What is Southern Heritage?

[JustAnotherGen]

99. My dad was a 'Bama man

Who went into the military after finishing up at Tuskeegee. Born in 1941 - he didn't buy the Civil War "impression" thing - honestly I don't either.

I'm going to say the South (white Southerners) needs to collectively "Get over it" - but don't get angry stand by.

I was born in West Germany in 1973. Spent my formative years there. My dad was invited to join a private bar/club for German elite soldiers (He was a Green Beret - Captain). Many old men in that club.

Stop - do the math. They were the type of men who were impressed with "elite soldiers" especially those with dark brown skin.

One man served directly under Rommel - and he's the guy who asked my dad to join them in 1971 - because a street conversation lead to my dad sharing he started as a cavalry then went to Tanks - heavy armor.

Again 1973 to 1978 - do the math.

We came back to the US in 1978.

I never knew that older white people could be evil to a child until I was five years old and in America.

A tale of two defeated countries and how one got over it - but one holds onto heritage. People were on near starvation rations in Germany for three years after WW II. It was NOT an easy recovery. They were condemned by the world as monsters.

No one condemned the Confederate States of America (I was raised an officers daughter and drilled into my head they were a foreign country who attacked a US Fort). As a matter of fact - to bring them into the American Way - we let them win the peace for 90 years.

So - the Southerners holding onto this - cultural scar/impression really need to get over this.

What amazes me are white people living there whose families came to the US AFTER the Civil War. My dads great grandfather was an Irish immigrant who joined the Confed army for meals, a bed, and boots. He lived to be over 100 and loved his black grand children and greats. No one gave a better Irish toast than my dad! His great grandad got over it - he fought in it - everyone can get over it.

On the flip side - Johann Von Bargerstock - an immgrant - lost three Sons out of a PA regiment. His descendants had handed down to them 'tolerance'. One was my mom's dad. A WW II vet who had serious distress about his son in law, daughter, and bi racial grandchildren living in Germany - because he was never that same after a certain concentration camp he visited with Eisenhower. Even visiting us an meeting his former enemy - He found them disgusting.

It's like white Southerners who hold onto this part of the culture fail to realize - they brought the war and subsequent blood shed and loss on themselves. They don't see their own guit and have never been made to eat crow by this country the way we made Germany eat crow. Even trying to seduce the Germans away from the Russians - we made them eat crow.