GASTONIA, N.C. — A Confederate heritage group in Gastonia says one of its promotional signs was recently stolen from along a highway near the South Carolina border.
Members of the organization aren’t sure whether to blame a metal thief, or possibly a vandal who doesn’t favor their mission and philosophy. But if the sign hasn’t been destroyed, they hope to recover it.
“We have a good organization that’s all about honoring our ancestors — nothing more, nothing less,” said Billy Starnes, treasurer and quartermaster of the local Sons of Confederate Veterans chapter. “The main thing is we just want to put the word out that if someone has seen this sign, in somebody’s truck or anywhere, there’s a reward for us getting it back.”
The Sons of Confederate Veterans is a 116-year-old, national organization that aims to preserve the history of the Civil War. Membership is open to male descendants of any veteran who served honorably in the Confederate armed forces. Chapters restore Confederate graves and monuments, perform memorial ceremonies, conduct historical reenactments and carry out programs to educate children and adults on what they see as the Southern perspective of the events from 1861 to 1865.
Major Charles Q. Petty Camp #872, with 45 members, is one of three SCV chapters in Gaston County that total about 120 members altogether, Starnes said. About a year ago, Camp #872 placed a promotional sign on private property along U.S. 321 North, about a mile across the North-South Carolina border. It welcomed travelers to the state, advertised the chapter’s name and urged people to join by calling 1-800-MY-SOUTH.
The sign also displayed the SCV’s logo, which prominently features the controversial stars and bars of the Confederate flag.
Prior to that, a business owner closer to the state line had allowed Camp #872 to post the sign on his property. But when one of his prominent customers complained, he had to ask the chapter to move the sign to avoid losing business, Starnes said.
In its new spot, the sign was about 20 feet off the highway. It was framed in a metal stand made of stiff, angle iron, and secured into the ground, with some modest landscaping surrounding it.
Sometime late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, the sign was removed. After the theft was reported, Gaston County police responded and found that someone had used a torch, a battery operated saw or some other device to cut the metal legs of the sign near where they entered the ground.
Starnes said he has spoken with at least one person who saw a truck and trailer loaded with scrap metal parked in that area sometime Friday or Saturday. He and others suspect that could be related, and that someone might have stolen the sign simply to get some money for the metal.
But he said he also knows many people misunderstand the SCV’s purpose, and wonders if dislike for the Confederate flag played a role.
“We’re not sure about it either way,” he said. “A lot of people find the flag offensive because they’ve been misinformed about the true meaning of that flag.”
The SCV’s mission is to honor Confederate history and Southern heritage, Starnes said.
“The KKK and stupid people like that ruined the idea of what the flag really means,” he said. “Out job is to educate people about what it really stood for. That flag was designed based on Christian values.”
The sign and the landscaping combined cost about $600 to install. Camp #872 is offering a $100 reward to anyone who can answer the question of what happened to it, Starnes said.
“We all went in on paying for it,” he said. “And obviously if we can’t find it, we’re going to try to replace it.”
WSOC
