Mike and Fran believe in is to place a wreath on every Revolutionary War Veteran in Iowa.  Logistically, that may be a problem.   2. Compatriots,   We had a beautiful sunny day Saturday in Mills County with no snow on the ground.  It was rather windy but that didn't bother us.  My twin grandsons and I drove to the West Liberty Cemetery wondering if anyone would join us for the wreath laying.  Just before 11:00 a reporter/photographer from the Council Bluffs Nonpareil drove up and joined us.  He took pictures as I played Taps, placed the wreath and saluted my great great great great grandfather, Joel Buffington.  There was enough frost in the ground that I couldn't get the flag to stick permanently so after the picture taking, I brought it back home.  We talked briefly and left.   I asked Josh White, the Nonpareil reporter, when the pictures might appear in the paper and he said he wasn't sure.  I checked the Nonpareil on line and didn't find it in today's paper.  Perhaps tomorrow.  Josh said it would be in the online edition as well as the regular paper.   I will check the Nonpareil on line each day and report if I see an article and/or picture.    Volney H. Smith Seretery, IASSAR  3. I felt like our ceremony went well this morning.  We had 21 in attendance.    We unashamedly used much of the text and order of service that you sent us.  Dave Faybik helped a lot with the editing of the text to fit our situation and with the actual conducting of the ceremony as well.   The Ottumwa American Legion Post was outstanding, providing Color Guard, a 24 gun salute and a bugler and over half of our attendees....  Not sure why a 24 gun salute but who is counting?  I wasn't but the Ottumwa Civil War Round Table friend who was accompanying me and helped place our other wreaths said they had 8 riflemen and all fired three rounds for a 24 gun salute.   They were very gracious and all seemed happy to be there.  AND I did not get the guy from my church to lay the wreath but he has two brothers and a sister in                                                       Ottumwa all who of course are ggggg???grandchildren of Edward Rutledge.  The two brothers, Dennis and Nick Rutledge, came and placed the wreath.  I was not sure until they showed up about 10:40 whether they were going to do it or not but they did and seemed to also be happy to be part of the ceremony.   I was nervous about this ahead of time but feel real good about having done it.  Thank you for getting me involved and for getting us the wreaths.  I have one wreath left.  We have a black Civil War Medal of Honor winner buried in the Ottumwa Cemetery and as soon as I send this I am going to sneak over there and lay that wreath on his grave.   Charley   PS I did get a notice of our ceremony published in the Ottumwa paper this morning and my wife and Dave's wife took some photos.  I'll send you some of them. 4.  Central Iowa Chapter, Secretary Tim Rowley attended the Wreaths Across America in Iowa City, Iowa  14th Very nice article and color photo of the WAA project appeared in the Des Moines Register.  I sent the following letter to the reporter.  http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081214/NEWS/812140324&s=a  Mr.Jared Strong,  I wanted to express my thanks to you and the Des Moines Register for the wonderful article, "Wreaths demonstrate respect for veterans."  I very much enjoyed the story angle. You captured the feeling of the day and the meaning of the event.  Please pass this letter along to your editor and also the photographer.  Respectfully,  Mike Rowley  President, IASSAR  14th Requested Record copy of JK application from Registrar Bill Lees.  14th Received phot of event from TG.  14th Sent overview to SAR-Talk  15th Received Winter 2008 edition of The Patriots of America magazine.  It contained a great 4  article (with wonderful photographs) on our May 2008 event in Montrose Iowa.  This is a very high quality publication and well worth the $24.95 subscription price.  www.patriotsar.com                                                16th Chairman Fran Keith sent summary reports and thank you letters to both the national organizers and the Iowa program organizers.  16th As per request information was sent to NSSAR Bob Bowen.  16th Received photos from Judy McNamara DAR.  16th Sent the following invitation to IASSAR members   Compatriots of Iowa Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (and friends),  Thank you to all of our member who work to  make our 4, Wreaths Across America Programs so successfull last Saturday.  Now is news of an upcoming event.  Here is a unique event and all that is required if you is to show up and enjoy it.  Read on.  Mike Rowley  President, IASSAR ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Great news! Lamoni's Civil War Days is presenting a Saturday matinee showing of Buster Keaton's classic film, The General, on January 17, 2009. This silent film, called one of the 100 Best Films ever made, will be shown complete with live piano accompaniment in the Coliseum Theatre in downtown Lamoni at 1:30 PM. Intermission will feature a variety of live entertainment, including singing and music and a dramatic visit from some of Civil War Days' renowned Talking Dead. This unique event will kick off with a live rifle volley fired (outdoors) by members of the 15th Iowa Volunteer Infantry, the reenacting unit that sponsors Civil War Days. [NOTE: any and all reenactors or living historians are welcome as participants or spectators - contact Doug Jones.)  