CRESTVIEW — In six days, the rebel battle flag fluttering over Confederate Park will come down during a flag retirement ceremony.
Following the Confederate veterans memorial's Oct. 31 removal, the flag is the last component of a city landmark that has caused debate since the 1990s.
“Everything is gone (from the park) except the flag," Mayor David Cadle said.
After unanimous City Council votes Sept. 14, representatives of William “Uncle Bill” Lundy’s descendants had 60 days to move the memorial and flag to private property of their choosing.
Lundy, a purported Confederate States Army veteran who died in Crestview in 1957, is mentioned by name on the memorial.
Saturday, Lundy family members and volunteers relocated the memorial to the corner of Hemphill Road and State Road 85 in the Auburn community.
“I hate that it had to be moved,” Greg Lundy, William's great-grandson, said. “City leaders years ago got together and made that in honor of him. It used to be a big thing in Crestview, Florida.
“I’m upset it had to be moved, especially that there have been no protests for it to be moved. There has been outstanding support for it to stay.”
Lundy estimated that “66 percent of the speakers wanted it to stay,” during an August public meeting with the Crestview City Council on the matter, Lundy said.
DIFFICULT DECISION
City Councilman JB Whitten, who made the motion to turn the memorial and flag over to the Lundy family, said it was a difficult decision but was made after the council received input from more than 70 people.
“It took awhile but we finally came up with something everybody could agree on,” Whitten said. “I think it was the right thing for the city.”
A media release from the Southern Strong organization — which launched an Aug. 29 road rally from Crestview’s Old Spanish Trail Park to support keeping the battle flag visible in area communities — said the flag will be ceremoniously lowered at 10 a.m. Nov. 7.
In addition to its own members, Southern Strong expects ceremony guests to include members of the United Daughters of Confederacy and Sons of Confederate Veterans from Camp Carney, Alabama.
The organization seeks businesses or individuals to lease or provide land for the memorial and flag to be permanently displayed.
PREPARATIONS
Public Works Director Wayne Steele said the Lundy family removed the memorial, which includes a bronze plaque mounted on a granite pedestal, without city resources.
Steele said Greg Lundy worked with his department to facilitate removing the memorial and prepare for Saturday’s flag-lowering ceremony.
“He wanted to go ahead and get that done by Saturday so that they would have more room for the color guard ceremony and to help speed up the event,” Steele stated in an email.
“We’re hoping for a more visible place for it,” Lundy said. “We’re going to go with the cards we’ve been dealt.
“The Bible says that we are to obey the laws of the land. The council members have been elected to do the business of the city. I don’t have a choice but to move it.”
The American flag, which until recently flew above the Confederate battle flag, was removed Oct. 29 when it was discovered the display was against flag protocol, which disallows both flags to be displayed from the same staff.
FUTURE PLANS
Relocating the park’s components allows city officials to proceed with a plan to improve traffic flow.
Public Works staffers want to reconfigure the intersection of First and Hickory Avenues with State Road 85 in which Confederate Park sits.
Coupled with traffic calling at several surrounding businesses and entering the intersection from Alabama Street, the intersection is notorious.
“We will submit some design improvements and changes to the City Council in the near future to help make the intersection safer,” Steele stated in his email.
!——-HUB NOTE: PLEASE IGNORE BELOW
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at brianh@crestviewbulletin.com, follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian or call 850-682-6524.
BRIAN HUGHES / News Bulletin
What: Confederate battle flag lowering ceremony
When: 10 a.m. Nov. 7
Where: Confederate Park, Hickory and First Avenues at State Road 85, Crestview
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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview's Confederate battle flag comes down Saturday