Correspondence:
Secretary: Bruce B. Butgereit
Officers:
| Commander: | William E. Truss |
| Senior Vice Commander: | John Uplinger |
| Junior Vice Commander: | Timothy S. Kolean |
| Secretary/Treasurer: | Bruce B. Butgereit |
| Chaplain: | Comer Skinner |
| Boy Scout Coordinator: | John Uplinger |
| Memorials Officer: | Bruce B. Butgereit |
| Historian: | Bruce B. Butgereit |
| Patriotic Instructor: | John Uplinger |
| Graves Registration Officer: | Alan Teelander |
| Guide, Guard, Color Guard: | Ryan Vazquez |
| Members of the Council: | Harold A. Becker |
| John E. Sullivan | |
| Bruce B. Butgereit II | |
| Jr ROTC Coordinator | John Uplinger |
HIGHLIGHTS OF the General John A. Logan Camp No. 1
Meetings
The General John A. Logan Camp No. 1 meets at 7:00 pm on the second Tuesday of every even month (February, April, June, August, October, and December), at the Grand Rapids Veterans Home, 3000 Monroe Avenue NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Champlin Corps No. 41, Woman’s Relief Corps meet on the same night at the Veteran’s Home in a different room. We often share meeting openings or patriotic programs and sometimes refreshments. Inquiries about the activities of the Camp may be addressed to the Camp contact above.
Our Real Sons
The General John A. Logan Camp No. 1 has had the distinct honor of having two members who can claim their father fought in the Civil War. These men are referred to as “Real Sons” whereas most regular member’s ancestor who served in the Civil War is several generations back.
Mr. Harold Becker
Brother Becker became a member of the Camp in 2001. His father was Charles Conrad Becker who served in the 128th Indiana Infantry, Co. H in 1864-1866.
As a regular attendee of the Civil War muster in Jackson, MI, Brother Becker loves to shake the hand of visitors often telling them they are “shaking the hand of a man who once held the hand of a Civil War veteran.”
Mr. Edward Blakely
Brother Blakely was a member of the Camp from 2000 until his passing in 2003; just six weeks shy of his 100th birthday. Brother Blakely was one of the most active members of the Camp and Honorary Chair of the Kent County Civil War Monument restoration project 2000-2003.
In keeping with the tradition of the Grand Army of the Republic to place “a vacant chair” in the memorial hall or meeting room in honor of comrades passed, Camp 1 maintains a vacant chair for Brother Blakely in the Executive Boardroom at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.
Annual Dues
The annual dues for Camp No. 1 are $35 and include receipt of the Michigan Messenger, the quarterly newsletter of the Department of Michigan, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and the Banner, the quarterly publication of the National organization.
A one-time fee of $30 is charged as an application fee. With this you will receive the badge (medal) of the Order, a Ritual, a pair of white gloves (for parades and memorial services), a color membership certificate, and membership card.
Camp History
We are the General John A. Logan, Camp No. 1, Department of Michigan, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. We are the descendants of soldiers, sailors or marines who served in the Army or Navy of the United States of America during the Civil War – 1861 to 1865.
The original Logan Camp of the SUVCW was in Cedar Springs. It “mustered” in August 27, 1897, but was suspended by the Department on March 31, 1898. The current Camp was reformed in April of 1994. (The first GAR Post under this name in the State of Michigan existed from 1897 until 1942 and met at the Michigan Soldiers Home, today known as the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.)
The Camp was named in honor of General John A. Logan, a successful lawyer and politician from Illinois who performed admirably as an officer during the Civil War, rising to the rank of Major General and commanding the 15th Corps. In line to assume command of the Army of the Tennessee, General Sherman denied him the appointment, probably because Logan did not have a West Point background.
Perhaps Logan’s ultimate claim to greatness is the fact that this rebuff did not make him bitter. He continued on in the service and, upon discharge, did not forget the sacrifices of his fellow soldiers. Not only did he define Memorial Day, but, in his capacity as one of the earliest Commander-in-Chief’s of the Grand Army of the Republic and a United States Senator, made great efforts to secure favorable pension benefits for the soldiers, their widows and children.
