Savannah Rapids Pavilion was decked out in red, white, and blue as 375 attended an annual luncheon to honor local active duty and retired military personnel.
A highlight of the program was announcing the recipient of The Patriot Award. It was presented by Ehrin Fairey of Southeastern Residential and a Major in the Air Force Reserve, who said the recipient shows unwavering dedication and support to the military community. She explained the company helps more than 1,000 families each year with relocation services, while also supporting the annual Fort Eisenhower Christmas House.
“They are also the longest-serving community partner with the local chapter of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), with a total of 49 consecutive years supporting those in uniform. Without further ado, I am proud to announce the winner of the 2024 Patriot Award is none other than Ellefson Transportation Group (ETG),” said Fairey.
“I think, as a business leader, it’s very easy to get caught up in your day-to-day activity, and it’s moments like today put everything in perspective,” he said. “And I have to keep this respect and honor for every one of you that serve and have served. On behalf of this community and this country, thank you for everything that you do.”
The tale is in the numbers. Russell Lahodny, President and CEO of the Columbia County Chamber, said a recent study by Georgia Southern University found the military’s economic impact on the Augusta area is $7.4 billion.
Stan Sheperd of AT&T, and a member of the Columbia County Chamber’s Board of Directors, told ABD events like the luncheon serve as a reminder of the military’s importance to the Augusta area.
“This is a community that really supports our Fort Eisenhower families, and I think recognizing it from a business community standpoint was important,” he said.
A sentiment echoed by Jim Clifford, North Augusta City Administrator and a retired U.S. Army Colonel who served as Garrison Commander at what was then Fort Gordon.
“You can take a good look around the room today and see a mix of retirees, veterans, and active duty service members, and obviously, our chambers and our governments and our population here in the CSRA value their service. That’s one of the reasons why I chose to live here,” he said.
Keynote Speaker, Specialist Five James McCloughan, a Medal of Honor recipient, shared stories of his time in uniform serving in Vietnam in 1969-1970.
“We came from every part of this great nation to our basic training, our advanced individual training,” he said. “We ended up family in a place far different than the hometowns that we came from. We started out loyal to our country and United States Army, but soon discovered that getting as many of us out of there alive as we could and back to the world would be our main goal.”
McCloughan served as a combat medic with Company C, 3d Battalion, 21st Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. Wounded by shrapnel from a grenade, he continued to care for other wounded soldiers.
“As the combat medic, I held 18, 19, and 20-year-old boys in my arms. I heard their last words, and I saw the last breath of life come on. I am a witness to the fact that the price that has been paid for us here in the United States of America has been paid by those people,” he said, pointing out those soldiers gave up two lives. The one they had and the one they would have had if they had made it home.
“Never got to marry their soulmate. Watch the birth of a child. See that child grow. Never got to walk their little girl down the aisle and celebrate that father-daughter dance at the ceremony after the wedding and every holiday, reunion, birthday, or family gathering. They’re not here. They gave up two lives, so we in this room, can enjoy the peace that we’re enjoying at this moment,” he said.
McCloughan said, as of November 2023, 18 million veterans were alive in the U.S., 30% disabled in some way. Veterans are dying at a rate of 1,700 each day, tragically, 22 of them by their own hand.
To close the program, Lahodny announced he had one more honor to bestow. He called Col. Reginald Evans, current Garrison Commander at Fort Eisenhower, who will soon depart to his next duty post.
“I’ve never seen a community wrap its arms around an installation like you do for Fort Eisenhower,” Evans told the crowd. “You’ve heard me say in the past, and I absolutely mean it. I don’t know how I’m going to leave here and go up to my next assignment, which is up in Washington, DC, and then I don’t know where it’s going to take me from there, but somehow, I will find my way back to the CSRA.”
The event was jointly sponsored by the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, North Augusta Chamber of Commerce, and Greater Augusta Black Chamber in partnership with the AUSA Greater Augusta Fort Eisenhower chapter.
