The city of Greenville, South Carolina, is planning to honor a significant part of its past with the establishment of a memorial park and statue. This initiative aims to commemorate Camp Sevier, a historical World War I campsite that played a pivotal role in the global conflict.
The Camp Sevier was a sprawling military camp located northeast of the city, near the Paris Mountain. Today, an enormous contrast prevails as roads intertwine with what were once firing ranges and training trenches. The parade grounds and rows of tents have been replaced by residential subdivisions, and the once lively ammunitions warehouse now stays unused and desolate. Almost no remnants of the camp, which reportedly prepared an estimated 100,000 soldiers for World War I, are present today.
The American soldiers who underwent training at Camp Sevier contributed significantly to the decisive victory in the war. These brave individuals broke through the formidable Hindenburg Line and successfully divided the German forces, which eventually led to the end of the conflict.
A substantial number of memorials in France and Belgium honor the men trained in Greenville. However, in their native land, the only remnants of their noble efforts and sacrifices are small roadside markers. A passionate group of advocates, spearheaded by local historian and advocate Teresa Slack and aided by the Camp Sevier Legacy Park Committee, aim to change this narrative.
This endeavor envisions the construction of a statue in the memory of a World War I soldier. Additionally, plans also include markers recognizing those who trained at Camp Sevier and laid their lives in military service. Teresa Slack said, “What these boys went through needs to be honored, needs to be remembered.”
Don Koonce, a local historian who researches Camp Sevier and is working with Slack, pointed out the importance of acknowledging the legacy of the training ground and the contribution of the soldiers to Greenville County’s history. He said, “It’s very important… So many of them didn’t make it back, and I think that’s what we really need to be honoring is those young men who fought and died for us.”
The proposed plans are still in the early stages of development, and many critical elements, such as specific location and source of funding, are yet to be finalized. However, the campaign is steadily gaining momentum as various developers have expressed interest in participating, and public officials are showing support for the new park.
Slack finds a 24-acre parcel of land, currently covered by a disused part of a golf course off Stallings Road, to be an ideal location for the park. Talks are ongoing between the committee and the landowner. As of now, the team is on the lookout for a well-established nonprofit to lead the project and hopes to garner support from the South Carolina Conservation Bank eventually.
