The John B. Byrne Memorial Tower

The John B. Byrne Memorial Tower. . , Who Was John Byrne? , . In April 1931, he became Forest Supervisor for the Nantahala National Forest. , . At that time, he was, at the age of 33, the youngest man to ever be appointed as a National Forest Supervisor. , . He served as Forest Supervisor until his premature death in 1934. , . On Labor Day 1937, approximately 400 people attended the ceremony dedicating the recently completed tower to the memory of John B. Byrne., John Byrne , The Man , . "A young man of ability and purpose mingled… with unusual characteristics of personal charm." , . "Sincerity… the characteristic that made him outstanding." , . "One could impose trust in him. He naturally fell into a position of leadership without purposefully seeking it." , . "He will long be remembered… as a man whose friendship was a blessing, his way of living and serving, a model worthy of emulation." , The Franklin Press , October 1934, The Life of John Byrne , . Born September 29, 1897, John Byrne was orphaned at an early age and was raised under the loving care of his mother's aunt. , . During World War I he served as a sergeant in a Marine machine gun company and participated in major battles on the front line in France. , . After the war he received an honorable discharge and re-entered the University of California where he graduated from the College of Forestry. , . Having received instructions to prepare for the establishment of numerous CCC camps on the Nantahala National Forest, he threw himself heart and soul into the task. , . His health began to deteriorate, but he kept at his job, instilling vigor and enthusiasm in the entire personnel of the Nantahala National Forest, until doctors told him to take a rest. , . He eventually entered the Veteran's Hospital in Oteen, North Carolina, for a lung ailment. He passed away on October 30, 1934. , . John B. Byrne had been exposed to poisonous gas during his duty on the frontline in World War I., ”Grant that as we behold the beauty of this structure, we may recall the beauty of a life lovely in its simplicity, attractive in its personality, and gracious in its expression.” , , Dedication Ceremony, 1937