Documenting the American South

Monument Name

Cherokee County Veterans Memorial, Murphy

Type

War Memorial

Subjects

World War I

World War II

Iraq War, 2003-2011

Vietnam War, 1960-1975

Korean War, 1950-1953

City

Murphy

County

Cherokee

Description

The memorial consists of three gray granite panels on a single granite base centered on a concrete pad and walkway. The center panel is several feet taller than those on its flanks with the total height estimated at six-feet. At the top of the center panel is an incised American eagle above two furled flags and a shield with 13 stars and 13 bars. Sets of three stars are above and to either side of the eagle. Between the dedication inscription at the top and the sponsor inscription at the bottom are incised coats of arms for the Marine Corps, Army, Air Force and Navy. The left panel holds the names of 11 World War One dead and 47 from World War Two. The right panel has additional 31 names from World War Two, 13 names from Korean War, 13 names from Vietnam and 1 from the Iraq War. Square granite planters with incised American flags rest on the memorial base to either side.

A small black granite marker with a gable top is nearby. It is dedicated to 60 Sons of North Carolina who never returned from Vietnam.

Inscription

DEDICATED TO VETERANS / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES / FOR OUR COUNTRY / THEIR MEMORIES / WILL NEVER DIE

THIS MEMORIAL ERECTED / BY CONTRIBUTIONS COLLECTED BY / CHEROKEE COUNTY VETERANS / AMERICAN LEGION POSTS 96 & 97 / V.F.W. POSTS NO. 10222 & 7620 / D.A.V. CHAPTER NO. 73 / DEDICATED NOV. 11, 1986

Left panel: WORLD WAR I
Bryson, Lon / Conley, Roy / Dockery, Andrew / Elkins, Joe Miller / Ferguson, Wilbur P / Hall, Charlie / McDougal, James E. / Morgan, Loran / Piercy, Robert / Spivey, Fred / Stilman, Leslie / Wyke, Charles
WORLD WAR II
Abernathy, Jacob L. / Adams, Lionel P. / Anderson, Willard C. / Boughman, L.S. Jr. / Brown, Clyde / Bryson, Boone / Bruce, Reid H. / Burgess, Duel / Coleman, Luther J. / Cooper, Harmon / Collins, James R. / Craig, Elisha / Crain, Horace C. / Crain, Loman B. / Crisp, James David / Davenport, James U. / Davis, Don H. / Davis, Joseph W. / Dockery, Donald H. / Dockery, James E. / Dockery, Marshall R. / Ellis, Don / Garrett, James / Garrett, Ross / Gladson, Clyde W. / Hamby, Hobert / Hardin, Edward / Hedrick, Mayford / Henry, William C. / Hogsed, William R. / Holland, Doyle A. / Holland, John E. / Johnson, Hoyt H. / Kimbrough, Lawrence / King, Marvin W. / Ledford, Cremial M. / Ledford, Troy L. / Lovingood, Willard J. / McLean, Edward / McMillan, Russell K. / Millsaps, Horace S. / Morgan, James E. / Morgan, Willard B. / Morris, Samuel R. / Newman, Hansel L. / Nicols, Burton K. / Nix, Francis

Right panel: WORLD WAR II
Ogle, Lee Roy / Palmer, Garland H. / Pinkerton, John H. / Postell, Clarence V. / Queen, Vinson / Radford, Charlie R. / Rattler, Mark J. / Roberson, A.J. / Robinson, James R. / Russell, Burt / Sparks, Clyde / Shields, Harold E. / Spivey, Charles P. / Stiles, Hoyt / Stiles, William / Taylor, Jack D. / Taylor, James R. / Taylor, Lewis H. / Totherow, Garland / Verner, Warren / Walker, Howard / Walls, Bill F. / Weaver, Maxwell F. / West, Quentin / Witt, John E. Wilcox, Audie J. / Wilhide, Robert M. / Wilhide, Wilfred W. / Wilson, George J. / Wilson, Vincent / Woods, Clyde
KOREA
Allen, Robert, Jr. / Amos, Charles G. / Carroll, Billy R. / Gaddis, Andrew J. / Gibby, Marvin / Goss, Linsey A. / Johnson, Russell S. / Maxey, Walter E. / Phillips, James K. / Sims, Claude T. / Stiles, Ray H. / Walker, Don / Denton, Max B.
VIETNAM
Brown, Thomas E. / Bryant, James C. / Garland, Michael L. / Graves, Wm. R. (Bill) Jr. / Hembree, Ronald G. / Jones, Loren C. / McClure, Billy J. / Mashburn, Raymond T. / Morrow, William D. / Nelson, Miles / Smith, Jimmy U. / Trantham, Raymond F. / Wilson, Richard
IRAQ
Parker, Saburant (SABE)

Smaller black granite marker: DEDICATED TO 60 SONS / OF NORTH CAROLINA / WHO NEVER RETURNED / FROM VIETNAM. VETS M/B / AMERICAN WARRIORS M/B

Dedication Date

November 11, 1986

Decade

1980s

Geographic Coordinates

35.087860 , -84.034250 View in Geobrowse

Supporting Sources

“Cherokee County Veterans Memorial," The Historical Marker Database, HMdb.org, (accessed December 12, 2021) Link

“Veterans Memorial -- Murphy, NC,” Waymarking.com (accessed December 12, 2021) Link

Public Site

Yes

Materials & Techniques

Granite

Sponsors

Cherokee County Veterans, American Legion Posts 96 & 97, V.F.W. Posts No 10222 & 7620, D.A.V. Chapter No. 73

Location

The memorial is located at the intersection of Unicoi Turnpike and Valley River Avenue in Murphy, NC. The memorial sits at an angle facing the street corner.

Landscape

The memorial stands on a small lawn with several trees and commercial buildings to either side.