The text of General Logan’s Memorial Day Order is on the Department of Michigan website under the Ceremonies and Rituals tab.
CAMP PARTNERSHIPS
The Camp is a member of the City of Grand Rapids Stakeholders Group that oversees condition and usage of Monument Park and Veterans Memorial Park in Grand Rapids.
We are also a member of the Grand Valley State University Local History Roundtable. The Roundtable serves to coordinate communication between other historically-related groups.
The Camp conducts all of its memorial ceremonies with the Michigan Commandery, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States and the Champlin Corps No. 41, Woman’s Relief Corps.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND PROGRAMS
Our Camp, which is responsible for Kent, Ottawa, and Montcalm Counties, is dedicated to keeping alive the memory of the Union soldier and this we accomplish through fulfilling the goals and purposes of the SUVCW, some of which includes:
Civil War Monuments and Memorials – Locating, assessing, and restoring or preserving Civil War memorials, plaques, markers, statues, and monuments.
Some of our restoration accomplishments include –
The Kent County Civil War Monument & Fountain
2000-2003: Raised over $300,000 to restore the Kent County Civil War Monument and Fountain in Monument Park, Grand Rapids (Division Ave. and Fulton St.). Rededicated October, 2003.
This monument is made of “white bronze” or zinc and ranks as one of the most historic Civil War monuments in the nation. It was the first monument to also be a fountain and the 1st to include a tribute to the efforts of women.
It was dedicated in 1885 with General Philip Sheridan as guest of honor.
2001: Charles E. Belknap statue in Belknap Park, Grand Rapids, MI
2001: Monument with sculpture in Sand Lake, MI
2001: Monument with sculpture in Cedar Springs, MI
2001: Monument with sculpture in Cemetery at Grand Rapids Home for Veterans
2002: Camp Kellogg/Camp Lee bronze tablet on boulder at Central High School in Grand Rapids
2002: Monument with sculpture in Grant, MI
2003: Monument with sculpture in Rockford, MI
2003: Woman’s Relief Corps bronze tablet on boulder in Monument Park, Grand Rapids
2003: Monument with sculpture in Jonesville, MI
2004: Monument with sculpture in Andersonville Prison, Georgia
2005: Monument with sculpture in Campus Martius in Detroit
2008: Cast iron urn in Oakhill Cemetery in Grand Rapids
2010: Planting of new memorial tree in honor of Maj. A. B. Watson at John Ball Park, Grand Rapids
2010: Bronze bust of Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln Place Park, Grand Rapids
2011: Created new historic sign for boulder at Cantonment Anderson (Civil War training grounds) in Grand Rapids
2011: Created new signage identifying the Soldiers’ Cemetery at Oakhill Cemetery, Grand Rapids
Grave Registration – Locating, assessing, and replacing or preserving the headstones that mark the graves of Civil War soldiers buried in Michigan.
The Camp conducts ceremonies for headstone dedications (new, never before marked graves), rededications (for new headstones that were replaced), and recognition (for a privately marked grave that never had a veteran flag holder).
Educational programs – Members of the Camp and other Allied Orders, partner with History Remembered, Inc. to share a living history look at life during the Civil War. Programs are tailored for different grades and include the highly successful “service-learning” program titled, “Together, we CAN do it!” Other programs include flag etiquette, patriotism, and more.
Eagle Scout Program – Working with Boy Scouts through educational programs and assisting young men in their quest to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. Cooperative projects include the building and placement of three park benches in Monument Park near the Kent County Civil War Monument and the restoration of Lincoln Place Park in Grand Rapids.
Eagles are recognized with a colorful certificate of commendation.
JrROTC – We support the efforts of the JrROTC units at three of the Grand Rapids Public Schools by annually recognizing a cadet who excelled at striving to inculcate and broadly sustain the American principles of representative government, of equal rights, and of impartial justice for all.
The cadets are awarded a color certificate and a special medal.
Supporting other Veteran groups – We are dedicated to honoring Veterans of ALL wars. We participate in various veterans-related committees and the Memorial Day services and Veterans Day parade in Grand Rapids and other communities.