As with many who earn the Medal of Honor, Holland Brady’s recognition by the Town of Tryon, planned for his 88th birthday, had to be awarded posthumously. We would all have liked it better had he been there to answer the charges as only he could.

At the services for the late Seth Vining Jr., Holland quipped that when he agreed to speak of his friend, he did not realize that he would be following three members of the clergy. Well, today he went on ahead of the three clergymen there to see him off in style.

Seth Jr., Jim Jackson and Holland graduated from Tryon High School at a time that I have always referred to as its Golden Age.

The boys were bigger than many men, and played winning football games all around. The girls were all beautiful and “above average,” as Garrison Keillor might say. They were graduating as I entered and earned the respect of the townspeople as well as the student body for being over-achievers who fulfilled many dreams as their lives unfolded.

Holland went to work with local architect Shannon Meriwether when he returned to Tryon. Meriwether’s daughter Jane’s poster for the senior class play was placed in the window at Missildine’s drug store. Director Miss Baldwin always put the best poster there. I admired Jane’s work, and was determined to have my poster put in Missildine’s, too, after taking drafting during my senior year. Miss Baldwin obliged!