VFW Post No. 7034 members Oscar “Doc” Evans (left) and Eldon Edwards pause for a photo by the display honoring Bruce Wayne Osborne at the post. The post was chartered in 1946 and named for Osborne, the first Alleghany resident killed in action in World War II.

VFW post heralds new display for namesake

Bruce Wayne Osborne Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 7034 now features a new display honoring its namesake, according to Doc Evans, who serves as the post’s senior vice commander.

The display honors the memory of the late Osborne, a Piney Creek High School graduate and the first Alleghany County resident to be killed in World War II.

“The display was put up at the request of Hilda Souther, (Osborne’s) niece,” said Evans. “She wasn’t able to take care of it and wanted it to be displayed.”

Osborne was killed on Sept. 24, 1942, when his plane was shot down over Guam.

In the center of the wooden display is an explanation of the Distinguished Flying Cross, one of the medals received by Osborne. He received the honor “for heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in air flight near Shortland Harbor on Sept. 24, 1942.”

The description also noted that Osborne and his crew participated in a hazardous mission to bomb Japanese ships.

Get the rest of this article in this week's issue of the Alleghany News! Back