Yancey County Veterans Memorial, Burnsville
The memorial is an obelisk located in front of the courthouse. It is dedicated to Yancey County residents who died in 20th century wars, WW I, WW II, Korea and Vietnam. The names of heroes who gave their lives are carved into the four sides of the memorial (five names in WW I, 30 in WW II, 6 in Korea and 7 in Viet Nam. The obelisk is approximately 12 feet tall and weighs approximately 8,000 pounds.
Images:
Yancey County Confederate Soldiers and Veterans Memorials |
North face |
East face |
South face
Front: World War I / [five names] /
THIS MEMORIAL DEDICATED / IN HONOR TO ALL WHO SERVED / IN DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY
ERECTED NOV 11 1986 BY THE AMERICAN LEGION EARL HORTON POST NO 122, LADIES AUXILLARY, AND CITIZENS OF YANCEY COUNTY
North face:
KOREA /
PFC BOB D AUTERY / 20 SEP 1929 11 NOV 1951 /
PFC JOHN HILEMON /
1929 4 SEP 1950 /
MSGT JACK RENFRO JR /
21 SEP 1919 10 SEP 1950 /
PVT JS SILVERS / 17 JUL 1931 6 JUL 1953 /
CPL HURLEY WILSON / 1927 31 MAR 1951
VIETNAM /
SP4 HOWARD BLEVINS / 15 OCT 1945 11 APR 1966 /
SP4 HOWARD CALVIN / 15 OCT 1944 11 APR 1966 /
CPL GARY DEAN McCRAY / 6 SEP 1948 18 MAY 1969 /
SGT JOHNNY WAYNE OGLE / A8 MAY 1949 9 JUL 1970 /
CPL JAMES LEONARD WAY / 6 SEP 1941 16 MAY 1967 /
PFC JERRY A ROBINSON /
23 NOV 1942 16 FEB 1967 /
SGT SAMUEL T CARROLL JR /
16 JUL 1949 20 JUL 1970
East face:
WORLD WAR II /
CPL JOSEPH CECIL BEAVER / 31 JUL 1920 31 DEC 1943 /
JOHN BLANKENSHIP 22 APR 1918 /
SGT EDISON BUCHANAN /
WELDON BURLESON 7 DEC 1941 /
PVT ARNOLD A EFFLER 26 MAR 1925 14 JUN 1944 /
WALTER GIBBS /
CPL J LAWRENCE GOUGE / 19 MAY 1918 11 FEB 1945 /
WARD F HILEMON / 26 JUL 1920 15 APR 1945 /
TSGT O LIN O’CHRISAWN / 15 APR 1924 28 APR 1944 /
PFC GUY ROBINSON / 7 APR 1925 16 APR 1945 /
SGT JACK W ROBINSON / 20 JUL 1921 15 JAN 1943 /
PFC J LOYD SHUFORD / 10 JAN 1924 20 OCT 1944 / ARTHUR TAYLOR /
PFC GUY THOMAS / 17 OCT 1911 9 MAR 1944
KOREA / PVT GENE ARNOLD LAWS / 8 MAY 1931 12 JUL 1953
South face:
WORL WAR II /
PVT W TALMAGE AUSTIN / 1 AUG 1923 12 JUL 1943 /
CPL LINZIE J BUCHANAN / 9 MAY 1922 4 APR 1945 /
PFC WARREN C FOX / 2 OCT 1919 24 NOV 1944 /
GEORGE W HALL / 27 DEC 1926 6 APR 1945 /
PVT WARREN J HENSLEY / 22 MAY 1920 2 DEC 1942 /
SSGT NED W HIGGINS / 3 MAR 1922 9 SEP 1944 /
PFC JOSEPH G HOLLOWAY / 16 MAY 1911 10 DEC 1944 /
PFC BILL MARSH / 26 APR 1920 23 FEB 1945 /
HOMER PETERSON / 16 MAR 1922 29 SEP 1944 /
ALVIN C RATHBONE / 26 APR 1923 1944
/ PVT FRED ROBINSON / 28 APR 1916 18 OCT 1944 /
PFC ISAAC W TIPTON / 28 MAY 1926 7 APR 1945 /
SGT RALPH WILSON / 12 APR 1917 28 AUG 1944 /
PFC ZACK WILSON / 29 SEP 1923 1 MAR 1945 /
SGT SMITH J YOUNG / 9 FEB 1917 10 OCT 1943 /
SGT EDWARD E BALLEW 13 APR 1921 11 OCT 1944
Yancey County
November 11, 1986
35.917220 , -82.299060
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"Yancey County War Memorial, Burnsville NC," Waymarking.com, (accessed November 17, 2014) Link
Burke, Tom. "Veterans Monument Dedicated," The Yancey Journal (Burnsville, NC), November 13, 1986
Burke, Tom. “Veterans Monument Near Completion on Courthouse Lawn,” The Yancey Journal (Burnsville, NC), October 23, 1986
Scruggs, Leonard M. "Burnsville and the American Iliad: Battle Flags and Monuments," The Tribune Papers.com", November 17, 2013, (accessed November 17, 2014) Link
“Thank You Yancey County. A List of Contributors,” The Yancey Journal (Burnsville, NC), October 23, 1986
“Veterans Monument to Be Dedicated,” The Yancey Journal (Burnsville, NC), November 6, 1986
“Veterans Monument,” The Yancey Journal (Burnsville, NC), October 30, 1986
Yes
Polished granite
American Legion and Ladies Auxiliary, Earl Horton Post 122 and the Citizens of Yancy County
$7,000
The dedication was scheduled for 2 p.m. on November 11 (Veterans Day), 1986. Due to heavy rain the program was conducted on the courthouse lawn and in the Yancy County courthouse. The program opened with a welcome by American Legion Post Commander Earl N. Tipton extending a welcome. This was followed by presentation of the colors by the Avery High School R.O.T.C with the national anthem performed by the Mountain Heritage High School Band. The dedication included comments by Mayor Mark Bennett, County Commissioner Chairman Charles Stiles, Commissioners Billy Anglin and John Renfro and County Manager Dean Chrisawn. The Mountain Heritage Band then performed a musical arrangement of patriotic songs. District and State American Legion and Ladies Auxiliary officials spoke followed by more music from the Mountain Heritage Band. The plaque on the monument was then unveiled. The ceremony ended with World War I veteran Grady Bailey recognizing the deceased veterans. Wreaths were placed, and then a moment of silence before taps was played. The service ended with a prayer of dedication.
The new courthouse was built in 1968. Earlier the County Courthouse was at the other end of the square. A statue of Otway Burns, for whom the town is named stands in the center of the town square.
The process of erecting the Veterans Monuments started on October 16, 1986.
The memorial stands in front of the Yancey County Courthouse, 110 Town Square, Burnsville, NC. The Yancey County Confederate Soldiers monument is on its left.
The monument sits on the Courthouse front lawn.
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