One day in November 1967, U.S. Army Chaplain Charles J. Watters’ unit was involved in heavy combat with the enemy in the vicinity of Đắk Tô, South Vietnam. Among many brave things he did that day, he personally helped two dozen wounded men off the battlefield. Seriously wounded himself, he... read more →

The movies notwithstanding, intelligence work has little to do with drinking shaken martinis while wearing a designer tuxedo. In the real world, in wartime, it’s about things like sweating in a hostile field in fatigues, monitoring radio signals to gather intelligence. Hagell as a newly-minted lieutenant,... read more →

Robert L. Braddock likes to talk to people – from schoolchildren to adults – about his service in Vietnam. He wasn’t traumatized by his war experience, although he lost 40 percent of his hearing. In his talks, he has no grand political points to make, beyond being proud to have... read more →

On Christmas Day 1776, George Washington crossed the Delaware to deliver a shock to the Hessian mercenaries in British service, giving a big shot in the arm to American chances to gain the independence so recently declared. Toward the end of 1944, there was a lot of loose talk among... read more →

What do you get when someone who teaches the history of American involvement in Vietnam also served in that war? Sometimes you get reminiscence. Sometimes you get didactic rants about “imperialism.” Sometimes you get personal war stories of derring-do, fanciful to varying degrees. But with Joe Dunn, the Charles A.... read more →

Tommy Cockrell didn’t set out to serve with the Army engineers in Vietnam. His training was in combat infantry. But when he arrived in-country, that’s where they sent him. So it was that he found himself driving – often alone – up and down the perilous roads of I Corps,... read more →

On Saturday, October 28, the S.C. Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum will again host the South Carolina Military Miniature Society’s Annual Toy Soldier Show. This is the SCMMS’ 32nd annual show, and the Relic Room’s second time as a venue for the event. Having hosted last year, we now... read more →

Sometimes, the audience that shows up for a Lunch & Learn program at the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum in Columbia is as interesting as the program. On Sept. 15, the museum observed National POW/MIA Recognition Day with a special program. Our former curator of history, Fritz... read more →