POW/MIA recognition day

  • Crowd pays respect at POW/MIA recognition as the Remembrance Flag was placed at its rightful position.
    Crowd pays respect at POW/MIA recognition as the Remembrance Flag was placed at its rightful position.
  • Deby Jo Ferguson •Clay County Progress Paying honor to Robert Carl Swanson, WWII, and his Gold Star family, from left, presenting is Veteran Phil Cantley and family members Larry Swanson, Ivane and Patricia Elliott, Paul Swanson and Phyllis Byers.
    Deby Jo Ferguson •Clay County Progress Paying honor to Robert Carl Swanson, WWII, and his Gold Star family, from left, presenting is Veteran Phil Cantley and family members Larry Swanson, Ivane and Patricia Elliott, Paul Swanson and Phyllis Byers.
  • Paying honor to Spl. Leon Reece Penland Jr. National Guard was Gold Star family, from left presenting is Phil Cantley and Irene and Leon Penland Sr.
    Paying honor to Spl. Leon Reece Penland Jr. National Guard was Gold Star family, from left presenting is Phil Cantley and Irene and Leon Penland Sr.
  • Honoring Sgt. Robert “Bob” N. Roach, WWI, was his Gold Star family, from left presenting Phil Cantley, Midge, Doris and Ed Roach.
    Honoring Sgt. Robert “Bob” N. Roach, WWI, was his Gold Star family, from left presenting Phil Cantley, Midge, Doris and Ed Roach.
  • Paying honor to Capt. Fredrick Samuel Rowe Jr., WWI, was Gold Star family, from left presenter Phil Cantley and Terry, Rob and Tom Peck.
    Paying honor to Capt. Fredrick Samuel Rowe Jr., WWI, was Gold Star family, from left presenter Phil Cantley and Terry, Rob and Tom Peck.
  • Paying honor to Pvt. Columbus Myers WWI was his Gold Star family, from left presenting Phil Cantley, Becky Brown and Ralph Myers.
    Paying honor to Pvt. Columbus Myers WWI was his Gold Star family, from left presenting Phil Cantley, Becky Brown and Ralph Myers.

    Deby Jo Ferguson

    Staff Writer

     

    Commander Robert Seibert with the American Legion opened up the POW/MIA recognition day ceremony held on the square on Sept. 20. A large crowd was in attendance with Keith Bragg sharing his patriotic songs at the event. Retired Col. Steve Pullen was guest speaker and shared a few of his memories while serving, and the ongoing attempt to bring home soldiers who are still missing. 

    As part of the ceremony local Gold Star Families were honored. These included:

    Prt. Columbus Myers, WWI. Myers became an Army Doughboy in the trenches of France in the Great War to end all wars. He was the son of Robert and Hattie Myers and home grown right here in Clay County. His brothers and sisters were Liege, Sam, Joe, Marion, Frank, Martha Owens, Angeline Kerna, Flora Reese and Laura Ledford. On Oct. 10, 1918 the Emperor of Germany, Kaiser Wilhelm II and his troops unleashed an artillery barrage on American troops just one month and one day before the Great War ended. A fellow soldier relayed that during the artillery barrage trees were struck, exploding and filling the air with deadly spears of wood. One of these spears struck Myers and he departed this earthly life during that bombardment. 

    Spl. Leon Reece Penland Jr. National Guard. Hurricane Assistant Penland was the son of Leon Reece Penland Sr. and Irene Ledford Penland. Penland joined the N.C. Army National Guard his senior year in 1996 and graduated from Fort McClellan Alabama as a Military Police. He was called to state active duty Sept. 18, 1999 assisting the Brunswick County Law Enforcement by providing a uniformed presence and security while assisting flood victims. Penland was killed at the age of 21 on Sept. 22, 1999 when his Humvee overturned throwing him out of the vehicle and as the family was informed, killing him instantly.

    Sgt. Robert (Bob) N. Roach WWI. Roach was the son of Charlie and Hazeltine Roach. He was a resident of Clay County, a loyal Christian who professed a hope in Christ in Dec. 1916 when he joined the Baptist church at Fires Creek and was baptized the first Sunday in Jan 1917. Roach joined the Army in Andrews, N.C. went to France and was wounded twice and died from the second wound while serving as an Army non-commissioned officer with American Expeditionary Forces on Oct. 22, 1918. Roach was 24 years old when God in his infinite wisdom took him home.

    Cap. Fredrick Samuel Rowe Jr. WWII. Rowe was born Sept. 5, 1919 and died June 3, 1945. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Rowe was killed in action at sea off Maui Island, Hawaii. He was an F4U Corsair pilot and member of the first all Marine aircraft carrier USS Gloucester VMF 351. After transfer agreement with the Canadian government he got his commission in the Marine Air Corps in May 1942.

    PFC. Robert Carl Swanson WWII. Robert Swanson won the Bronze Star on June 1, 1944 when he led a machine-gun platoon to the front to fill a gap in the lines against an enemy counter-attact. Although seriously wounded and under heavy fire he carried out his mission until it was complete. He was later given the Purple Heart on July 25, 1944 after dying from the wounds he substained June 10, 1944. Pfc. Swanson was fighting in the north Africa area.