Independence Day in Culpeper

4 July 2018                                                   Culpeper, VA

Participants at the Ceremony on the Culpeper Courthouse Lawn left to right: Lon Lacey, Jr, Brett Osborn (CJWII), Becky Ebert (DAR), Alan Lacey, Lon Lacey, III, Charles Jameson, Craig Truskey, Eric Robinson (CJWII), Marc Holma, as Thomas Jefferson, Culpeper Minutemen President Tom Hamill, Marc Robinson (CJWII), Michael Dennis, Cat Schwetke (DAR), Bill Schwetke. Of note, the two DAR ladies both hold the Molly Pitcher Medal for support to the SAR Color Guard.

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    Today the Culpeper Minutemen gathered, with support from the Colonel James Wood, II Chapter, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Blue Ridge Chorale, to celebrate our Declaration of Independence with a crowd of about 75 patriots.  The program began at noon with nine members of the Color Guard marching up Davis Street to the tune of their fife and drum from the Train Depot to the Courthouse lawn.  Culpeper Minutemen President Tom Hamill was the master of ceremonies.  Greetings were presented from Chairman Bill Chase of the Culpeper  County Board of Supervisors and  Culpeper Mayor Michael Olinger. Thomas Jefferson, portrayed by Marc Holma, gave the gathering the inside scoop on the Declaration, followed by the reading of the Declaration of Independence by Jim Bayne.  The Blue Ridge Chorale rendered a rousing medley of patriot songs and the Color Guard fired three volleys in salute to the Declaration of Independence.  At the conclusion of the ceremony the patriots in attendance were invited to sign the copy of the Declaration.

LINK TO VIDEO HERE

The Color Guard marches down Davis Street to the ceremony

Culpeper Minutemen President Tom Hamill mc's the ceremony

Past Virginia SAR President Jim Bayne reads the Declaration of Independence.

Fife & Drum, Alan Lacey on fife, and Lon Lacey, III on the drum.

Blue Ridge Chorale

Patriots pledging their allegiance

Musket Salute, three volleys, commanded by Brett Osborn of CJWII Chapter, nearest.

     In the afternoon the Culpeper Minutemen led the parade down Main Street.  Our own Jim Bayne was the Grand Marshall!  Crowds lined the street, especially on the west side, in the shade, a WWII Navy SNJ Trainer flew low overhead, and the DAR walked on the sides of the street passing out American flags.  The Culpeper Minutemen entry in the parade won the trophy for "Best Over All".

The Parade's Grand Marshall
Jim Bayne

Melanie Bayne prepares to mount her truck to lead the parade pulling the trailer with the Culpeper Minutemen.

Cat Schwetke hands an American Flag to a young patriot. The DAR passed out over 900 flags.