A Yankee’s Perspective of the South

By Zachary Derrah

Students of history notice the massive changes that occur between two generations. Headline grabbing events shape the generation experiencing it, and future ones categorize it. The new generation assume that times have changed; therefore, the people and way of doing things must have too.

My father who was career military became stationed in the South in the mid-'60s and later in the mid-'70s. His experiences in the South were strikingly similar to mine when I was stationed in the South around 2007. His first experience was going to Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Georgia, in 1964. Being raised in Maine and keeping up with the news, he expected a racial power keg where military cohesion would be difficult to maintain. The opposite was true. Black and white soldiers worked together to accomplish tasks and even maintained friendships.

One point that my parents wanted to make was while they witnessed the “colored only” doors and bathrooms, most of the racism they experienced was from their own family. Even to the point that they were shunned because they supported integration. My dad said, “We weren’t blind to the problems in the country but we never saw them first hand, aside from the signs. The Army just didn’t have those issues in my experience.”

It has been said that there are no atheists in a foxhole. In my experience I would also add that there is no skin color on patrol. Differences did exist, not on racial lines but regional lines. Speaking with my dad, we both agreed that soldiers from the South tended to be friendlier, self-sufficient, and composed in their emotions. Northern soldiers were exclusive in their clicks, more reliant on others for tasks that were outside of their job description, and hotheaded.

Dad was more isolated due to work and, therefore, restricted to base. Mom had more experiences “outside of the fence” and was able to see Southern culture in less of a controlled environment. The first aspect that impressed her was the concept of the Southern gentleman. When I ask what stood out the most she stated, “I never heard a Southerner swear in front of me. This was refreshing from your father’s family where every other word was one.” My dad’s family was native to Maine, and years of the shipyard vernacular tended to cross over into family conversation.

My mom and dad tended to only have other soldiers or Army wives as friends and the military became a culture unto itself. Regardless they both appreciated the friendly attitude that strangers on the street would have towards them. Dad even commented, “Everyone was so much warmer. We’ve lived next door to the Gagnes [neighbors in Maine] for twenty years, and I’ve never been to their house! That is the main difference from down there.”

Nearing the end of my conversation my dad told me, “I’m glad you stayed down there. It’s a good place to raise your family. I could tell you about the food differences but what matters is that you have an actual community to raise your boys in. That is something that you and me never had.”  So forty-three years later I had my own experiences in the South. Despite the generational differences and the historic events that occurred between now and then, the experiences were similar. I too have witnessed the cultural differences. From the self-sufficient southerner, the friendly stranger, the tight community, the racism, and etiquette the South is a different world to a Yankee.

Works Cited

Derrah, Carolyn. Personal interview. 11 Sept. 2012.

Derrah, Donald. Personal interview. 11 Sept. 2012.


Note: Zach Derrah, who is from Sanford, NC, is pursuing as associate's in arts degree at Sandhills Community College