One Reunion Accomplishment

There is one accomplishment that our reunion has achieved. This is the preservation of the 1917 map showing the first land transfer of the Ft. Jackson land from the original owners to the Army.

I had seen this map in the early 1990s. It was stored in the Ft. Jackson Museum and you had to ask to see it. It was about six feet long and maybe three feet wide. After a decision was made to hold our first reunion, Bill Bauer and I visited the museum and asked to see the map. We were told that the map was too brittle and worn that we would not be able to see it. I asked if we could photograph the map and produce a copy for our reunion. The answer was no by the museum director.

After being assigned a contact person between the Public Relations Department and our reunion committee I brought this request up again with the contact. She contacted the museum and was told no.

After a rew days I called this contact and reminded her of the map that “could not be seen”. I stated that I thought the best way to handle this map would be to carefully fold this map and then take it to the nearest trash dump since no human eyes could see it again. This brought laughter from our contact person and she said she would look in to the matter again and call me in a few days.

After a couple days I received a call from this lady. She told me that the Forestry Department of Ft. Jackson had agreed to photograph the map and produce a copy for our reunion. Now the museum director proudly says that she has a copy of the map displayed on the wall of the museum so that visitors may now see what was once forbidden to be seen by human eyes.

Now you know the rest of the story.

JJH 10/10/2010