More than five decades after Marine Sgt. Godfred Blankenship gave his life for his country, his name has returned home to the Greenbrier community where his story began.
Family members, community leaders and local residents gathered Friday, Aug. 7, for the dedication of the Sergeant Godfred Blankenship Memorial Bridge. The bridge is located near the left- and right-hand forks of Greenbrier in Buchanan County.
Due to some early evening rain showers, the ceremony was held at the Russell Prater Old Regular Baptist Church and drew a large crowd honoring Blankenship, a Greenbrier native who died from wounds suffered while serving in the Vietnam War.
Retired Buchanan County educator and former School Board member Scotty Owens spearheaded the effort to have the bridge named in Blankenship’s memory.
Owens thanked the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors for approving the resolution allowing the bridge to be named, and the Virginia Department of Transportation for providing and installing the memorial signs. He also recognized Erica Miller, a VDOT district transportation official in the Bristol area, for helping move the project forward.
Blankenship was born April 28, 1938, in Greenbrier to Stella Blankenship Kelly. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps around 1959 or 1960 and rose to the rank of sergeant during approximately seven years of military service.
He served with the 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division and 3rd Marine Amphibious Force. His military occupational specialty was rifleman.
According to information Owens shared during the ceremony, Blankenship received six medals, including the Purple Heart and a Gold Star, as well as seven ribbons.
Owens said Blankenship and his reconnaissance team had recently returned to their base after spending several days on patrol when another team prepared to head out. One member of that team had become ill, and its patrol leader asked Blankenship to take the Marine’s place and serve as assistant patrol leader.
Blankenship agreed.
During the patrol, an enemy mine exploded—the patrol leader, Capt. Barnes, died at the scene, while Blankenship and two other Marines were evacuated. Blankenship died March 26, 1967, four days after being wounded.
Owens read a message posted to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial website in March 2007 by Robert Rocky Schmidt, the Marine whose place Blankenship took on the mission.
“Greater love no man has than to give his life for his friend,” the message read. “It has been 40 years this month. Sergeant Blankenship took my place on that recon mission. We remember, and we are eternally grateful.”
Blankenship was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement during combat operations in Vietnam.
The citation recognized his service as a reconnaissance platoon sergeant and patrol leader from Jan. 4 through March 25, 1967. It credited Blankenship’s skill, judgment and courage with helping his unit gather valuable intelligence while operating deep inside enemy territory.
The citation also described a January 1967 patrol during which Blankenship’s unit came under Viet Cong fire. The team returned fire, killing three of the opposing force before Blankenship led part of the patrol farther into the area, where weapons, documents, medical supplies and rations were recovered. He then helped secure the safe helicopter evacuation of his team.
During another patrol near Da Nang on Jan 11, 1967, Blankenship and four members of his team were wounded by a booby trap. Despite his injuries, he helped maintain control of the team and assisted with the medical evacuation of those who were more seriously wounded.
Blankenship was mortally wounded by an enemy mine while on patrol south of Da Nang on March 25, 1967.
“Sergeant Blankenship’s outstanding courage and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States military service,” the citation stated. “He gallantly gave his life for his country.”
Owens said two experiences inspired him to seek the bridge dedication. The first came in 2021 when The Wall That Heals, a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, visited Southern Gap. Owens volunteered to help visitors locate the names of friends and loved ones, and Blankenship’s name stayed on his mind.
His second inspiration came after seeing memorial highway signs honoring another area service member. Owens began wondering whether something similar could be done for Blankenship in Greenbrier.
Owens contacted one of Blankenship’s only living family members, Johnny Mack Kelly of Grundy, who supported the idea, and later brought the proposal before the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Owens presented family members with miniature replicas of the Sergeant Godfred Blankenship Memorial Bridge sign provided by VDOT.
“I hope what I’ve said and what we’ve done today has been OK with everybody,” Owens concluded. “And I hope that we all keep remembering the good things about Godfred.”
