Board delays decision on Confederate flag at Veterans Memorial Park

The Wichita Board of Park Commissioners voted Monday to delay taking any action for at least another 60 days on a Confederate flag that was removed this summer from Veterans Memorial Park.

A Confederate flag had been displayed at the John S. Stevens Pavilion at Veterans Memorial Plaza near downtown since 1976, when it was placed there in a historical flag display as part of the nation’s bicentennial. It was removed July 2 by order of Mayor Jeff Longwell who acknowledged then that he and City Council members received countless e-mails and phone calls following deadly shootings at a black church in South Carolina.

The suspect in the shootings, Dylann Roof, posed with the Confederate flag on social media before the shootings. Authorities have called the shootings a hate crime.

On Monday, the park commission heard from John Stevens, whose father’s name is on the pavilion, and who proposed the city replace the Confederate flag with the Kansas flag.

“What we are looking at today is a flag replacement for a controversial flag that has caused a lot of negative publicity,” Stevens said.

Eric Cale, director of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, also advocated for the Kansas flag.

“I think it is an excellent choice, not only because it is locally relevant but it is historically relevant in terms of Kansas’ role in joining the Union in 1861 as the 34th state; but particularly as many states from the South were seceding and Civil War was breaking out,” Cale said.

During the meeting, Herb Duncan, a retired Vietnam War Navy veteran, stood in opposition to Cale and Stevens.

“The park is to represent those who have fought and died for our country,” Duncan said. “By taking that battle flag down you will be doing a disservice to all – especially the next generation and the generations to come.

“The battle flag represents veterans who lost their lives in combat – black and white.”

Troy Hendricks, Wichita Park and Recreation golf course manager, told the board that the park department has plans to create a Reconciliation Memorial at Veterans Memorial Park pertaining to the Civil War conflict.

The park commission unanimously voted to postpone a decision on the flag until there is a design for the new memorial.

For now, the Confederate flag that flew over the park remains with the park department.

This story was originally published September 14, 2015 at 6:56 PM with the headline "Board delays decision on Confederate flag at Veterans Memorial Park."