South Carolina Military Museum Tour Preview

We are so happy you have come to visit us today. Your tour starts here in the gift shop and will then proceed to Gallery 1 where we feature a timeline of South Carolina's military history.

This wall and exhibit case honor the 37 South Carolinians who received the Medal of Honor.

Our third stop in the museum is about the role of the military in this region in the 17th and 18th centuries. Artifacts include a Spanish suit of armor representing Santa Elena, a settlement on Parris Island from 1566 to 1587. After the Yamasee War of 1715-1717, South Carolina’s colonists became subject to the British crown in 1720 after having to defend themselves from exploited Yamasee warriors and their allies.

While the American Revolution began in New England, it ended here in South Carolina. An initial attack on Charleston was foiled in 1776 when the British Navy failed to capture Charleston. However, in 1780 the British began a land campaign, capturing Charleston and making so many inroads into the Carolinas.

After the American Revolution, South Carolina had a few decades of relative peace. Defenses were mobilized for the War of 1812, but the British largely left South Carolina alone. Seven men from South Carolina were killed at the Battle of the Alamo in 1836. Years later, many South Carolinians played key part of the Mexican American War. The Palmetto Regiment notably raised the first set of American regimental colors over a foreign city after the Battle of Chapultepec in 1847.

The conflicts leading up to World War I saw a wide variety of technological innovations for firearms. Not only did WWI see the use of chemical warfare, airplanes, tanks, and flamethrowers, but firearms also saw a significant leap in their technology. The early 20th century is the first time that machine guns and assault rifles saw widespread use.

During World War I, South Carolina became the nation’s training ground with Camp Sevier in Greenville, Camp Jackson in Columbia, Camp Wadsworth in Spartanburg, and Camp Moore in Styx, SC. Many folks from all walks of life served in World War I.

This exhibit showcases the vast change in firearms from the 1600s to the 1800s. The earliest pieces in here are flintlock rifles.

After World War II, the U.S. emerged as a major world power, largely in opposition to the U.S.S.R. and the Chinese Communist Party. Rather than all-out conflicts, what followed in the ensuing decades were a series of proxy wars. The first of these was the Korean conflict which was prompted by the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea (i.e. North Korea) illegally invading South Korea. The United Nations led a force to defend the territorial integrity of South Korea, comprised mostly of troops from the United States. While the borders changed and shifted, by 1953 the borders were settled roughly at the 38th parallel.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the United States was embroiled in the Vietnam War following an incident at the Gulf of Tonkin. This war became very unpopular, as the government of South Vietnam was noted for its corruption, U.S. involvement was crippled by politics, and soldier morale deteriorated. The Vietnam War was led by General William C. Westmoreland, a native of Spartanburg County, SC.

For folks in the United States, this period also saw an incredible amount of new technology as the result of military research and development. After the development of nuclear technology as part of the Manhattan Project, the American military was instrumental behind things we use every day, such as digital photography (1957), the first Internet (Arpanet, 1969), the first cell phone (1973), and GPS (1978).

South Carolina has a wide variety of aviation units throughout the state. From jet fighters in the midlands to cargo transports on the coast and helicopters in the upstate, these units support missions at home and overseas. During World War II, South Carolina became an epicenter for pilot and crew training which led to the creation of the South Carolina Air National Guard and helped secure the state as a base of operations for U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps aviators.

Battery Bay explores a variety of field artillery pieces and the technology involved with putting heavy ordnance “downrange.” The reproduction 18th century 6-pound cannon on the blue carriage is called “Boots” and is used several times a year for reenactments throughout the region. Boots recently went through an extensive restoration process!

The South Carolina Military Museum has a great collection of military vehicles which date all the way back to the 1930s.

The world changed for the United States on September 11, 2001. The twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City were struck by commercial aircraft hijacked by terrorists. Another hijacked airliner crashed in rural Pennsylvania, and a fourth airliner crashed into the headquarters for the United States Department of Defense – the Pentagon. This ledge piece of the Pentagon has smoke damage from the fires that raged that day. The attacks killed 2,977 people.

The Smith family is a powerful example of a legacy born several hundred years ago that thrives today through a strong connection to a rich music tradition.

Ralph Smith (1921-1999) was born in Greenville County. A talented musician, Ralph was one of the first to popularize the Dobro in the South Carolina upstate. His story is one of economic hardship, strong family bonds, and a love of music fostered in a dynamic social atmosphere.

The Smith family history mirrors that of many other families during the early 20th century. Searching for economic stability, they migrated to the mill villages of the South Carolina upstate. Many of the men were called to service during two World Wars. Though a time of great struggle and sacrifice, it was also a period of unprecedented technological innovation and cultural transformation. This landscape provided the ideal environment for the growth of a family’s dynamic music tradition.