This Memorial Day, we remember those who sacrificed so we could live in freedom, those who gave their lives while serving. And we’re thinking of those who have lost someone they love. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for our freedom!

Charles George: The Korean War Hero from Cherokee, NC

A duplicate of this bronze statue of Charles George in the Cherokee Veterans Memorial Park in Cherokee is located outside the Charles George Dept. of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville, NC.

Pfc. George’s indomitable courage, consummate devotion to duty, and willing self-sacrifice reflect the highest credit upon himself and uphold the finest traditions of the military service.

USAF veterans (from left) Art Cole, Ed Cottrell, Jim Schenfield

Since World War II up to the present, this is the number who didn’t come home. We don’t know what happened to them. We should be grateful for their sacrifice and thinking of their families. It’s tempting to just look at our next-door neighbors and thank them for their service if they are veterans, but on Memorial Day, let’s think of those we can’t talk to.

(] reported in May 2020 that of the 81,900 Americans still considered MIA: 72,598 were from World War II, 7,580 from the Korean War, 1,587 from Vietnam, 126 from the Cold War, and six from conflicts since 1991.)

Schenfield said, “All year long, it’s a good thing when people do recognize or thank our living veterans, but there’s a more meaningful way to do it than just a quick “Thank you for your service” in passing. Perhaps take a moment, ask the veteran his or her name. Ask which branch and when he or she served. Learn a little about the person. No need to ask, ‘What did you do?’ because all jobs are important. ‘Thank you for your service,’ unfortunately, has become sort of a cliché. We can honor veterans more sincerely by learning a minute’s worth of information about them as individuals.”

WWII P-47 pilot Col. Ed Cottrell, USAF (Ret.) said, “I lost one of my roommates during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944, 2nd Lt. Art Sommers. He got shot down. I didn’t see him go down, but he didn’t come back from the mission. We found out later that they found his plane and he had been killed.” Cottrell was able to visit Sommers’ burial place in an American Cemetery in the Netherlands in 2022, 77 years after his friend died. At age 100, Cottrell kneeled at Sommers’ grave, the first time he had known for sure where his friend died and was buried.

Col. Arthur Cole, USAF (Ret.) said, “It’s also about the hundreds of men and women I flew with over the course of my 25 years. Their ups and downs. Their trip-ups and their successes. Their dreams. I got to be a small part of it all. And I’ll never forget the one thing they had in common—a brotherhood of the air. And all had pride in themselves, their units, and the greatness of America. Over the course of every war our men and women are sent by those who never served. But they stay the course, trust in each other, and do what they were sent to do.”

Though each American finds his or her own way to honor our fallen, we can learn from those who served beside them like these three men.

We honor those who defended and defend our freedom every day of the year at the ����Live. Please visit the museum to learn their stories.

To honor your family member who served or is serving, the museum offers permanent Honor Wall Plaques. For information please drop by, call 828-884-2141.

Top Photo: WSPA-TV honors veterans for Memorial Day. L-R, Art Cole, Ed Cottrell, JIm Schenfield, introduced by museum volunteer Mike McCarthy

Join Transylvania County Citizens to Honor Our Fallen on Memorial Day: Parade and Ceremony 

Monday, May 30 2022

Parade at 9:00 AM

Ceremony at 10:00 AM

The American Legion is sponsoring a parade to honor our fallen heroes and Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 30.

To read more about the ceremony and event click the button below

Join Transylvania County Citizens to Honor Our Fallen on Memorial Day: Parade and Ceremony

Monday, May 30
Parade at 9:00 AM
Ceremony at 10:00 AM

The American Legion is sponsoring a parade to honor our fallen heroes and Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 30.

Hosted by Mayor Maureen Copelof (Captain, U.S. Navy, Ret.) the parade will begin at the corner of Main Street and Broad Street, downtown Brevard, at 9:00 AM, followed by a ceremony at the courthouse at 10:00 AM.

Grand Marshals of the parade are brothers and Brevard natives George Poor and L.C. Poor. George Poor served in the U.S. Army in the Korean War and is founder of the Transylvania County Honor Guard. L.C. Poor served in the U.S. Marine Corps in WWII, serving in the Pacific as aircraft technician on F4U Corsairs.

At 10:00 AM in front of the courthouse, join us for the ceremony that includes the laying of the wreaths, the Transylvania County Honor Guard, and a keynote speech.

Brevard native Joe Cooper

Captain Roger Herbert, US Navy (Retired), Ph.D.

Dr. Herbert 

Dr. Herbert’s thoughts about Memorial Day: “It’s about coming together as a people to remember those who gave their lives while serving in the US Armed Forces. I observe Memorial Day by taking time to remember friends and colleagues who lost their lives in the line of duty. There have been far too many. I think about the extraordinary physical and moral courage of a chief I served with during my first combat deployment, Operation Just Cause in Panama.

“I also think about the two Army helo pilots who were killed by enemy fire while protecting me and my troops during one of our first missions in Panama. I hold in my thoughts the memory of SEALs like Medal of Honor recipients Mike Murphy and Mike Monsoor who died way too young. I look forward to sharing at least a few of these during the ceremony on the 30th.”