Sharptop Mountain

This is the first of a trilogy of blog

posts tied to Veterans Day, which will

be this Friday, November 11, 2011.

It is partly inspired by the book Sharp Top

I recently read.  It is a historical novel by

Carolyn Tyree Feagans.  Its plot tells the

story of the communities of Mons and Bedford

in the  Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

The author skillfully wove a story of the

intertwined lives of young and old from just

after World War I until the present time.

It encompassed the Great Depression, CCC

(Civilian Conservation Corps), World War II,

and its aftermath.  Two main characters were

portrayed through the agony of the Death March

of Bataan and the D-Day invasion.  The impact

of world events on even this quiet corner of the

mountains was inevitable.

Below is the old Mons Hotel, a fabulous

mountain resort, now gone.  It was a focal

point of tourism in the area now known as

Peaks of Otter, a favorite tourist spot on the

Blue Ridge Parkway.

Because of a horrifically high casualty rate

among the young soldiers of nearby Bedford,

this area was selected as the site for our

National D-Day Memorial.  More details will

be shared in a blog post to follow.

Sharptop Mountain is the crown jewel of

the Peaks of Otter, revered by visitors and

local residents alike.  Judy and I have many

cherished memories from time spent in the area.

The first Bed & Breakfast we ever stayed

in was the Liberty House in Bedford.

The views from Sharptop are incomparable.

Climbing Sharptop has been a rite of passage

for local citizens for generations, but a bus

now makes the peak accessible to all.

This stony hillside was the scene of one

of the great tragedies of World War II--

only too common-- a midnight training

flight that ended the lives of five young

airmen in a flaming inferno.  Judy, her brother

Tim, and I journeyed to that spot a few years

ago, and it truly felt like hallowed ground.

I will share scenes from that excursion as part

of my Veterans Day tribute this week.

This post is not really meant to be a book

review, but because of my personal connections

to the Sharptop and Bedford area, it meant a

great deal to me.  The attention to historic detail

was commendable and it stirred my emotions as

it told a tale that bears telling and retelling.

For all generations of Americans.