The presentation of this film is a fund-raiser for Civil War Days and all proceeds from your free-will donations will go directly to funding our 7th Annual Civil War Days Reenactment and Living History festival. This popular living history event is held every year on Labor Day weekend, this coming year on August 29-30-31, 2009. Civil War Days t-shirts will also be available for purchase in the lobby. See www.civilwardays.org for detailed event information.   The General is Buster Keaton's tour de force. Different from his pie-throwing comedies, this story is a combination of history, comedy and drama and has a historical basis: in 1862, Union spies infiltrated the south                                                31 and stole a Confederate train, named The General, and Keaton portrays Johnny Gray, the train's engineer. He spends half the film chasing the Yankee thieves who stole his train and the other half struggling to return the train - full of Yankee soldiers - back to Texas. Produced in a time before computer-generated special effects, Keaton performs truly death-defying comedic stunts, all done in one take, as he climbs all over the fast-moving locomotive. Its most famous scene - said to be the costliest scene of any silent film - is when the General races across a burning bridge while...well, you'll just have to see the movie. (Click here http://www.slate.com/id/2204610/ for a complete review and for clips from the movie.)     Presenting a silent film on a large screen with period live piano accompaniment is a rare event in its own right. Today's audiences might initially balk at the idea of a silent film but The General is truly a timeless representative of its era. The film was shot in 1926 - 64 years after the event it chronicles and when feelings about the war were still strong - and features costuming that is not just true to the Civil War period, the film uses the actual garments that had been worn during the war. The film was extremely controversial at the time: initially many southerners were insulted that Keaton would make a comedy about their train and denied permission for the film to be shot on location...but once the film was released, the real General became a celebrity and was refurbished and put on display in a museum in Georgia. Truly a happy ending.     So, please put "The General" on January 17th on your calendar now and tell everyone you know to save that day for this fun and unique event! You are invited to wear any period clothes you have - you will not be out of place in this crowd.  The idea for this fund-raiser was originated a few years ago by Jack Ergo, Associate Professor of Music at Graceland University, and we offer our greatest appreciation for his creative thinking, his enthusiasm, and his piano playing. Civil War Days 2008 was the most expensive ever and we seriously need to raise funds for 2009, so we hope you can join us on January 17th.  17th Sent Francis Boggus, Iowa Great Places Coordinator, Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs information about the magazine article.  I also sent notice to those members of IL, MO, VA and NSSAR that attend the event in May.  17th  I noticed the below (see next ) 2nd request.  Not knowing if Iowa had replied, I sent a list of our activities of the last year.  Compatriots,   The NSSAR is applying to become one of the Combined Federal Campaign   charitable organizations.  If accepted, we would then share annually the  charitable contributions of federal employees.  For the past several years, the Sons of Confederate Veterans has been a participant, receiving about $35,000 each year.   We need reports from a minimum of 15 states reflecting your participation in SAR projects that reach into your respective communities.  Those states submitting these reports will receive 50% of the total amount received by the SAR from CFC. The completed reports must be in Washington on or before Jan  15, 2009.  The Foundation staff must have your reports NLT Dec. 31st.   If you have any questions please contact Laurie Anne Roberts at   1-502-589-1776.   We need assistance from each of you in providing this information on a   timely basis.   Compatriot Ed Butler, IASSAR Officers and Central Iowa Chapter Officers,  See the below report as per your request. Please forward to anyone as needed.  The Iowa Society and the Central Iowa Chapter of IASSAR have been involved in many projects that reach into the communities.  A few examples from the past year includes...  A public educational program open to all to teach and demonstrate the proper protocol to dispose of damaged  U.S. flags.  A historical educational tour of the pioneers of Des Moines Iowa at Woodland Cemetery in Des Moines, Iowa.  An educational research program to identify Civil War veterans that lived, died and that were buried in Central Iowa.  A program to mark the unmarked graves of veterans in Iowa.  72 graves marked to date.  A program to identify and document previously unknown Revolutionary War veterans who died and were buried in Iowa.  Joint youth programs with the C.A.R., the Boy Scouts of America, Junior ROTC programs (high schools) and ROTC programs.  Participation in Wreaths Across America programs in Iowa  Participation in Community Parades.                   Participation in hospital visits to Veteran Hospitals.   Educational talks given to library groups and genealogy groups.  Assisted for fund raising for public monuments.  Respectfully,  Mike Rowley President, IASSAR 1825 NW 129th Street Clive, Iowa 50325  End 12-17-2008 ________________________________________________________________