Black Mountain VFW hosts a weekend to remember
Fundraisers support local veterans while honoring those who never came home
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 30, 2022
Black Mountain VFW Post Commander David Hana, left, and Quartermaster Michael Neder discuss the Third Annual Veterans Golf Tournament, which will be held, Sept. 9, at the Black Mountain Golf Course. Photo by Fred McCormick
The slow and deliberate pace of a round of golf presents frequent opportunities for contemplation. Serious players often fill the time carefully considering their next approach, while casual hackers may simply take in the views or enjoy a day of fun with friends.
When the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9157 presents its Third Annual Veterans Golf Tournament at the Black Mountain Golf Course, beginning at 11:30 a.m., Friday, Sept. 9, the memories of the Swannanoa Valley natives who sacrificed their lives defending the freedom to enjoy such leisurely activities will occupy many of those moments.
The event is the first of two local fundraisers commemorating the 21st anniversary of 9/11, while supporting the Black Mountain VFW post that has been serving local veterans since 1948. Entry into the four-person captain’s choice tournament is $320 per team, or $80 per player, and individuals and groups can register at purpleheartpub.org.
The weekend will conclude with a free concert, featuring Spiro and Nicole Nicolopoulos of the Paper Crowns, from 6:30 - 9 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 11, at Pisgah Brewing Co. Proceeds from both events will help fund ongoing renovations to the nonprofit organization’s building on Cragmont Road.
This year’s golf tournament, which will be preceded by lunch from the Green Tee Grille and a meet and greet with VFW members, is honoring the 10 local men who were killed in action, between 1966-1970, in the Vietnam War. Their names are etched in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that sits near the entrance of Owen High School, where their fellow veteran and former classmate, Marshall Blankenship, has been a key figure in remembering their sacrifice.
Blankenship, who will be featured as the guest speaker before the tournament’s 1 p.m. start, is one of many community members who led fundraising and planning efforts to build the memorial when the school moved to its current location in 1992. The U.S. Marine Corps Veteran’s brother, John W. Blankenship, served as the commander of Post 9157 from 1980-1985.
“One of our main efforts here has always been to honor those who have served,” said current Post Commander David Hana. “But also, we need to make sure that those who sacrificed their lives are not forgotten. We have this memorial right up the road that Marshall and others worked so hard to make a reality, and a lot of people in this community don’t know about it. I didn’t even know about it until we connected with Marshall, so this felt like an important thing to remind everyone of.”
Blankenship and another former Owen classmate who served in Vietnam, U.S. Army Veteran Carroll Hipps, organized a group of nearly 50 people to restore the stone memorial last October. Both men attended high school with many of the veterans whose names are featured at the site.
Signs featuring information about Jerry Bruce Harris, Herbert Coleman Wright, Ronald Lynn Hurst, Billy Gary Stewart, John Williams Hansard III, James Onley Weaver, Donald Woodson Wright, Wesley Eugene Melton, Bruce Clinton Elkins and Wendell Lee Brown will be placed near tee boxes during the golf tournament.
Black Mountain resident and member of VFW Post 9157, John Czarnecki, displays a Telecaster-style guitar he made out of wormy chestnut wood. The instrument, which incudes a piece of steel from the World Trade Center, is being raffled to raise money for the local VFW. Photo by Fred McCormick
The event will open with a live performance of the national anthem, played on a custom Telecaster-style guitar, which was hand-crafted out of wormy chestnut wood by Black Mountain resident and VFW member John Czarnecki. The instrument, which features an inlaid piece of steel from the World Trade Center engraved with the words “Never Forget,” will be given to the winner of a raffle drawing held during the concert at Pisgah Brewing Co.
“Some of our newer members are a big part of where we are and where we’re going with this post, and John is definitely one of them,” Hana said. “He came in and had an idea to support our fundraising efforts, and he did it in a way that really showcases the range of skill sets of so many of our veterans.”
The money raised by the golf tournament, raffle and donations collected at the benefit concert will be used to continue much-needed renovations to the building that has housed the VFW since 1958. The work has emerged as a top priority for Hana and Quartermaster Michael Neder in recent years.
“We have regulars who grew up in Black Mountain, and they tell us that this place has looked exactly the same for as long as they can recall,” Neder said. “So, we’re not sure when the last time a renovation or any significant change has been attempted. It’s been decades, at the very least, and there is quite a bit of work that needs to be done.”
The organization is currently working with an architect to finalize remodeling plans while focusing on community engagement. Future fundraising initiatives will continue supporting efforts to restore the building.
“We have an amazing location, with a view of the Seven Sisters and Lake Tomahawk, and that’s something we’d like to capitalize on,” Hana said. “There is a legacy here that was started by heroes, so it’s important that we have a space that reflects that, and one that we can be proud of.”
Established as the Green-Leagon-Simpson-Lindsay Post 9157, in honor of four Purple Heart recipients who were among the founders of the local VFW chapter, the tavern in the building pays tribute to that history. Branded the Purple Heart Pub in 2019, the location offers local veterans an environment in which they can maintain the camaraderie formed by their shared experiences.
“I really want to bring the Black Mountain experience back to this building,” Hana said. “We want everyone to feel like this a community building for people to come enjoy, while serving as a command center for veteran outreach. We’re doing golf tournaments, 5K runs, parades, Sourwood, and through all of that networking we’re meeting new people. So, we want to be engaged and involved, and we encourage people in the community to do the same here.”
For more information about the Black Mountain VFW, the Third Annual Veterans Golf Tournament and guitar raffle at purpleheartpub.org.