City pulls up Confederate flags in cemetery
Posted: Apr 28, 2014 5:27 PM CDT Updated: Apr 28, 2014 5:32 PM CDT
By Irisha Jones
CORDELE, GA (WALB) - More than two dozen Confederate flags disappeared from the Sunnyside Cemetery in Cordele. They were placed there to honor Confederate veterans during Confederate History Month.
City of Cordele crews say they had a good reason to remove those flags. Members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans say the city could at least have given them a heads-up.
"We're not out to get in anybody face. We're just trying to remember our ancestors," said Jack Bridwell.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans placed 27 Confederate flags on the graves of Confederate veterans in early April. A week ago, a member of the group reported them missing. The flags were picked up by the City of Cordele Public works department."What they could have done was contacted us," said Jack Bridwell.
Public works officials say the flags were removed because they were improperly placed beside the grave sites and not on top.
The State commander of the Sons of Confederate veterans says the flags were placed as a memorial.
"It would have been picked up this coming week anyway. Confederate Memorial Day is over them month of April is over," said Jack Bridwell.
A person with the public works department says the flags were in the way of mowers and had to be removed so crews could maintain the cemetery.
"We would have gone out and taken them up, when they finished cutting, we could have put them back," said Jack Bridwell.
The state commander doesn't believe anything was wrong with the placement of the flags, and tries to work with all cities.The public works department still has the flags. Officials say they'll give them back to organization if someone wants to pick them up.
http://www.walb.com/story/25371741/confederate-flags-removed-from-cemetary-by-pubilc-works
City of Cordele crews say they had a good reason to remove those flags. Members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans say the city could at least have given them a heads-up.
"We're not out to get in anybody face. We're just trying to remember our ancestors," said Jack Bridwell.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans placed 27 Confederate flags on the graves of Confederate veterans in early April. A week ago, a member of the group reported them missing. The flags were picked up by the City of Cordele Public works department."What they could have done was contacted us," said Jack Bridwell.
Public works officials say the flags were removed because they were improperly placed beside the grave sites and not on top.
The State commander of the Sons of Confederate veterans says the flags were placed as a memorial.
"It would have been picked up this coming week anyway. Confederate Memorial Day is over them month of April is over," said Jack Bridwell.
A person with the public works department says the flags were in the way of mowers and had to be removed so crews could maintain the cemetery.
"We would have gone out and taken them up, when they finished cutting, we could have put them back," said Jack Bridwell.
The state commander doesn't believe anything was wrong with the placement of the flags, and tries to work with all cities.The public works department still has the flags. Officials say they'll give them back to organization if someone wants to pick them up.
http://www.walb.com/story/25371741/confederate-flags-removed-from-cemetary-by-pubilc-works
