Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska

Wanda's Diary Entries

Monday, October 24, 2005

This past Saturday morning, Frank and I went to Mount Airy’s outdoor amphitheatre to attend a wonderful “purple heart” dedication ceremony for Captain James Jones, who had died in Vietnam in 1967. It was a long-overdue honor bestowed upon his father, Buster Jones, who is chipper at age 92, and his widow, now almost 65. James Jones, a native of Mount Airy, was a dentist by trade, a graduate of North Carolina A&T and Howard University School of Dentistry. He was a handsome black man with a promising future when he was killed in Vietnam. His father has tried since 1967 to have a “purple heart” awarded in his memory. And finally after years of trying, with community support, his dream for his son came true. An overflow crowd of several hundred filled the outdoor amphitheatre. I brought my umbrella but the rain held back and the sun shone through. Fifth District Congresswoman Virginia Foxx attended the ceremony. Governor Mike Easley sent a congratulatory letter, which was read by emcee David Beal. Mayor Jack Loftis spoke. Our dear friend, Ann Vaughn, coordinated the event on behalf of the city as well as the reception that the Gilmer-Smith Foundation sponsored. But the most moving aspect of the ceremony for me was the way in which the black and white communities came together. One elderly black woman, as she departed the reception in City Hall, commented, “I’ve never set foot in City Hall. It’s a right nice place.”