The SAR MAGAZINE is the official quarterly publication of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution published quarterly.
Issue link: http://sar.epubxp.com/i/311328
were so outraged by this practice that in 1774 they ordered the Dutch West Indies Trading Company to cease the transportation of munitions through Statia and on to America. This order was ignored, however, and the trade secretly continued. The local wealth, resulting from the lucrative trade in slaves and war supplies with the American Colonies, turned Statia into the "Golden Rock of the Caribbean." The island was so well- regarded by Americans that Benjamin Franklin had his mail routed through Statia to ensure its safe arrival. This good relationship between St. Eustatius and the U.S. resulted in the now-famous "first salute." The Andrew Doria, named for 16th-century Admiral Andrea Doria, was one of four ships authorized by the Continental Congress on October 13, 1775, to form the first Navy of the United States. On Nov. 16, 1776, under command of Capt. Isaiah Robinson, the brig arrived in St. Eustatius to obtain munitions and military supplies for the Colonies. Immediately noticed by the commander of Fort Oranje, the Andrew Doria was flying a new flag—the Grand Union Flag—representing the newly independent colonies. As it entered port at Oranje Bay, the ship fired its cannons 13 times as a salute. Gov. de Graaff authorized return of the salute fire by approving the firing of the cannons of Fort Oranje 11 times. The governor of nearby St. Kitts immediately dispatched a ship to England to tell Parliament and the king that the Netherlands had become the first foreign power to recognize the U.S. The British were outraged and protested against the continuous trade between the U.S. and St. Eustatius. In 1778, Lord Stormont claimed in Parliament that "if Sint Eustatius had sunk into the sea three years before, the United Kingdom would already have dealt with George Washington." The British added this event to a list of grievances against Holland that later would force them to declare war in 1781. Admiral Sir George Rodney forced the surrender of the island on Feb. 3, 1781, and the fleet proceeded to loot the island and treat its inhabitants severely, in part in retaliation for the first salute and the material support provided to the U.S. This, too, supported the American cause, however unintentionally. According to Professor Andrew Jackson O'Shaughnessy's 2013 book, The Men Who Lost America, Rodney spent so much time looting St. Eustatius that he was late in supporting Lord Cornwallis' southern campaign. Eventually, he accompanied a convoy home to Britain to defend his actions on St. Eustatius and sent Sir Samuel Hood to Virginia, where he lost to the French at the Battle of the Virginia Capes (Sept. 5-9, 1781). After the war, Gens. Clinton and Cornwallis and Admiral Hood all agreed that had Rodney gone to Virginia with Hood, he could have won that battle and relieved Lord Cornwallis—and the Battle of Yorktown would not have occurred. Today, Statia is easily reached by way of many daily flights from neighboring St. Maarten. It features historic sites, world-class diving and sailing activities, excellent food and comfortable island accommodations. The citizens of Statia are most gracious, and crime is virtually nonexistent. The governor and tourism development director extend their invitation to SAR members to come to Statia to enjoy the hospitality of the island that first recognized our independence. President General Joseph W. Dooley, left, presents His Excellency Rudolf Bekink, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United States, center, with the SAR International Medal. Government Relations Committee Vice Chairman Michael J. Elston, right, arranged the meeting and assisted the President General with the presentation. SPRING 2014 19 T he SAR Reciprocal Youth Exchange Program between the United States and France was launched in 2009. During the summer of 2010, six youths participated in this program. The United States participants were from Santa Ana, Calif., Jacksonville, Fla., and Concord, N.C. The three youths from France were all from Paris. During the summer program, children or grandchildren (ages 12-20) of SAR members in the U.S. spend two to three weeks with families of children or grandchildren of SAR members in France, and those children or grandchildren of French SAR members travel from France to spend a similar amount of time with families here in the U.S. During the Spring Leadership Meeting held Feb. 28-March 2 in Louisville, Ky., Martin Boyer, president of the Society in France of the Sons of the American Revolution, announced a new initiative to facilitate and encourage exchange of children and grandchildren of the SAR societies in the U.S. and France. The young Americans have found many benefits participating in the exchanges: discovering France; sharing everyday life, holidays, education system and more with French families who have strong ties to the U.S. and a good knowledge of English; and for those who wish it, discovering and learning a new language. The French SAR coordinators already have identified French candidates and SAR families in France that could host a child or a grandchild of a U.S. SAR member. American candidates to be paired and connected with a French candidate or U.S. families who could host a child or a grandchild of a member of the France Society can contact the SAR coordinators for any comments or questions on the SAR Reciprocal Youth Exchange Program. The U.S. SAR coordinator is John L. Dodd (johnldodd@ earthlink.net). The French SAR coordinators are Jean-Michel Saint Girons (jmsaintgirons@free.fr) in Paris, and Josselin J. Lucas (Josselin.lucas@gmail.com) in Washington, D.C. The general terms and conditions of this program can be found on the NSSAR website. The SAR Reciprocal Youth Exchange Program: What's Up? E.B. Coggins Jr. photo SPRING_14_sar5-21.indd 19 5/7/14 4:14 PM