Volunteers from the north of the state are working with a memorial park to preserve the history of World War I

GREENVILLE COUNTY, SC (FOX Carolina) – After three years of pushing for change, a group of Upstate volunteers is one step closer to creating a memorial park to commemorate a lesser-known World War I division, proving that the past continues to shape Greenville County’s present.

“Trench warfare training took place here,” said Jan Willis, pointing to a piece of grassland.

“We didn’t even have enough weapons to train properly. Many of our soldiers worked with wooden rifles,” added Meg Hunt.

What is now an abandoned golf course in Taylors was once a training camp for soldiers from the Southeast during World War I. Camp Sevier began at the base of Paris Mountain and spread across nearly 2,000 acres throughout the county.

“They came here, built the camp, endured a terrible winter and summer and then trained in trench warfare, which was something new in World War I,” Brenda Buchik said.

Buchik, Hunt and Willis are now fighting to preserve the piece of land themselves to pay tribute to the brave soldiers. The three are members of the Camp Sevier Legacy Park Committee, which is working with the county to secure the future park.

“They’re still here, even if they’re not here anymore. And we should recognize that. A lot of people in Greenville don’t know about it,” Buchik said.

In 1918, things were not going so well for the Allies, as the Germans had a stronghold in Belgium on the Hindenburg Line near the Western Front of France. While many troops were withdrawing, the 30th Infantry Division advanced from Camp Sevier.

“They just said, ‘We’re not going back,’ and they pushed and pushed and made the breakthrough,” Hunt said. “What the 30th Division learned here at Camp Sevier really helped change the course of history.”

Except for two small markers on Wade Hampton Blvd. and Pine Knoll Drive, there are no memorials to the soldiers who trained at Camp Sevier and helped shape World War I. The Camp Sevier Legacy Park Committee hopes to change that.

The committee created renderings of the future park and is currently pushing to purchase 24 acres of land in Taylors from a developer. Members said the land is significant to honor not only those who have served, but those who have contributed to the growth of Greenville County.

“Rutherford Road was one of the first paved roads in Greenville County, and that was because of Camp Sevier,” Buchik said.

Camp Sevier also marked the launch of a popular product.

“Eugenia Duke made sandwiches for the soldiers, and that was the beginning of her Duke’s Mayonnaise business,” she continued.

Now the committee hopes that its current efforts will honor the influence of the past.

“Without the courage and sacrifice of the young men trained at Camp Sevier, World War I could have ended very differently,” Hunt said.

If you would like to help the committee reach its goal or would like to learn more, email [email protected].

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