Pag* BA-K»OS MOUNTAIN HERALD-Thunday. Octobw 9. 1980
I 3
k«'»j
\ /
Mike Loveless speaks at postal stamp service...
Postal Card Cancellation
Ceremony Held On Tuesday
“This is our moment in history
and a great Tuesday morning in
history.”
The statement was made by
KM Postmaster Fred Weaver at
a fifth Bicentennial Series com
memorative postal card dedica
tion service at 10 a.m. in B.N.
Barnes Auditorium.
Weaver’s remarks were
echoed by platform speakers and
guests throughout a day fuU of
activities on the battle anniver
sary.
Gerald F. Merna of
Washington, D.C., executive
assistant to the Postmaster
General, was in the city to
dedicate this unique piece of
postal stationery, offer con
gratulations to the city celebra
tion committee, the National
Park Service, and the Kings
Mountain PostofBce. He also
congratulated Postmaster
Weaver who he said was 24th in
line of succession to June Aber
nathy, who was appointed the
first postmaster of Kings Moun
tain in 1837. Mema also took
the occasion to present a stamp
album containing the first com
memorative card to local of
ficials and visiting dignitaries
and said he would hand deliver a
copy to President Carter. “I’ll tell
him what he missed,” he said.
Describing the mountainmen
as “tough, hardy, stout, brave.
impoverished,” the speaker
struck a familiar chord when he
talked of his experience in ser
vice with personal memories of
names affixed to weapons. The
mountainmen also labeled their
rifles as “hot lead and sweet
lips,” he said.
Mema said the designer of the
new card, David Blossom, has ef
fectively made the viewer feel he
or she was at the scene and cap
tured the atmosphere of that
fierce struggle.
Prior to the address by Mema,
Miss Elizabeth McGill, recipient
of the DAR Good Citizenship
Award and a student at Erskine
College, recounted the Battle of
Kings Mountain in a vivid
oratory and KM National Park
Supt. Andrew Loveless made
remarks. Mayor John Henry
Moss, Celebration chairman,
recognized a large number of
distinguished guests from the
five-state celebration area and a
Color Guard presented the col
ors. Rev. Robert E. Boggan Jr.
gave the invocation.
Prior to the opening of the
First Day of Issue Ceremonies,
the KMSHS Band, under the
direction of Donald Deal,
presented a program of patriotic
and religious music. The
KMSHS Chorale and Ensemble,
under the direction of Gene
Bumgardner, sang the National
Anthem and presented an
American Trilogy of familiar
songs, “Dixie,” “Battle Hymn of
the Republic,” and “All My
Trials,” to the delight of the au
dience attending.
Among special guests were
Congressman Jim Broyhill,
General William C.
Westmoreland, David Crawford,
British Consul General, Joe
Brown, regional director of Na
tional Park Service, Robert L.
Collins, president of Overmoun
tain Victory Trail Association,
Senator J. Ollie Harris, Senator
Helen Rhyne Marvin, Mr. and
Mrs. J.T. Dalmus, representing
the state Legion auxiliary. Na
tional Vice Commander Ralph
Godwin of Mississippi, represen
ting the American Legion, and
members of the Carolinas
Bicentennial committees and
representatives of the Park
system. Miss North Carolina
Janet Ward Black, as well as
representatives from the five
state area planning the 200th
Celebration.
Mrs. D.F. Hord, whose hus
band, the late Dr. Hord, KM
dentist, suggested a com
memorative stamp of the famous
battle, was recognized on the
platform and was presented a
stamp album from Mr. Mema,
along with his acknowledgement
of her late husband’s efforts.
Five States Represented
From lA
freedom, liberty and in
dependence as they did at Kings
Mountain.”
“We like to make our own
history and that’s what
distinguishes us as Americans.
