Tag: Richmond

The New Richmond Settlers

When the history is written of the Afghan diaspora at the end of America’s longest war, the Richmond region will have its own story to tell.

The first group of 221 Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders (SIVs) and their families arrived on July 30, 2021 at Dulles International Airport after a daylong flight from Kabul, Afghanistan. From there, they were bused to Fort Gregg-Adams (formerly known as Fort Lee) south of Richmond to complete their processing for entry into the country before being resettled. Thousands of other SIVs arrived in subsequent weeks under a program the Biden administration has called Operation Allies Refuge.

These Afghan citizens (SIVs) worked to support the U.S. armed forces as interpreters, drivers and in other capacities during America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan. When the U.S. withdrew troops, SIVs and their families were among the first to be evacuated, as they faced deadly reprisals from the Taliban for cooperating with Americans.

Richmond, Virginia has welcomed over 3,500 refugees from Afghanistan in the last five years.Virginia has the second largest Afghan community in the United States, with over 23,000 Afghans living in the state. Stands to reason because three of the eight military bases used by Dept of Defense to initially house SIV applicants and other vulnerable Afghans are in Virginia- Marine Corps Base Quantico, Fort Pickett and Fort Gregg-Adams. After they finished processing at the port of entry, U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and SIV holders departed the airport, while SIV applicants and other vulnerable Afghan allies who were granted humanitarian parole were provided transportation to U.S. military facilities where they received a full medical screening and a variety of services before moving onto their next destination.

On August 29, 2021, President Biden directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to lead and coordinate ongoing efforts across the federal government to support vulnerable Afghans, including those who worked alongside us in Afghanistan for the past two decades, as they safely resettle in the United States.  Tens of thousands of recently arrived refugees are now losing support for basic necessities like food and rent after a Trump administration order suspended federal funding for resettlement agencies.s.

There is widespread confusion as agency leaders seek greater clarity from the government. The most pressing question is how they will continue supporting refugees already under their care in the United States.

The suspension of federal funding “paralyzes the program,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge, the national Lutheran refugee resettlement agency. At least 26,494 refugees and recipients of Special Immigrant Visas are affected, and almost certainly more, according to an analysis of government statistics.

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The Lost Cause

On Wednesday we visited the Virginia Museum of History and Culture (VMHC) in Richmond. I I had very mixed feelings when I saw the VMHC had a Lost Cause room. However, I do think it is important not to forget history lest we repeat it. I believe it was truthfully done, the murals, statue and other artifacts on display with plaques telling the truth and dispelling myths.

I learned that in 2020, the Virginia General Assembly voted to remove Robert E. Lee from the U.S. Capitol and replace him with a state of Civil Rights Activist Barbara Johns (later Powell). At age 16, this Virginian led a student protest of inferior conditions in her Black high school that ultimately culminated in Brown v. Board of Education (1954).the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision declaring segregation unconstitutional.

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Stonewall Jackson’s Lost Arm

We saw this sign along I95 on the way to Richmond, VA., “Stonewall Jackson Death Site”. Seems like peculiar wording and got us wondering how Stonewall Jackson did die. Did he die in battle during the Civil War? Apparently, he was accidentally fired upon by his own troops, the 18th North Carolina Infantry Regiment, while reconnoitering with members of his staff. He lost his left arm to amputation. Weakened by his wounds, he died of pneumonia eight days later. Jackson’s death proved a severe setback for the Confederacy

Another interesting story (I can’t attest to the truth of it) is that Union Troops dug up his arm during the Battle of the Wilderness in 1864.  Another story suggests that U.S. Marines visiting the area in 1921 also dug up and reburied the arm. While these stories are difficult to substantiate, they confirm that Jackson’s arm has become a point of curiosity over time. In 1998, archaeologists working for the National Park Service investigated the area but did not find a specific burial site. 

Not sure why there is such interest in Stonewall Jackson’s arm. Maybe we will have to visit this national park site to find out more.

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