BY JEFF WILKINSON, THE STATE, AUG, 18, 2015
A group of retired military leaders and interested civilians are raising funds to build a park at Fort Jackson to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the nation’s largest training base in 2017.
The Gateway to the Army Association is seeking to raise $1.5 million for the park, which will feature a statue of male and female drill sergeants and an amphitheater as its centerpiece. The fund-raising drive will kick off with a news conference Tuesday at the First Responders Memorial in front of the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
The park would be designed to enhance family gatherings during the fort’s weekly graduation of new soldiers. It is also intended to host military events and ceremonies, as well as serving as a place where soldiers and civilians can unwind and reflect.
“The fort has held up its end of the bargain by turning out first-class soldiers,” said retired Maj. Gen. Abe Turner, a native South Carolinian who served as the fort’s commander from 2004-06. “It’s time for us to show our appreciation and say ‘Happy birthday, Fort Jackson.’”
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