Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
The Anderson County Museum will debut a new permanent exhibit, “Andersonians In War,” Friday featuring Anderson County and South Carolina veterans who embodied the social and political debates of their times, and changed the course of state, regional, and national history.
Seven years in the making, the exhibit begins with the American Revolution military leaders Andrew Pickens and Robert Anderson, who would aid in the victory of the colonies and in the founding of Anderson County and includes Congressional Medal of Honor Recipeint Cpl. Freddie Stowers, who came from a poor farming family in Sandy Springs, and rose to greatness by leading his African American fellows to victory on the Meuse Argonne front in 1917.
The stories in the exhibit will offer a unique window into the area’s military past, from the Revolution to modern day conflicts.
“Our hope and mission is to preserve the stories of our county’s veterans, past and present, and to inspire appreciation for the sacrifices they have made for the betterment of this county, state, and nation,” said Anderson County Museum Curator Dustin Norris. “In every major American conflict, one can find Andersonians in War.”
The exhibit will open to the public on Veterans’ Day at 10 a.m., with curated tours at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. To RSVP for the tours, email ACMRSVP@andersoncountysc.org.
“Our job is to connect our visitors to the past. Highlighting individuals who have lived historic military lives unique to Anderson County and South Carolina, provides a link to the roots of our community,” said Museum Executive Director Beverly Childs. “We like to think of our exhibits as a breathing and living entity and these military stories bring home the reality of war.”