This Sunday the next in the History Talks Lecture Series at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, Zack Blackmon Sr. will give a talk at 2 p.m. about serving in the 426th Field Artillery Battalion.

Matt Edwards, executive director for the museum, said this program was scheduled to coincide with Veterans Day. He said the battalion was a reserve unit made up of men from Mount Airy and surrounding areas.

“We wanted to get back to doing local stories and find something appropriate for Veterans Day,” said Edwards.

He said the group was made up of World War II veterans and shortly after the group was formed they were called back into active duty to serve in Korea.

“I think it was a shock for many of them. I think they certainly served with distinction during their time in Korea. So, Zack’s going to come in and talk about that group and their history in the community,” said Edwards.

He said the members of the battalion have been involved in the museum. He said several years ago, Blackmon made a donation to the museum’s “Hometown Heroes” exhibit.

“Their story is told in that space and the group has a reunion in Mount Airy every year, and most years they come to the museum,” said Edwards, who said the reunion has been going on since the late 1950s.”It should be a great tribute to our local soldiers.”

He said the thing that really amazed him about the battalion is that only one soldier was killed in the line of duty during their two-year deployment to Korea.

The program will take place in the museum’s conference room on the second floor. The program is free and was made possible by a grant from the North Carolina Humanities Council.

The December program for the lecture series will be on Dec. 4. Scarlett Dowdy will present a program about Moravian Christmas Traditions.

Contact Mondee Tilley at mtilley@mtairynews.com or at 719-1930.