Today from 2-5 p.m., at American Legion Post 38 in West Point, veterans and first responders will be treated to a barbecue lunch with all the trimmings.
The meal is sponsored by the American Legion Riders, a motorcycle group from the American Legion Post. Charles “Hoss” McComic, 58, has been spreading the word but insists he’s “just a helper.”
The real credit, he said, belongs to the group’s officers, which includes his girlfriend, Linda Babcock, the group’s secretary-treasurer.
“I don’t do any of this stuff for publicity,” McComic insisted.
For those familiar with McComic, which seems to be just about everyone in his hometown, it’s a familiar refrain.
“He’s just an outgoing person,” Babcock said. “He’s got a real heart for his community. If somebody needs help, he’ll help them, and if he can’t, he’ll find people who can. He’s great at pulling people together because he knows so many people.”
In many respects, McComic is not unlike the TV character from the 1960s TV series “Bonanza” with whom he shares a nickname. Barrel-chested and genial, McComic can also be plain-spoken and critical, especially where he believes the town’s leadership is concerned.
“We need things for our kids and our older people in this town,” said McComic. “Yeah, I’ve been pretty clear about that and I know a lot of people may think I’m a SOB, but all I know is that when I put my head on my pillow at night, I sleep just fine.”
Historian Rufus Ward, who grew up in West Point, said McComic is one of those people who give small-town life its character.
“He’s just one of those guys that you, if you know him, you never have to question where you stand with him,” Ward said. “If you’re his friend, you know it. He’ll give you the shirt off his back, do anything for you. If you’re on the other side, well, you know that, too.”
McComic seems to shed compliments and criticisms with equal aplomb.
“What I do is for other people, not for me. I don’t even like talking about it,” he said. “I’ve never done one thing I can think of and expected anything in return.”
McComic is a roll-with-the-punches kind of guy, which is true not only of his personality but of his working career.
He’s held a factory job, managed a restaurant, owned and managed a meat market/restaurant. In his current job, he works as a mechanic for the city of Aberdeen, taking care of the city’s fleet of automobiles despite no real training for the job.
“My deal is when things happen, you move on to the next,” McComic said. “I’ve done a lot of different kinds of work, but I like that. It’s fun trying new things.”
McComic became a well-known figure downtown in the early 2000s when he opened Main Street Market, a meat market and restaurant in a vacant building across from the Sunflower grocery store.
“I put a ton of money into the place to get it cleaned up and going,” he said. “After about three years, I got kind of burned out and sold it, but the new owner convinced me to stick around and be the manager for a couple of more years. After that, I wanted to do something else, which is how I got the job I’m doing now.”
In his spare time, McComic likes to hunt and fish, as well as spending time with Linda.
But he’s always on the look-out for someone in need, especially veterans and disabled people.
“There are a lot of people that need help from time to time,” McComic said. “Last year, we helped a disabled veteran by rigging him a wheelchair that he could use outdoors, so he could hunt and fish like he used to do. It’s things like that that can make a big difference for people. And if you can help, I really don’t know why you wouldn’t.”
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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