August 20, 2015; By Mr. Robert Timmons (IMCOM)
A group of South Carolina business and community leaders announced plans Tuesday to build a park commemorating the 100th anniversary of Fort Jackson.
The group plans to break ground next summer at an unspecified location on Fort Jackson. The park would open in time for centennial celebrations in 2017.
The park will celebrate a post "that has created millions of Soldiers," said retired Maj. Gen. Abe Turner, former Fort Jackson commander and a member of the nonprofit Gateway to the Army Association that plans to finance and build the park.
The association must raise more than $1 million during the next 18 months in order to carry out its plans, association members said.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said the park would welcome Soldiers "not only to Fort Jackson but to Columbia as well."
Fort Jackson means more to Columbia than patriotism. It brings millions of dollars to the Midlands annually as those on post shop and dine off-post. It also welcomes the public to events on post, from fireworks displays to job fairs.
Organizers want the park to be in a location where Soldiers and Families can get together on family days in a place with manicured lawns winding around an amphitheater, memorials and a pathway honoring patriots. They also envision it as a place where Army ceremonies could take place.
The park will be built in the Greek Revival style -- a style that incorporates the use of columns and statues, one of which is to depict a male and female drill sergeant and be visible from the amphitheater.
The park will be both "educational and motivational," said association board member Bryan Hilferty.
Internet and GPS technology incorporated into park plans will allow visitors to view videos and gain access to web pages providing other information, he said.