Lincoln County War Memorial, Lincolnton
Wiley Brothers Marble and Granite Works, Asheboro, NC, Builder
This memorial consists of three granite steles and a granite bench, all of which are on a granite base. The memorial honors those from Lincoln County who died for their country in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Grenada, and Lebanon. The two smaller steles sit at 45 degree angles to the center stele. The center stele stands at six feet tall. An eagle is depicted near the top of the center stele. The memorial contains the names of 13 servicemen from World War I, 94 from World War II, 11 from the Korean War, 16 from the Vietnam War, and one each from Grenada and Lebanon. Those who lost their lives in Grenada and Lebanon were added after the initial unveiling.
Center Stele:
LINCOLN COUNTY WAR MEMORIAL / [ENGRAVING OF AN EAGLE]
WORLD WAR I
JOHN CORNWELL / GEORGE DAVIS / THOMAS GARLAND / ISAAC HENKLE / FREEMAN HINKLE / JOHN HOLMSLEY / HORACE HUFFMAN / ALBERT LINEBERGER / BIDWELL LOFTIN / FURMAN MARTIN / WILLIAM SHUFORD / DAVID WRIGHT / JESS WINGATE
WORLD WAR II
THOMAS ABERNATHY / ERNEST ANTHONY / CLAUDE BALLARD / FRANCIS BAXTER / THOMAS BAXTER / YATES BAXTER / RUFUS BEAVER / JAY BLAKCWELL / CHARLES BRADSHAW / MARSHALL BYERS / DANIEL CAMPBELL / EUGENE CARPENTER / GORDON CARPENTER / JAMES CHRISTOPHER / ELLIS CLARKE / DAVID CLINE / JEWEL COLVARD / EARL COOK / GEORGE DANIELS / JAMES DAVIS / CLEABORN DELLINGER / DAVID DELLINGER / MELVIN DELLINGER / CLIFFORD DEVINE / VICTOR FAIR / PAUL FOWLER / CHARLES FOXX / JOHN GATES / CLAYTON GOODSON / ELLIS GREEN, JR. / EYATES GRIGG / LEONARD GUEST / RUBIN HARKEY / HENRY HASTINGS / RAYMOND HAWKINS / JACK HEAVNER / CHARLES HOUSER / FRITZHUGH HOYLE / DUDLEY HUDSON / HUGH HUDSPETH / FRANK HULL, JR. / WARREN HUSS / JACOB INGLE / PERCELL JEWELL / CLYDE JOHNSON / GEORGE JONES / WILLIAM KEENER / A.C. LEATHERMAN JR. / JAMES LEONARD, JR. / DWIGHT LOCKMAN / WILFRED LONG / WILLIAM LONG / CLYDE LOWE / CARL LYBRAND / BOYD LYNCH / GETTYS MARTIN / CLARENCE MAUNEY / CLYDE MAUNEY / JOHN MAUNEY / JONNIE MAYO / HORIS MCDOWELL / BROADUS MCGINNIS / CHARLIE MURPHY / BURLIE NEAL / WARREN NEAL / CLARENCE NIXON / LEON NIXON / WILLIAM NORMAN / WILLIAM PROPST / LUTHER REEP / GEORGE REINHARDT / BLAIR REYNOLDS / COLON REYNOLDS / JOHN REYNOLDS / FRED ROBINSON / EARL RUMFELT / WILLIAM SCHRONCE / LOUIS SCHRONCE / RALPH SCHRONCE / FREDDIE SEAGLE / HENRY SELF / FRED SETZER / CHARLES SHERILL / CECIL SIGMON / CHARLES SMITH / CLAUD SMITH / HARRIS SMITH / WADE TURBYFILL / JAMES VAN STORY / THOMAS VARNER / CLYDE WARLICK / WILLIAM WILLIAMSON / HOLDEN YORK
Right Stele:
VIETNAM WAR
RICHARD ARMSTRONG / FRANK CAUTHEN / THORN M. CLARK, III / DENNIS DAVES / MARION GRIFFIN / CHARLES HOUSER / PAUL LAWING, JR. / GARY MCCASLIN / CARL OWENS / LARRY SAIN / WILLIAM SIGMON, JR. / RALPH SMITH / BROADUS VERNON / ROBERT WEHUNT / HAROLD WILKINS / FRED LEWIS THRIFT
Left Stele:
KOREAN WAR
SUMMEY ALEXANDER / GUY BALLARD / BILLIE GANTT / ERNEST HARKEY / TATE HAVAVNER / ROBERT LUTZ / GEORGE POPE / RAY STROUP / BOBBY TAYLOR / GENE TAYLOR / EDGAR TURNER
GRENADA
JEB FRANLIN SEAGLE
LEBANON
MICHAEL D. MERCER
Bench:
TO HONOR THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR ALL / FOR THEIR GOD, THEIR COUNTRY, AND THEIR FELLOWMAN
The land the memorial stands on is owned by the Lincoln County Courthouse and the memorial is managed by the Lincoln County Veterans Council
July 2, 1983
35.471500 , -81.256800
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"Lincoln County War Memorial, (sculpture)," Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museum, SIRIS, sirismm.si.edu, #IAS NC000299, (accessed March 7, 2013) Link
