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Republic of Florida Militia (U.S.)

Florida

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 27 November 2015

Background
Other flags used
Jereb Family Flag
Position flags
Hydra flag
Blood and Soil flag

See also:

Background

The Republic of Florida Militia (ROF) appears to be a small neo-Confederate and anti-gun control militia group, located in the Tallahassee area of Florida. The ROF militia claims to be "the armed forces of the provisional government of the Republic of Florida" and the "prime force at arms to protect the republic." Their self-proclaimed mission is to "fight and die for the white star flag."

In April of 2015, they joined with the anti-Semitic League of the South (LOS) to demonstrate against a Florida State student group, the Students for Democratic Society (SDS), who had burned a Confederate flag in protest of increased KKK recruiting in the Tallahassee area. The ROF counter-protest culminated with the burning a Soviet flag in response to the Confederate flag burning.

The current ROF leader seems to be Jordan Jereb, who barely a month after being released from jail on burglary charges, professed his love for Molotov cocktails and recommended a video giving instruction on when it's okay to shoot a police officer.

Pete Loeser, 26 November 2015

The ROF White Star Flag is white, charged with a blue fimbriated white star over a blue saltire, from which it is separated with another white fimbriation which merges into the field. Above the star, there is inscription "Republic of Florida" in blue on a white ribbon outlined also blue. On white field beneath the star, there is blue inscription "For liberty we will fight."
Tomislav Todorovic, 27 November 2015

The information about the ROF flags is from a brief series of courteous electronic contacts with ROF leader Jordan Jereb and myself. There are more images and text from those contacts at: www.loeser.us/flags/hate3.html#rof
Pete Loeser, 30 March 2016

Other flags used

image by Pete Loeser, 26 November 2015

The ROF [also] uses a "White Star" flag on its rather minimal Facebook page, but at the Tallahassee demonstration they also used the traditional Bonnie Blue flag of the West Florida Republic. The ROF White Star flag seems to center a blue Burgundy Cross, superimposed with a blue fimbriated white star, on a plain white field.
Pete Loeser, 26 November 2015

The image sent by Pete does look attractive, but seems to be just one of several flagoids the ROF uses. Most of these display a simple saltire, like the one on the current state flag, and usually combine the star and saltire with various inscriptions.

Along with the White Star Flag and the Bonnie Blue Flag, the ROF also makes use of the first official state flag, a modified Chase Flag (with more oblong canton than the original), the current state flag, the Army of Northern Virginia battle flag, and the Gadsden flag. The flags photos also reveal that the White Star Flag is not entirely symmetrical - note the position of saltire endings in the corners.

Source: Republic of Florida Militia photo gallery at Facebook: www.facebook.com/ROFMILITIA/photos_stream?ref=page_internal.

Tomislav Todorovic, 27 November 2015

Jereb Family flag

image by Pete Loeser, 2 February 2016

The family flag of ROF militia leader Jordan Jereb is a variant of the Republic of Florida Militia flag which features the St. Andrews Cross and white fimbriated star utilizing the colors black and white. Above the cross and star appear the words "Republic of Florida" and "Jereb Family" in block lettering and a justice scale. Beneath the cross and star it contains the Latin text "virtute et armis" (power and weapons). An Irish or Celtic Trinity Knot (Triquetra) Symbol appears to the right, or fly side, of the cross. The symbolic meaning of the Trinity Knot depends on who you ask, because it holds meaning to both Christians and non-Christians, but their definitions differ based on personal belief. It can be "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit", or "Earth, Air, and Water", or "Life, Death, and Rebirth", etc. The St. Andrews Cross is further defaced with the symbols of a bull on the upper left and scorpion on the upper right arms of the cross.

