You’ve got mail

This column seems to be reaching more and more readers out there in cyberspace each week. I would like to take the time this week to acknowledge several ex-Tryonites who wrote some nice words about the column and the connections it has brought about.

Last month I heard from Billie Spivey Begg who lives in Brevard, North Carolina. Billie writes that it was nice to read the column that mentioned her mother who was my second grade teacher. Ironically, Billie notes that the column appeared on the same date that would have been her mother’s 94th birthday. She also adds some facts about the log cabin that once stood behind the Tryon High School gymnasium (see column entitled, “Pedagogy on a pedestal, part two”). Billie writes that her mother once taught in the little log cabin for an entire school year. Her mother recalled that the playground near the cabin was one big mud puddle after a rain, and the class had to trudge across the field to use the restrooms in the elementary school building. Billie’s mother also remembered the wooden stove in the cabin. Each winter morning her male students would take turns building a fire to keep the classroom warm. Thanks for the memories, Billie.

Last week I heard from Jerrie Brannon Mooney who graduated from Tryon High School in 1961. Jerrie and her husband Jim live on a boat in Miami, Florida. Jim is an airline pilot, and was once a fighter pilot who was based in Puerto Rico. Jerrie stays in contact with several of her classmates including Emily Jackson Valerino who with her husband Manuel divide their time between Panama and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She also corresponds with Jaye Lineberger Bux who lives with her husband in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Jane McCowan McKinney who lives in California. Jerrie recently heard from Bucky Bright who lives with his wife in Union, South Carolina. I remember Bucky as a great running back for the Tryon High School football team in the late fifties. He was a good friend of David Hall whom I wrote about in an earlier column. Jerrie closes by feeding my ego saying that she loves reading the column each week. Thanks Jerrie and remind your ex-Tryonite friends to email me with their memories of Tryon. shefner@savcps.com. They may also comment on my blog at the Bulletin website.

Post Script: My family and I vacationed in Brevard last week. While my son and daughter hiked in Mount Pisgah National Forest and Dupont State Park, my wife and I relaxed and toured several mountain towns. We spent a wonderful morning in Tryon. We visited my old home site (the old house has been remodeled and looks different). We also drove through other areas of town including milltown, Melrose avenue, and Harmon field. Our brief stay in Tryon culminated in a leisurely walk down Trade street starting at the theater. I was disappointed in seeing that the Blue Ridge Weavers was no longer there. My son and I visited the Bulletin office where we were warmly welcomed by a very nice receptionist. I also was privileged to personally meet Jeff Byrd, owner and publisher of the Bulletin, and thank him for the opportunity he has given me to reflect on my younger days in Tryon. I was also able to cajole two Tryon Daily Bulletin coffee mugs and two T-shirts out of Jeff. My brief visit to Tryon was emotional to say the least. I felt a strange sense of pride as I pointed out childhood landmarks to my family. The visit also stirred up a new batch of memories that I hope to write about in the future. Until then, stay in touch.

Remembering three patriots

Last week our country celebrated its 230th birthday. As usual the fourth of July was marked across the country by parades, patriotic songs, and plenty of pyrotechnic displays. For me it was a time to remember those thousands of brave men and women who paid (and are still paying) the ultimate sacrifice to keep this county free. In this column, I would like to pay tribute to three of these patriots.

Private Ralph Porter was born in Tryon in 1918. He joined the Army on March 12, 1942 at the age of 24. Ralph wanted to be a paratrooper so he went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina and became a member of the 376th Field Artillery Battalion in the famous 82nd Airborne Division also known as "the screaming eagles". On February 12, 1944, after several battles in Italy, Ralph was wounded by small arms fire near Anzio, Italy. Several days later, he died of the wounds he sustained. He had been in the army for one year, eleven months, and four days. Ralph is buried in Plot J Row 15 Grave 40 at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy. Small white crosses mark the graves of 7,861 American soldiers interred there.

Private Rufus Junior Gosnell was born in 1922. He joined the Army on December 4, 1942 at the age of 20. Junior wanted to drive a tank so he went to Camp Croft in South Carolina and became a member of the 894th Tank Destroyer Battalion. On April 9, 1945 his tank (see picture above) was entering the Italian town of Massa when it was hit by several bazooka rounds. Several of his comrades escaped, but Junior was killed. He had been in the army for two years, four months, and five days. Junior posthumously received the Purple Heart with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters for his heroism. He is buried in Plot G Row 1 Grave 18 at the Florence American Cemetery in Florence, Italy. The crosses of 4,402 fellow soldiers dot the beautiful landscape at this site.

Corporal Ivan F. Hefner was born in 1930. He joined the Army on August 2, 1945. He was only fifteen years old! Ivan wanted to be an infantryman and went to Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina for infantry training.

He became a member of the 2nd Infantry Division, 38th Inf. Rgt. The Korean War started on June 27, 1950. On October 12, 1951, Corporal Hefner was killed in action in North Korea. He had served his country for six years, two months, and ten days. He was only twenty one years old when he died, and is buried in Henderson County. Over 36,000 soldiers lost their lives in the Korean War.

Thousands of American men and women have paid the supreme price for the freedoms we sometimes take for granted today. You may be asking why I chose to write about the three patriots above. Well, they were my Uncles.

Uncle Ralph Porter was my mother's brother. He left behind a girl friend that he had planned to marry when he returned home. Uncle Junior Gosnell was the husband of my mother's sister. He had a daughter, Ann, whom he never saw. She was born while he was overseas. Ann Gosnell Fagan now lives in Landrum with her husband, Bobby Joe Fagan. They have two grown children, Tammy and Sammy. Uncle Ivan Hefner was my father's brother. He was also single and so young when he decided to serve his country.

May their memories be eternal.

Footnote: I have received information that the town of Massa, Italy is planning to erect a memorial honoring the soldiers in Junior Gosnell's tank in April, 2007. I hope others out there in cyberspace who might have known one of my uncles will respond to this column. shefner@savcps.com.