History Of Bonnie Blue Flag

Friends, Family, Colleagues Honor Slain SDPD Officer

SAN DIEGO -- Thousands of mourners, most bedecked in formal dress uniforms, filled a Liberty Station church Friday to pay respects to a San Diego police officer and decorated combat veteran who was gunned down last weekend while patrolling an inner-city neighborhood.

Among those saluting 36-year-old Jeremy Henwood at the late-morning memorial service were Gov. Jerry Brown, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.

Henwood, a four-year SDPD officer and Marine reservist who served repeat deployments in Middle East war zones, lost his life to an ambush by a 23-year-old gunman in City Heights early Saturday evening, police said. Officers fatally shot the suspected assailant during an armed confrontation a short time later.

Hundreds of law enforcement and firefighting vehicles with their emergency lights flashing accompanied the hearse carrying Henwood's remains in a ceremonial procession from Qualcomm Stadium to the Rosecrans Street chapel where the funeral took place.

"It's a tragedy," said Point Loma resident Nate Allen.

During the 2 1/2-hour service, the Marine Corps gave Henwood a posthumous promotion from captain to major.

Addressing the capacity crowd, which included numerous Marines and police personnel from throughout the state, Sanders described the slain officer's military and law enforcement careers as expressions of the same commitment to service of community and country.

"Just like when he fought for our nation, being a cop gave Jeremy pride, knowing he was doing something fundamental to our quality of life in the United States," the mayor said. "Every day, when he put on his blue San Diego (police) uniform, Jeremy knew he was a cornerstone of civil society."

With his positive energy, "admirable" military record and a degree in criminal justice, Henwood could have chosen "just about anything" as a career, Sanders told the gathering.

"He could have joined a private security or a military training firm," he said. "He could have been a civil servant with a desk job. He could have gone into any number of less dangerous law enforcement jobs. But Jeremy chose to be a beat cop. He chose a job that everybody knows means you start your shift knowing in the back of your mind it might be your last.

HAPPY 200TH BIRTHDAY TO THE BONNIE BLUE FLAG!

On the 23rd day of September this year the Bonnie Blue Flag will celebrate her public existence of 200 yrs. The Bonnie Blue Flag has been heralded as the unofficial flag of the Confederate States of America, mistaken as the Lone Star State Flag of Texas, and her existence and true roots are still unknown by many Americans. Today I salute her along with her history and all that she stands for as she approaches this milestone.

She emerged from the sewing basket of Melissa Johnson wife of Major Isaac Johnson, the commander of the The West Florida Republic Dragoons on Sept 23, 1810 over a freshly conquered Spanish Fort in Baton Rouge LA. This was 35 years before Texas reached Statehood and when Jefferson Davis the one and only president of "The Confederate United States" was a mere 2 years of age. Two things happened at that moment of victory. Baton Rouge became property of The West Republic of Florida and the Bonnie Blue Flag became the official flag of that short lived independent country.

. **When people see the word dragoon and confederate in the same story line, red flags will undoubtedly go up. I want to clarify any misinterpretation of this before we go any further.

Dragoon was a military term used for many hundreds of years prior to this era by many different countries. It named the battle aspects of a unit as does Infantry, Calvary, etc. Dragoons of the timeline referenced here were considered as war divisions that were trained in horse riding and fighting. It would be totally out of context for dragoon as used here to be associated with the KKK which was not formed until 55 years later in 1865.**

Most mainstream history lessons taught today will not reference The Republic of West Florida as it was only in existence for less than 90 days. Still it is a part of American heritage and was the birthplace of the Bonnie Blue. It had a very complicated and ever changing ownership and it's history reminds me much of the board game Risk.

The incidents leading to the rise of the Bonnie Blue and the short lived West Florida Republic actually began in "The Seven Year War" better known today as the French and Indian War. This was a battle between France and Britain on our southern turf which ended in 1763. Prior to 1763 the area belonged partly to Spain and included a Garrison at present day Pensacola FL and partly to France which had the outpost in Baton Rouge. The French lost the war and as part of the loss there was a surrendering of the rights by France to Spain of the land west of the Mississippi. and included about one third of Mississippi and Alabama and also what is referred to as "the toe" of Louisiana. Present day history refers to this area as part of The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 but that is not how it went.