BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. (WLOS) — Communities across western North Carolina gathered to mark Memorial Day with ceremonies honoring service members who died defending the country.
At the Western North Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain, loved ones and community members gathered to remember the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
For Gold Star mother Anne Adkins, Memorial Day is both a time to honor the fallen and a reminder of a loss that never fades.
MADISON COUNTY HIGH BAND PERFORMS IN D.C. FOR NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY PARADE
“I know it’s been 19 years, but it’s like yesterday,” she said.
Adkins lost her son Matthew in 2007 while he was serving overseas in Iraq.
“My son, when he saw what happened in 911, that was it, he said, ‘ You know what, Mom, there’s some things worth dying for and that’s my family and my country’” she added.
The City of Asheville joined the State of North Carolina, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Council and Buncombe County in sponsoring the ceremony.
MAY 24, 2026 – A veteran plays “Taps” during the May 25 Memorial Day ceremony at the State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain. (Photo: WLOS Staff)
Thousands of flags were placed in front of graves to honor fallen soldiers.
Veterans shared stories of their time at war and what the day means to them.
“Each one had a story. Each one had a family. Each one had plans for when they got home. They weren’t statistics. They were my brothers, and in one case, my sister. There are no words that will ever truly describe the cost of war,” said Keynote speaker and US Army Veteran, Emiliano Enea.
Officials say more than 10,000 veterans and spouses are buried at the cemetery, all with a connection to North Carolina.
MAY 24, 2026 -At the Western North Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain, loved ones and community members gathered to remember the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice. (Photo: WLOS Staff)
“Sometimes the hardest part of war is coming home, when friends were left on the battlefield. It’s coming home to a new life, but you will never forget those who were never given that same opportunity,” Enea said.
Adkins says she is now a member of Brothers and Sisters Like These, a nonprofit focused on helping veterans heal from trauma that occurred during their service.
She is also a board member of Blue Ridge Honor Flights, which transports veterans and Gold Star Family Members to Washington, DC, to visit memorials dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifices of themselves and their loved ones.
Adkins urges Gold Star Families to fill out an application to participate in an Honor Flight.
MEMORIAL DAY 2026 EVENTS ACROSS WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
“It is so healing for us. We need it so much,” she said.
Speakers also emphasized honoring not only those who died in combat, but also those who died from the lasting physical and emotional impacts of war.
“Memorial Day is about the empty seat at the table, the missed birthdays, the missed milestones, the children who grow up with memories instead of moments. It’s about remembering that our nation’s freedom is secured and paid for in blood, time and time again by ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things,” Enea said.