North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Department of Cultural Resources. “Lincolnton Commercial Historic District,” North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, (accessed February 1, 2020) Link
Trevor, Greg. “Lincolnton Vets Honor Comrades with Taps, Tears,” The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, NC), May 30, 1989
Wilson, Chip. “Veterans Pay Tribute in Lincoln,” The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, NC), May 29, 1990, (accessed February 4, 2015)
“Crowd Gathers For Memorial Ceremony,” Lincoln Times- News (Lincolnton, NC), July 4, 1983
“Lincoln County War Memorial,” The Historical Marker Database, HMdb.com, (accessed January 20th, 2015) Link
“Memorial Photos,” County of Lincoln, NC, (accessed February 1, 2015) Link
“War Memorial/Vets Prepare Dedication,” Lincoln Times-News (Lincolnton, NC), June 27, 1983
Yes
Granite
$5,100
On the Saturday afternoon of July 2, 1983, around 300 people gathered outside the Lincoln County Courthouse to witness the dedication and unveiling of the Lincoln County War Memorial. Among the guests of the ceremony were the Lincoln County commissioners, the Lincolnton Mayor Carroll Heavner, as well as veterans and the relatives of the veterans being honored. There were several people who spoke at this dedication. The invocation to start off the dedication was given by chaplain Oscar Kistler of Chapter 52 of the Disabled American Veterans. Retired National Guard Brigadier General Charles R. Jonas and Major General Jerry Cochrane of the Air National Guard both spoke at the event. General Cochrane spoke on the sacrifices of the men being honored, saying “I am humbled by what these men had to face…they are those who gave their all…they are those who fought and died…here, etched in stone are the names of these brave men…” General Jonas quoted Patrick Henry in stating “I know not what course others may follow…give me liberty or give me death.” Each of the monuments of the Lincoln County War Memorial were unveiled by two Boy Scouts. During the unveiling, the names of the World War I, World War II, Korean, and Vietnam veterans were read by veterans of the corresponding wars. The playing of taps by master of ceremonies Ed House played a role in closing out the ceremony. The ceremony was concluded with a benediction by Veteran of Foreign Wars chaplain Reverend Hubert Michael. This ceremony was not heavily advertised in order to maintain that the event was to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country and to not draw large crowds.
The monument is located on the right side of the eastern entrance of the Lincoln County courthouse. The primary streets of Lincolnton (East and West Main, and North and South Aspen) radiate from the courthouse square; the monument sits across from the beginning of East Main St.
The surrounding courthouse square is dotted with historic monuments, including the Confederate Monument and
Lincoln County Veterans Memorial both located at the western entrance of the courthouse building. A rock with embedded plaque memorializing the 1780 Battle of Ramsour’s Mill is on the North side of the courthouse. The monument to Admiral Rufus Z. Johnston, Medal of Honor, is located to the right of the western entrance of the Lincoln County courthouse.
The memorial stands on the courthouse lawn.
Since the original dedication of the memorial, it has served as the location of Memorial Day ceremonies to honor Lincoln County veterans.
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