It should be added that the three symbols on the Jereb Family Flag (from left to right) of bull, justice scales, and scorpion are the Zodiac signs for Taurus, Libra, Scorpio, those belonging to Jereb, his daughter and wife.
Pete Loeser, 2 February 2016

I contacted the Republic of Florida Militia leader and he claims all the flags shown above are used, but so-far has only provided photos of the main flag shown at the top of the page and the Jereb Family Flag I've seen photos of these and so can definitely say they exist in cloth (attached FYI).
Pete Loeser, 30 March 2016

Position flags

According to the Republic of Florida Militia leader there is also a ROFM Naval Operator's Flags, a ROFM Crusader Flag, and different ROFM Company flags. I attach examples of these designs. I have not seen them in any other form except as vex-vapor on ROFM websites, and would need to see them in a photograph as final proof of existence.
Pete Loeser, 30 March 2016

ROFM Naval Operator's Flag

image by Pete Loeser, 30 March 2016

The 1810 date appearing on one of the variants of their flag traces back to the short-lived Free and Independent Republic of West Florida (September 23 to December 6, 1810). This was actually the first appearance and use of the use of the Bonnie Blue flag. Called "West Floriday" in a marching song, it was a brief rebellion against Spanish rule in the southern part of the future United States (extending from Florida to as far west as Louisiana). The song lyrics went: "West Floriday, that lovely nation, Free from king and tyranny, Thru' the world shall be respected, For her true love of Liberty!" A nice summery of this story can be found at: bigthink.com, written by Frank Jacobs.
The modern Republic of Florida Militia is located in the Tallahassee area of Florida and is under the local leadership of Jordan Jereb. Their flags all feature the St. Andrews cross and white star (as a variation of the Bonnie Blue flag) and utilize the colors black, blue and white. They have produced several easily found youTube videos and maintain some Facebook pages (example: www.facebook.com). Their leader was rather disrespectfully and flippantly mentioned in an article by the Southern Poverty Law Center after Jereb failed to show up for an interview at www.splcenter.org. Apparently he and a lieutenant had been arrested by local authorities the night before, and the reporter was insulted when they failed to show up. The militia group itself seems to consist mainly of several different individuals, family groups, siblings, and their children. Unfortunately they are well-armed and that makes them a concern in today's political and social climate.
Pete Loeser, 30 March 2016

ROFM Crusader Flag

image by Pete Loeser, 30 March 2016

ROFM Company flag

image by Pete Loeser, 30 March 2016

Hydra flag

image by Pete Loeser, 9 May 2017

The newest documented flag of the Republic of Florida Militia to make an appearance is called the Hydra flag. Its design follows that of previous ROF flags with these differences: On the white field beneath the Star is the Latin Nos sumus in posterum (We are the future).

On the hoist side of the blue Cross of Saint Andrew is a circle of four symbols of the Trinity, each framed in a shield. The Trinity Symbol, in addition to its obvious Christian context, has also been found on rune stones in Scandinavia, in ancient goddess-oriented pagan groups, in Celtic manuscripts, and on early Germanic coins. It is also associated with numerous mythical gods and goddesses and has been used as a protective charm by Wiccans. According to the groups leader, Jordan Jereb, while the "center dot is simply a design element, it can symbolize unity (all the arms meeting at one point) it really just artistically balances out the design. We have Odinist members and Christian members, so it means different things to different people. The main idea is we are for our people and we place our people at the center of our value system."

On the right or fly side of the cross is the Hydra, a symbol meaning the conquest of a very powerful enemy. The Hydra of myth is a nine-headed water serpent with the ability to regrow a head (or two) if it is severed.

Sources: Historical Flags of Our Ancestors and e-mail contact with Jordan Jereb.
Pete Loeser, 9 May 2017

Blood and Soil flag

image by Pete Loeser, 9 May 2017

The newest extremist flag of the Republic of Florida Militia is called the "Blood and Soil" Flag. It shows a drawing of a couple of Palm tree growing on a Florida beach on the left side of the blue saltire and the triskele symbol on the right. Above the saltire are the words "Republic of Florida" and beneath is the Latin Unus Locus Unus Populus (One Location One People).
Source: Historical Flags of Our Ancestors: http://www.loeser.us/flags/hate3html#rofm
Pete Loeser, 21 February 2018