WWII tributes at Pisgah stadium stand tall this Memorial Day

Vicki Hyatt, The Mountaineer, Waynesville, N.C.
·4 min read

May 30—CANTON — When Pisgah Memorial Stadium flooded last August, there was one section that weathered the storm without any sign of damage.

That section contained stately Evergreens planted in 1949 behind 23 bronze and concrete markers bearing the names of the Canton High School students who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country during WWII.

A pictorial in the 1949 Log, the official publication of Champion International, and a writeup in the June 1 issue of Chips, the local Champion publication, detail the ceremony that honored the young men who never returned from the war.

Willis Kirkpatrick with the Canton Division of Management Planning and chairman of the Beaverdam district school board dedicated the stadium and athletic field. During his remarks, he declared Canton's high school stadium would be known from now on as Canton High School Memorial Stadium. (The name was later changed to Pisgah Memorial Stadium after seven high schools in the county were consolidated into two in 1960.)

The Rev. C.W. Kirby with the Canton Central Methodist Church, delivered the message of dedication for both the markers and the trees planted in honor of the school's war dead, the publications noted. The 40-piece Canton High School band played two patriotic songs in the high school auditorium due to the steady rain falling on the day of the ceremony. On the field, a military gun salute preceded the playing of Taps as Gold Star mothers and fathers and many from the community paid tribute.

Canton High School girls dressed in white were selected to be flower bearers and place wreaths at the foot of the bronze markers.

Those honored included the following:

—Staff Sgt. Gilbert Hunt Bailie Jr, a June 1930 Canton High School graduate. He was killed Jan. 7, 1945, and earned the Purple Heart, Presidential Citation and Good Conduct Medals.

—1st Lt. George William Barnes, who remained at Canton High until January 1937. He was lost in action over Germany March 3, 1944. He earned the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters.

—Corp. Hoyt Allen Edwards, who remained in Canton High until January 1938. He was killed June 7, 1942 and earned the Purple Heart.

—1st Lt. Frank Curtis, who remained in Canton High until 1933. He was killed in a plane crash in Italy on April 6, 1944.

—Pvt. Lawrence Ensley Jr. remained at Canton High School until Jan. 7, 1935. He was killed at Fort Knox, Kentucky on Aug. 9, 1941.

—Pvt. 1st Class James Carl Kirkpatrick graduated from Canton High School in 1943 and was killed Oct. 21, 1944 on the first day of battle during the invasion of Leyte Island. He received a Good Conduct Medal.

—Carl James Keylon, Fireman 1/C remained in Canton High School until October 1937. He was killed in action Aug. 23, 1942 and received the American Defense Medal with Fleet Clasp, European-African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Victory Medal with Fleet Clasp and Good Conduct Medal.

—Sgt. Gorman W. Roberts remained in Canton High School until December 1940. He died May 13, 1945 and received a Good Conduct Medal.

—Marvin Joe Drake, machinist mate 3/C graduated from Canton High School in 1939. He died as the result of wounds received in action on June 10, 1944.

—Sgt. Henry Penland remained at Canton High School until 1940 and was killed June 15, 1944. He received the Good Conduct Medal and Purple Heart.

—Pvt. Max M. Muse graduated from Canton High School in 1939. He was killed in an accident on April 4, 1944.

—Capt. Jennings Herbert Mease remained in Canton High School until 1926. He was missing in flight between China and India on April 24, 1943.

—1st Lt. Rex Willard Muse remained in Canton High School until 1940. He was killed on his fifth mission on July 21, 1944, and was awarded the Purple Heart.

—Mack Stamey Jr., apprentice seaman, remained in Canton High School until 1941. He was killed in action in 1942 and received a presidential Citation, Purple Heart, Service Medal and Victory Medal.

—Corp. Ralph Henry Robertson, who left Canton High School in 1940 and was killed on Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945.

—Pvt. Lester Joseph Tzrantham remained in Canton High School until December 1942. He died April 18, 1943.

—1st Lt. Logan Millard White Jr. graduated from Canton High School in 1939 and was killed in action in the Nansei Shoto Area on June 8, 1945. He received the Air Medal, Presidential Citation, Victory Medal and Purple Heart.

—Charles Dupree White, Seaman 1/C remained in Canton High School until 1944. He died in Exeter, England, Jan. 5, 1946.

—1st Lt. Pal Samuel Clark, graduated from Canton High School in 1939. He was killed in a vehicle accident in France on Sept. 29, 1944. He received the American Area, American Defense, European with four stars, Good Conduct, Purple Heart, Bronze Star awarded posthumously.