Medal of Honor recipient Col. Joe Marm to speak in Asheboro Sunset Series event

Col. Joe Marm

ASHEBORO – Medal of Honor recipient Col. Joe Marm will tell his story in a Friends of the Library Sunset Signature Series event, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 23, in downtown Asheboro’s historic Sunset Theatre.

The talk is free and the public is invited.

In 1965, Marm was a 2nd lieutenant leading a platoon of the 7th Cavalry Regiment during the Vietnam War when his unit joined what became the battle of Ia Drang, the first major engagement between the U.S. and North Vietnamese armies. The battle is recounted in the book We Were Soldiers Once… and Young by Hal Moore and Joseph L. Galloway, and in the film We Were Soldiers.

With his platoon under fire from a concealed machine gun, Marm exposed himself to draw fire and locate the enemy position, then made two attempts to destroy it – the second by charging 30 yards under heavy fire to eliminate it despite being severely wounded.

For his actions, he received the Medal of Honor from President Lyndon Johnson on December 19, 1966. The citation states that Marm’s “selfless actions reduced the fire on his platoon, broke the enemy assault, and rallied his unit toward the accomplishment of his mission.”

Marm, a Pennsylvania native and Eagle Scout, earned a business degree from Duquesne University in 1964 before joining the Army. He retired as a colonel in 1995, and resides in eastern North Carolina.

The Sunset Series celebrates art and ideas by bringing world-class speakers and performers to the heart of Asheboro. The series is sponsored by the Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau, the City of Asheboro and the Friends of the Randolph County Public Libraries.

The final 2026 Sunset Series event will be Our State Editor Elizabeth Hudson, 7:30 p.m. Friday, September 25. The Sunset Theatre is located at 234 Sunset Avenue.

For more information, call the Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau at 800-626-2672.

Historian Ricky Allred to talk about county ‘Poor House’ at Asheboro library

Ricky Allred

ASHEBORO – Until the middle of the 20th century, counties were responsible for taking care of their poor and indigent residents. 

Local historian Ricky Allred will discuss Randolph County’s role in caring for its neediest citizens in a talk at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30, at the Asheboro Public Library. The talk is free and the public is invited.

Allred is author of The Least of These: Caring for the Poor in Randolph County, N.C., 1794-1922, published in 2025. The book chronicles the provisions for caring for those who could not take care of themselves, from the parish-based system of colonial times through the post-independence shift to county responsibility and the creation of a county Poor House, to the beginnings of state supervision following the Civil War, and finally to the replacement of the Poor House with a modern County Home in 1922. 

While legal and government structure frame the historical account, stories Allred has uncovered of individuals within the system — both care recipients and caregivers — give color to the statistics and vitality to the narrative.

Allred’s interest in history springs from deep family roots in Randolph County, and has led to research into a variety of local history topics. He is known for his “Walk Through the Past” tours of the Old Asheboro Cemetery.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. For more information, call 336-318-6803.

Film screening, discussion to bring to life ‘The American Constitution’

 

ASHEBORO -- Experience the high-stakes story of the 1787 Constitutional Convention in The American Constitution, a new documentary movie, in a screening at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 3, in downtown Asheboro’s historic Sunset Theater.

The event, hosted by Revolutionary Randolph, the county’s official America 250 NC committee, is free and the public is invited. A discussion with filmmaker David Garrigus will follow the one-hour film.

Guided by insights from leading constitutional scholars, The American Constitution unveils the origin story of the American system of government. Set in the sweltering summer of 1787, the film dramatizes the creation of one of the most influential documents in human history.

Non-partisan and non-political, the film is a scrupulously accurate story promoting historical literacy and the greater civic good. The script is drawn entirely from the historical record, using only the Founders' own words.

This commitment to authenticity is brought to life by an impressive cast portraying Framers like George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and the ever-witty Benjamin Franklin.

The film is slated to be broadcast on public television in fall 2026. View the film’s trailer at ConstitutionMovie.com. 

Garrigus is an award-winning filmmaker specializing in historical documentaries. His previous work includes the critically-acclaimed PBS film Kitty Hawk: The Wright Brothers’ Journey of Invention. 

The Sunset Theatre is located at 234 Sunset Avenue. For more information, call the Asheboro Public Library at 336-318-6803.