Before the Marching Boots: Fort Jackson's Beginning
Before the cadence echoed through Carolina pines,
This land was quiet—fields and farms,
Church bells ringing, children's laughter,
Sandhills stretching under southern skies.
In 1917, the call came—
Columbia's people gathered,
Donating acres, hearts, and hands,
To build a camp for soldiers
Named for Andrew Jackson, native son.
No roads, only wild underbrush—
Yet within weeks, tents and hope appeared,
A city rising for a nation at war.
Young men arrived, uncertain,
Learning courage on unfamiliar ground.
Before the barracks, before the drills,
This place was home to many—
Now it holds their memory,
And the promise of those who came
To serve, to train, to become
The Army's beating heart.