Members Page

We hope to use this page to keep members updated on each other and on the latest happenings within the organization. Please let us know what your chapter activities are so we might add them to the web site. Send to Postmaster@mosbfl.org

Important General Information

We have been verbally advised by the IRS that the fines due as a result of the late filing of the Order's Form 990 have been droped. This is great news and certainly something every member should be delighted to hear. This is a result of much work on the parto of our Commander General and JAG. The Florida Society expresses its appreciation to them for their achievement.

The following items are a review of our Society activities during 2009/10

Chapter Information

Olustee Reenactment 15 February

Commander General Anthony Hodges, his wife, Dr. Jill Hodges, Katrina Counts and Ben Willingham

14 February was the 145th anniversary of the Battle of Olustee. To celebrate the event, MOS&B Commander General Dr. Anthony Hodges was present to help start the event in the annual parade.

MOS&B Artifacts display at Olustee with Anthony Hodges, Ben Willingham and Randy Kerlin

Camp Sumter, Andersonville, GA

Captain Henry Wirz, CSA former commander of Camp Sumter and the subject of great controversy.

Chief of Staff Ben H. Willingham speaking at Andersonville

The event was highlighted by the presence of descendants of Captain Henry Wirz, descendants of President Jefferson Davis and descendants of L. M. Park. Park was the young clerk and assistant to Captain Wirz who spent his remaining years trying to rehabilitate Captain Wirz’s name and reputation by writing articles about what really happened at Camp Sumter. Park was a major factor in the original monument dedicated to Captain Wirz. The subject of Captain Willingham’s talk was the life and work of L. M. Park.

Georgia UDC Presient Mrs. Kennedy presenting Willingham and Wirz the Jefferson Davis Gold Medal

The event was also highlighted by the ladies of the United Daughters of the Confederacy presenting MOS&B Chief of Staff Ben H. Willingham and Colonel Heinrich Wirz, the grand nephew of Captain Wirz, the UDC Jefferson Davis Gold Medal.

Ben H. Willingham

UDC Georgia Annual Convention, Savannah, GA

On October 2, 2009, Ben Willingham (MOS&B Chief of Staff) was the speaker at the annual UDC Georgia State Convention that was held in Savannah, GA. His presentation was on the Flag of the 19^th Georgia and their part in the Third Annual Federal Invasion of Florida. Pictured below is the original battle flag carried by the 19^th Georgia Infantry.

Original 19th Georgia Battle Flag

Warrenton, Georgia Memorial

26 April Again this year the Florida MOS&B was in Warrenton, GA on Confederate Memorial Day at the request of the Warren County Commissioners to Re-Dedicate the graves of three Confederate Officers whose graves had been restored by the local Masonic Lodge. All of the speakers were members of the Capt. J. J. Dickison Chapter #29 in Jacksonville, FL. MOS&B Chief of Staff Ben H. Willingham spoke on the history and background of the officers, L. A. Hardee spoke on Masonry in the War while Thomas Holley spoke on the battles in which the three Warren County units fought. The event was enhanced by a twenty man honor guard and a trio of bagpipes. This was a very special Confederate Memorial Day.

MOS&B Chief of Staff Ben Willingham speaking at the Confederate Memorial Day event in Warrenton

In addition to the talks described above, the FL Society MOS&B together with the Museum of Southern History in Jacksonville brought a large display of War Between the States artifacts including many forms of muskets, medical equipment and other items of the times. This was well accepted by the crowd as many visitors stopped by to inquire and learn. FL Society Commander Kandy Kerlin managed the display and represented the MOS&B.

Randy Kerlin in the uniform of a Confederate Officer manning the artifacts display.

Participants in the Warrenton Memorial event, all MOS&B members awaiting the start of the festivitie

Colors flying at the Warrenton event

Georgia Succession Flag 1861

MOS&B Annual Convention

The 2009 MOS&B Annual Convention was held in Columbia, SC on 12 - 14 June 2009. We had a large attendance and in addition to the business that was conducted, there was a boat ride on Lake Murray and a cookout at Saluda Shoals. The final evening was a banquet and ball with a local group playing period music.

Among the awards given to Floridians, Florida Commander Randy Kerlin and National Chief of Staff Captain Ben Willingham were awarded the Distinguished Commander Service (DCS) designation as well as both receiving the Commander General's Award for distinguished personal service to the Commander General.

Eight of our Florida Chapters received the Lt. Gen. Simon Bolivar Buchner Chapter Membership Retention Award;

Brig. Gen. Theodore W. Brevard Chapter #10

Captain Asa A. Stewart Chapter #24

Colonel L. M. Park Chapter #52

Lt. James B. Duke Chapter #145

Major William I. Turner Chapter #161

Captain William J. Rogers Chapter #212

Captain John Maffin Chapter #252

Captain John "Sea Ghost" Wood, CSN Chapter #288

Of the eight Rebel Club awards for recruiting, two went to Floridians.

Florida Adjutant Raleigh Worsham was awarded the Lieutenant Charles Read Meritorious Service Medal.

MOS&B Scholarship Awards were given to young men from each of the three Armies, AOT, ANV and ATM.

Florida has the third largest active membership in the Order behind Texas and Virginia. In spite of this, we need to become more active in recruiting. Today Florida is only at about twenty percent of our earlier membership levels. There are those out there who qualify and are of the moral character we need so the charge is clear, get out there and find these men and bring them into the Order!

Let us know if there are any events or updates you would like to share with fellow members.

Florida Society

Military Order of the Stars and Bars
5598 Fair Lane Drive, Jacksonville FL 32244

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