During the Kershaw County Council meeting Nov. 18, the council voted to name the newly completed boat ramp at the Wateree River Veterans Park, the Medal of Honor Boat Ramp.
During the discussion of the motion made by Chairman Ben Connell, councilman Jimmy Jones, who acknowledged that he had never supported the park, announced that he was voting in favor of the name but also remarked that he expected the ramp to be kept spotless in keeping with the prestige of its name.
Kershaw County can boast that no other county in South Carolina has more than its four Medal of Honor recipients: John C. Villepigue and Richmond H. Hilton, both for World War I, Donald L. Truesdell, for his actions in Nicaragua in 1932, and Sergeant Major Thomas Patrick Payne for his actions during a hostage rescue mission in Iraq in 2015.
A ribbon cutting was held on Wednesday, Nov. 19, to officially open the new Medal of Honor Boat Ramp.
From left, Ken Seward, Tray Dunaway and David Reuwer salute the opening in Revolutionary style.
The ribbon is cut.
Ben Connell recounts how the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment jumped from aircraft “over this very spot” to mount what has been called the Camden Parachute Assault of 1943 It was the U.S. Army’s first regimental-sized parachute drop exercise. Connell’s relative, Ivey Kiben Connell, participated in the drop. He was killed in action near Rome, Italy, on October 6, 1943.
Three fishermen, the one in the foreground retired here from Nebraska, ignored the pomp and circumstance and wasted no time to cast lines into the river.
Others participating in the celebration were members and employees of Kershaw County Council, Kershaw County Parks and Recreation, Kershaw County Legislative Delegation, Kershaw County Recreation Advisory Commission, Kershaw County Health Services District and interested citizens.
The boat ramps are now open to the public.
Wateree River Veterans Park is located at 550 Highway 1 South, Lugoff. It offers .4 Miles (2,112 ft) of concrete walking trail, a floating kayak and canoe launch, and access to the Wateree River.
