Owen honors the heroes of the Swannanoa Valley

Memorial Day ceremony Remembers the young men who never came home

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 24, 2026

The words of Owen JROTC Cadet Command Sergeant Major Scout Schermerhorn landed heavily, May 22, in the auditorium of the high school.

“They will forever be our heroes,” the junior said, outfitted sharply in her dress uniform.

As the Owen 10 Memorial Day Ceremony, which honors the former students who never returned from war, returned for its fifth year, the service offered a stark reminder of young Swannanoa Valley residents who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Traditionally hosted in front of the stone wall surrounding three flagpoles near the entrance of the school, the event, attended by approximately 40 people, was moved indoors, due to weather. A wreath was later laid at the Owen 10 Memorial, which features the names of Jerry Bruce Harris, Herbert Coleman Wright, Jr., Ronald Lynn Hurst, Billy Gary Stewart, John William Hansard III, James Onley Weaver, Donald Woodson Wright, Wesley Eugene Melton, Wendell Lee Brown and Bruce Clinton Elkins, each of whom lost their lives in the Vietnam War.

Organized by the Warhorse Battalion, the ceremony began with the presentation of colors, as the Owen saxophone quartet played the national anthem. Cadet Bear Dasher offered a prayer for peace for the families of lost soldiers, before Schermerhorn read General Order No. 11, issued May 5, 1868, by General John A. Logan, establishing what is now known as Memorial Day as a national day of remembrance.

“Today, in this moment, we wish to specifically honor the Owen 10, who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. Their names are forever etched into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on our campus, in honor of those who served, and in memory of those who died,” Schermerhorn said. “Their sacrifices paved the way for freedoms that we hold true today. May the Valley never forget them, or their families.”

The service closed with the playing of “Taps,” before attendees gathered for a reception in the school’s media center. Black Mountain native David Melton, who was six years younger than his brother Wesley, among the names represented on the Owen memorial, reflected on the significance of the annual gathering.

“The youth of today would not know about the suffering of another generation, prior to them, if they didn’t pay homage and know the reason behind that memorial,” said David, whose brother turned 20 in Vietnam, where he was killed in action within two months of his arrival. “Who are those boys? Well, they were boys just like our youth that’s walking around here now. They had dreams, aspirations and ambitions, as well.”

While the school days, spent socializing with their peers and studying under familiar teachers, were similar to those experienced by students today, the “shadow of the Vietnam War hung over all of the youth,” he continued.

Wesley earned a scholarship to attend Western Carolina University, according to his brother, but, with the draft looming, he chose to enlist. Like many of his Swannanoa Valley contemporaries, he was comfortable in the wilderness.

The Owen 10 Memorial, in honor of those from the Swannanoa Valley who served and in memory of those who died, contains the names of former students who did not return from the Vietnam War. Photo by Fred McCormick

“He volunteered for point, because they always wanted these ‘woodsy’ people to do that role. He volunteered, whereas it would’ve taken months of expensive training to be qualified,” David said. “He was leading his platoon, out front, and he stepped on an unexploded round. From what I understand, it killed him and the man behind him.”

The experience of losing his brother left David with unresolved pain and animosity, as he enlisted while still in high school.

“Because of what happened to my brother, I wanted to ‘even the score,’ but when I went in they were already pulling the troops from Vietnam, and they ended up putting me in Germany,” David said. “I served overseas duty in Germany while our guys were coming home from Vietnam.”

The service of David, Gary Aiken, Rick Hall and Luther Hart, all former Owen students who went on to later enlist in the military, was recognized on the Warhorse Warrior Wall in the JROTC hallway. The mural contains the names of alumni who served, listed under their respective branch of service.

All of the veterans added to the Warhorse Warrior Wall knew some, if not most of the Owen 10.

“We were in Vietnam, as well,” said Aiken, motioning to Hall. “We knew Herbert Coleman Wright, John Hansard, Onley Weaver and Wesley Melton.”

The Memorial Day ceremony, he continued, familiarizes the younger generation with the far-reaching toll of armed conflict.

“I think older people understand a little more what it was like when we came back from Vietnam, and I was telling some of them that times were different,” he said. “There was a lot of publicity about how our veterans were drug addicts, or murderers, and that was really difficult. I got out of the service, grew my hair long and didn’t talk about it.”

While many of those experiences remain difficult to discuss for countless veterans, according to Hall, having his service in the U.S. Air Force recognized by current Owen students is an “honor.”

“Seeing them have the respect to make this wall, and do this ceremony every year, makes me feel really good,” he said.

Recognizing the sacrifices of the youth before them offers an important educational opportunity for current members of the program, according to JROTC Instructor Jeff Garland, in his seventh year at Owen.

“These kids were no different than you are,” he said of the lesson. “They played sports, had a bunch of friends, relationships and things they thought they were going to do with their lives. They just didn’t have a chance to do those things, and what that should do is encourage us all to be better, for them.”

Preparation for the ceremony includes learning about each service member named on the Owen 10 memorial, according to Schermerhorn.

“We each research one of them and share it with Sergeant Garland and the class,” she said. “Sometimes, we discover things nobody else knew about, and that’s pretty incredible. I learned about Herbert Coleman, Jr., and I found out he had a daughter that he did not know about before he passed away, and she has been here to see this memorial.”

As the nation observes Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, knowing his brother’s service and life is remembered nearly 56 years after his loss is “special” to David.

“It makes me proud, being able to pay homage to our 10 Valley boys,” he said. “These boys walked these halls just like we did and just like the kids today. It’s important to me that we always remember them.”