Conaway: Eight Tennessee volunteers could save us — but we only need four
Dan Conaway
Dan Conaway is a lifelong Memphian, fascinated and frustrated with his city, but still in love. A columnist since 2010, his distinguished advertising career has branded ribs in the Rendezvous and ducks in The Peabody, pandas in the zoo and Grizzlies in the NBA. Stories in Memphis tend to write themselves. He’s helped a few along. Two book collections of his columns have been published.
First, a little Tennessee history.
In the War of 1812, the fledgling country needed men to fight the British and called for volunteers. Tennessee sent 2,000, and earned the nickname The Volunteer State. As many as 1,500 Tennesseans joined fellow Tennessean General Andrew Jackson to defeat the British in the Battle of New Orleans.
That was reinforced when Davy Crockett resigned from the United State Congress and led a group of Tennessee volunteers to defend the Alamo against the Mexican army in 1836 during the Texas War of Independence.
And another Tennessean, President James K. Polk, writ Tennessee Volunteers large when he asked the state for 2,600 volunteers to serve in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848).
Now we need four. Just four.
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