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A salute to drill sergeants
Sculptor Ron Clamp, a Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative member (left), and Martin Wells, founder of the Gateway to the Army Foundation, pose with one of the two drill sergeant statues that will be at the heart of the $2.7 million Centennial Park when it’s completed.
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Training soldiers for WWI
Originally called Camp Jackson, the U.S. Army base outside Columbia began training soldiers for service in World War I, including the African American troops of the 371st Infantry Regiment. The unit served with distinction in France and counted among their ranks Cpl. Freddie Stowers, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his battlefield heroics. Fort Jackson remains the Army’s largest initial entry training station and since 1917 has turned more than 5 million civilian recruits into soldiers.
Since 1917, more than 5 million men and women have entered the U.S. Army’s basic training program at Fort Jackson as nervous civilian recruits and emerged as confident soldiers ready and able to defend their country.
The base, located near Columbia, remains the U.S. Army’s largest initial entry training site, turning out tens of thousands of new soldiers each year. To honor the patriotism of the troops and their drill sergeants, a local nonprofit formed by veterans and community leaders is building a 5-acre memorial park in the heart of Fort Jackson.
The $2.7 million Centennial Park project is “a gift to Fort Jackson,” says Command Sgt. Major (Retired) Martin Wells, founding chairman of the Gateway to the Army Association. “The goal of the project is to honor the 100-plus-year history of Fort Jackson and focus on the selfless service of the American soldier from World War I right on up to present day.”
When completed, the park will include a granite amphitheater built around a 20-foot-tall monument\ featuring two drill sergeants (one male and one female), pavilions where soldiers can picnic with visiting friends and family on graduation day, and the Pathway of Patriots—interconnecting sidewalks made from memorial pavers purchased by individual donors.
Designed by master stone carver and sculptor Ron Clamp, the park will have room for additional monuments. The Gateway to the Army Association has already been contacted by the 371st Infantry Regiment Memorial Association about building a monument to the African American troops of this celebrated Army unit, which trained at Camp Jackson and served with distinction in World War I. The Gateway to the Army Association also plans to recognize Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipients.
Work on the park is underway, and to raise the final $1.2 million needed to finish the job, the association is accepting corporate donations through a GoFundMe page, selling memorial pavers and hosting a fundraising event at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center on Nov. 13, 2019. For more information, visit gatewaytothearmy.org or call (803) 546-3295.