Randolph Rewind: Veterans Days past

Join us in looking back at various intervals of life in Asheboro and surrounding communities in Randolph County over the past 100 years …

10 years ago / November 12, 2015

***  Local businesses are lining up to recognize those who have served our country in the armed services this Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2015.  Military vets will be served at some restaurants for free, get a complimentary haircut or receive discounts on their store purchases. 

*** The Neighbors Grove Christian Academy will present its 2015 Veterans Day Dance and Show at 1928 N. Fayetteville Street, Asheboro. Held in the Family Life Center, this event will feature special entertainment by the academy’s chorus from the elementary grades.  Guest singer is Joy Shelton Klenke, who will treat everyone with a selection of patriotic music and some old Glenn Miller tunes like “Moonlight Serenade.” Guest speaker is District Court Judge Rob Wilkins, a US Coast Guard veteran and commander of the local veterans’ council.

25 years ago / November 12, 2000

***  This year marked the 50th anniversary of “the forgotten war” in Korea; however, two Randolph County brothers, Boyd (71) and Jim (69) Allred, have not forgotten, not for one day of all 50 years. Per Courier-Tribune staff writer Mary Anderson’s moving account, the sons of Clarence and Gladys Allred of the Melanchton community carry permanent scars on their psyches and on their souls from the experiences. For several years, they were 10 miles apart in different prison camps, being treated worse than animals. They say they owe their survival to “being tough country boys from Randolph County who had a lot of people back home praying for them.” Mother Gladys, who celebrated her 95th birthday in August, never wavered in her faith that her boys were alive. A third son, Carlton, was killed in an automobile accident in Feb. 1952, but Jim and Boyd didn’t know it until they returned home. Jim shared that “people questioned why we were fighting over there, but now we see that it was the start of the breakdown of the communist system, which is evil.”  They believe this particular war (1950-1953) has been vindicated by history. In fact, the doctors told them to talk about it, as it would be good therapy because holding it in just hurts; therefore, they have been active in veterans’ organizations and speaking to civic and church groups.  Boyd summed it all up by saying that “no one wants to fight in a war, but America will only be free as long as we are the home of the brave. Freedom can be lost.”  

***  About 1,000 people — many waving American flags and cheering loudly — turned out for the annual Veterans Day Parade in downtown Asheboro, which was dedicated to Korean War veterans like the brave Allred brothers above. According to organizer Frank Rose of American Legion Post #45 (pictured here), groups participating in this year’s parade were high school marching bands from Asheboro and Trinity plus Junior ROTC units from Asheboro and Southwestern Randolph as well as Oak Ridge Academy’s drill team. Rose added that one of only two Huey gunships in the world made an appearance during this patriotic event. [FAST FORWARD to 2010, when Frank Thomas Rose, past State Commander of the American Legion (1991-92), passed away at age 66. A US Army veteran of the Vietnam era, he was later awarded life memberships in each of the following veterans’ organizations:  American Legion Post #45 in Randolph County, Disabled American Veterans Chapter #38 in Ramseur, VFW #527 in Troy and American Veterans Post #240 in Denton. In addition, Rose co-founded the Randolph County Honor Guard and the Randolph County Veterans Council. Recipient of the Governor’s Volunteer Award in 1995, he also designed and promoted the local Veterans Memorial in Asheboro. This former City of Asheboro fireman was survived by his wife, Carol, his son Jeffrey and family of Cheyenne, WY, and his mother Beulah Smith and sister Anita Kennedy of Seagrove.] 

***  Winning float entries in last Saturday’s Veterans Day Parade were: First Place – Asheboro AMVETS Post 905 (live re-enactment of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima in World War II); Second Place – Seagrove Elementary School (Kathy Brown’s 3rd grade class marchers dressed in red, white and blue); and Third Place – Happy Heifers 4-H Club (truck decorated to honor our veterans).

50 years ago / November 12, 1975

***  Thirteen Randolph County business and agricultural leaders have been named to the newly-established Board of Advisors of the First Citizens Bank & Trust in Ramseur, according to Lewis R. Holding, president.  Elected to the board are:  Garland W. Allen, Robert G. Allen, Howard J. Brady, Hoyt W. Clark, Robert G. Hancock, Clyde T. Hinshaw, W. Grady Lawson, Burton W. Macon, William K. Pate, Kermit G. Pell, Joe S. Tripp, William H. Watkins III and W. Mike York.

75 years ago / November 12, 1950

***  Cpl. Thomas A. Bulla, a 19-year-old Asheboro youth, recently wrote to his parents, 0of S. Fayetteville St., with the following comments about the Korean Conflict warfront: “The going was tough and we’re lucky some of us got out  … we were near the infantry last week … we saw battles & fights, some bad & some good.”  When writing home, he had been overseas about a month and was serving in a forward observation section.

100 years ago / November 12, 1925

***  The water situation in Asheboro has now reached the “acute” stage due to the drought this summer and fall. The town was forced to run a 2-inch pipeline from the McGrew mine south of Asheboro to bring water to the city filter in order to supplement the supply afforded by the city pond. The well at the Acme Hosiery Mill has already been put to use, and the old town well will probably be put to work next week. The water level in the new city pond is so low that it is not being used, and the old pond level is getting gradually lower each day. The factories will probably be closed in the afternoons to conserve the water supply, and some of their manufacturing workers have already been helping the city crews in digging water lines for several weeks. Due to the citizens’ response to the city’s usage warning, water consumption has been cut by a third, but it just hasn’t been enough to help during this dire time.