05/23/2026
*Locust Museum will be open tomorrow from 2-4*
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day-a day when the graves of Civil war soldiers were cleaned and decorated!
By the late 1800s, many American communities had begun to celebrate Memorial Day, and after World War I, observances began to honor those who had died in all of America’s wars.
After World War I, the red poppy became synonymous with Memorial Day. All over the world, people wear poppies or place them on graves to honor soldiers who died serving their nation during war.
In 1971 Memorial Day was declared a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday of every May.
Jack W. Barbee was born April 16th 1920 in Stanly County to Frances and Israel Barbee. He enlisted October 15th 1943 at Camp Shelby as a private in the U.S Army 338th Infantry and was sent to Italy.
On May 12th Barbee was wounded and died on on May 25th 1944 from his injuries. He was buried in Italy.
He was married to Myrtle B. Mullins and had daughter Jacqueline ‘Jackie’ B. Burnette!
PFC Herbert P. Turner was born February 5th 1922 and was the youngest of 12 children born to John Elam Turner and Vesey Anne Chaney Turner. He went to Germany in WWII and was wounded while riding a Jeep that ran over a bomb. He was wounded on April 4th 1944 and died April 13th 1944.
The VFW post in Locust was named after these two men from the Locust community who gave the ultimate sacrifice in WWII, Jack Barbee and Herbert Turner.