You are making history at Kings
Mountain today,” said Hunt,
who delivered the stirring ad
dress from a red, white and blue
decorated platform filled with
dignitaries from North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Ten
nessee and Virginia and an au
dience filled with many descen
dants of heroes at the Oct. 7,
1780 Battle of Kings Mountain.
“I’m optimistic about the
future of this country,” said
Hunt.
"This is a great day in Kings
Mountain as we recognize the
heroic great Patriots of a march
that ended with the Battle of
Kings Mountain. Some
historians say that battle, in
which the American Rebels
defeated Maj. Patrick
Ferguson’s troopK before Corn
wallis, was the turning point of
the American Revolution.
Governor Hunt pointed with
pride to the establishment of the
Overmountain Victory Trail
signed into law by the President
on Sept. 8th this year. That
march has been developed into
an annual social and cultural
function in five states and par
ticipated by thousands who live
near the trails.
That dedication earned with
the blood and dedication of your
forefathers helped create the
America we know today.”
“Your reenactment of this im
portant turning point in history
will become even more valuable
to your children and grand
children as the years go by. This
celebration this week has taught
them where they came from and
how independence and liberty
came about in this country. It’s
very appropriate,” said the
Governor.
Legion Commander Fred Cor
bett of Charlotte, State Aux
iliary President Virginia Dalmas
of Valdese, and representatives
of the DAR, patriotic groups
and descendants of battle heroes
at Kings Mountain.
The Governor, alluding to the
world situation of unrest, called
for a stronger national policy on
defense.
Mrs. Larry Wood sang the
National Anthem, accompanied
by a U.S. Marine Band from
Camp Lejeune, the invocation
was given by Rev. Robert Bog
gan and the benediction was said
by Rev. M.L. Campbell.
Senator J. Ollie Harris of
Kings Mountain gave the
welcome and recalled the great
celebration at the battlefields in
1930 when President Hoover
came to town. That was a great
celebration. But today’s is just as
great,” he said.
Senator Helen Marvin Rhyne
of Gastonia presented a number
of dignitaries including: Rep.
Jack Hunt, Rep. Edith Lutz,
Rep. David Bumgardner, Mrs.
Joyce Cashion. Congressman
and Mrs. Jim Broyhill, Former
Mayors Kelly Dixon and Tom
Fulton, Mayor and Mrs. John
Henry Moss, City Commis
sioners Jim Childers, Humes
Houston, Corbet Nicholson,
Norman King, Bill Grissom and
Jim Dickey. Dr. Larry Kice,
director of Archives and
History, General of the Army
William C. Westmoreland,
honorary chairman and parade
marshal, N.C. Adjutant General
Ingram, Gen. Carl D. Walker of
Tennessee, National Vice Com
mander Godwin of Tennessee,
of the American Legion, State
Mayor John Henry Moss,
gener^ chairman, welcomed the
crowd and echoed the
Governor’s statement that this is
a great day for Kings Mountain.
The weatherman smiled ap
provingly on Tuesday’s parade
and onlookers sat on the streets
in short shirt sleeves to view a
red, white and blue display of
floats, marching bands, pretty
girls, including Miss North
Carolina and Miss South
Carolina, and military bands.
About 50 exhilarated Over
mountain men joined the parade
route at one point but did not
make the hour long journey to
the stadium because program
delays would have prevented
their arrival at the National
Military Park at 3 p.m. The mar
chers left the parade route and
boarded Military Park buses to
the Park.
School students and numerous
Kings Mountain employees of
business enjoyed a holiday Tues
day, much to the delight of the
kids who rode on floats and par
ticipated in many events of the
day long activities.
i "
K';-
Luncheon at Kings Mountain Senioi Higi
'V
I'-V,
\
Senator Sam Ervin attends park ceremony..
Overmountain men arrive
at KM National Park.
Secretary Andrus places
Bradley Morrah. Aoei
Gerald Merna speaks at
»c
wreath on monument..,
Bill Stronik dispk
given in menidh'
ih