These were the American Legion guys in 'Through the Years' Sept. 7

Ray Cockrell Jr. dug around in his hundreds of photos a couple of weeks ago and came up with these photos that illustrate an article that was part of "Through the Years" in The Black Mountain News Sept. 7.

Every other week or so, the newspaper publishes at page from one of its past issues (the BMN was founded in 1945). At the bottom of the front page reproduced in the Sept. 7 was an article titled "Cockrell, Kerlee Are Elected To Posts By Legion."

"Ray Cockrell was elected adjutant and Carl Kerlee, Jr., finance officer in the regular monthly meeting at Legion hall Tuesday night," the story states. "Commander John J. O'Connor presided and made an interesting report on the divisional meeting which he attended recently ..."

Cockrell Jr., who grew up in Black Mountain and lives here still, said the photo of the Legionaires was taken sometime in the 1950s in their meeting hall, which is in an upstairs office of what is Town Hardware now.