The Christiansburg community came together Sunday to honor a fire captain who hung up his hat for good after more than 50 years of volunteer service.
Capt. Harold Zerkle, 68, joined the Christiansburg Fire Department Nov. 7, 1965, and retired effective Feb. 1.
“It is just time,” Zerkle said, with tears in his eyes during Sunday’s reception. “I’m not as good as I was and it’s time to get out before somebody else got hurt, or I got hurt.”
Zerkle's father was a founding member of the fire company in 1948, and now Zerkle has a son serving in the department and a grandson who says he can't wait to become the fourth generation of Zerkles to serve on the same department in Champaign County.
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