May 18, 2013

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Medal of Honor recipient gains support for new museum

May 14, 2013 by
General Livingston greeting people at the Statehouse

General Livingston greeting people at the Statehouse

The South Carolina General Assembly honored plans to build the Medal of Honor Museum in Mount Pleasant during a presentation before the House of Representatives Tuesday.

House Speaker Bobby Harrell recognized Medal of Honor recipient Marine Major General James E. Livingston and then gave his support for the building of the museum.

“General Livingston and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society are seeking to establish a permanent stand-alone national museum on Patriot’s Point to give this medal’s history and its recipients the stand-alone recognition they deserve,” says Harrell.

Gen. Livingston received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Vietnam in 1968. He is a South Carolina native and is on the foundation organizing the museum.

“The Medal of Honor started during the Civil War. The Civil War started in Charleston, South Carolina, and I think it’s just a reflection of that legacy,” Livingston told South Carolina Radio Network afterwards. “It really means a lot to me personally. It means a lot to all the recipients. And hopefully it’s going to mean a lot to the people of South Carolina.”

Livingston says that museum at Patriots Point will have significant economic impact on the state. He said the museum’s layout will be set up in order to leave a legacy for future generations to see.

“The museum will have a Medal of Honor board. We have advisors from the Medal of Honor Society who will make sure the contents of the board reflect the spirit of the Medal of Honor recipients,” says Livingston.

Last week, the state Budget and Control Board approved a 99-year lease at $1 a year for the new museum.

The general said they hope to have to museum up and running in 5 years, but they need more fundraising before an exact date can be set. He said they still need $100 million before they can complete the project.

Filed Under: Featured, History and Heritage, Human Interest, Military, News

Gowdy questions State Department actions after Benghazi attack

May 8, 2013 by

South Carolina’s 4th District Congressman Trey Gowdy says a State Department email the day after fatal attacks on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya shows Obama Administration officials knew within a day that terrorists were involved.

Rep. Trey Gowdy (FILE)

Rep. Trey Gowdy (FILE)

Gowdy mentioned the email during a high-profile U.S. House Oversight Committee hearing Wednesday, saying it contradicted statements from United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice about the attack stemming from a spontaneous protest. Rice’s statements on several Sunday morning talk shows have been a frequent target for Republicans who insist the White House was trying to hide the severity of the attack.

Administration officials say Rice was only repeating what the White House, FBI, and others believed at the time.

Wednesday’s hearing featured three State Department officials who were closely involved in the agency’s immediate response. They included deputy chief of mission Gregory Hicks, who became the top diplomat in the country after Ambassador Chris Stevens was killed in the attack.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Military, News, Politics & Government

SC soldier gets nearly 12 years in fatal shooting

May 3, 2013 by

An Alaska-based soldier from South Carolina will serve nearly 12 years in a military prison and be dishonorably discharged after killing a fellow soldier on Christmas morning.

Spec. Marshall D. Drake Jr., of Mount Pleasant, S.C., was sentenced Thursday after being convicted in a general court-martial of involuntary manslaughter. The Anchorage Daily News reports the 23-year-old Drake was accused of shooting Pfc. Grant W. Wise, of Fairport, N.Y., in Drake’s barracks room on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.

A witness at the court-martial said Drake and Wise continued their Christmas Eve drinking into the early morning hours, when the shooting occurred.  Drake and Wise woke a member of their company, Pvt. David Hubbard, about 6:30 a.m. Christmas Day, Hubbard testified. The men talked before Drake pulled an  automatic handgun out of a drawer and apparently unloaded it, Hubbard said. Drake was joking around with Wise when he pointed it at his friend and pulled the trigger, shooting his fellow soldier once at close range, Hubbard said.  A spokesman for the military said the incident was one of several that caused Army commanders to ban alcohol in the base barracks.

Prosecutors said Drake fired into Wise’s face.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Military, News

Easley soldier dies from injuries suffered in Afghanistan

April 22, 2013 by

A soldier from the Upstate died from injuries he suffered when his vehicle was attacked in Afghanistan last week.

Courtesy: Facebook

Courtesy: Facebook

The Defense Department says 20-year-old Army Private First Class Barrett Austin of Easley died four days after an improvised explosive device exploded under his vehicle in Wardak Province. He was at a hospital in Germany when he passed away on Sunday.

Austin was assigned to the 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in the 3rd Infantry Division, the release said. The unit is stationed out of Fort Stewart in Georgia.

A Facebook group has been set up in Austin’s honor. Known as “Bows for Barrett,” it had encouraged the Easley and Pickens County community to post yellow ribbons on mailboxes while Austin was in the hospital.

Austin is survived by his wife and parents. His mother owns a salon in Easley.

The Greenville News has a good report on how the Easley community is mourning Austin’s death.

Filed Under: Featured, Military, News

Investigators: Damaged Charleston fire boat struck buoy

April 16, 2013 by

Officials now say that a Charleston fireboat crashed into a harbor buoy during a rescue call this weekend.

The Louis Behrens (Courtesy: Charleston Fire Dept.)

The Louis Behrens (Courtesy: Charleston Fire Dept.)

The incident happened late Saturday night, while the fireboat Louis Behrens was responding to a stranded Navy patrol boat that crashed into a jetty during training exercises. However, fire officials said the rescue boat had to be saved itself and towed back to dock after striking an unidentified object.

Now the Charleston Fire Marshal’s Office says that investigators believe the 36-foot boat hit a buoy. In a statement, the office said fire officials examined audio recordings and initial information from the crew.

The U.S. Coast Guard will now take over the investigation, at the request of the Charleston Fire Department. Coast Guard officials said they will check to make sure the buoy’s light was working at the time.

“In order to ensure an unbiased review, and allow the Coast Guard to work through their process, we will not be able to provide any further details, comments, or access to the fireboat until the investigation has been completed. Upon completion we will provide an update on their results,” Charleston Fire Chief Karen Brack said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Navy patrol boat that created the rescue call has now sunk very close to where it crashed into the harbor’s south jetty while conducting training exercises Saturday. The Navy now says six of the boat’s crew were injured in the collision, up from an initial report of three. Three of those men have since been released from the hospital, while the others remain in stable condition, naval officials said.

The Louis Behrens is a relatively new vessel. It was christened in November and only began its service in January.

Filed Under: Accidents & Disasters, Featured, Military, News
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