South Carolina Military Veterans Hall of Fame grows mission

Col. BG “Ben” Skardon survived the Bataan Death March in World War II and lived to be 104 years old, and Col. Bill Austin was a prisoner of war for five and a half years in Vietnam. Both incredible soldiers are part of a long lineup of veterans recognized in the South Carolina Military Veterans Hall of Fame, a nonprofit organization founded in 2025 that exists to honor and preserve the legacy of South Carolina’s military veterans.

The organization was established at the request of the South Carolina Department of Veteran Affairs to align the state with other state level Hall of Fames from Georgia, Arkansas, Indiana and Oklahoma.

During its inaugural gala at Fort Jackson on June 6, hall of fame inducted its first class of veterans. Currently, there are 67 inductees — 26 living, 27 posthumous, and 14 from the Revolutionary War. Nine of them are Clemson University alumni.

Jimmy Mullinax, retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and executive director of the Military Affairs Division of Student Affairs at Clemson University shared, “I am thankful to the SCMVHOF for making this night possible and look forward to nominating many other Clemson alumni that have served our nation and South Carolina so proudly.”

Showcasing veteran legacies

SCMVHOF is in a small space at the Columbia Convention Center, but once remodeling is complete on the building, the organization will be able to expand its footprint. Jay Alverson, executive director for the S.C. Military Veterans Hall of Fame, said that he has been thrilled at the support the organization has received so far.

“We started with an idea and some bylaws,” he explained. “We initially thought we would be limited to a virtual hall for a few years and then the Convention Center offered a physical location. And our gala was amazing. We were expecting about 100 people when we first started this endeavor and we ended up with 381 attendees and raised about $23,000.”

The hall does not charge inductees or those who want to nominate a veteran. So far, the organization has received donations either through cash, item donations, or purchasing a table at the induction gala. Some of the supporters include local businesses like Charlotte Rare Coins, Palmetto Front Line, Palmetto Citizens Bank, Columbia Printing and Graphics, Coca-Cola Consolidated Bottling Co., Twisted Sugar, RSN Promotions, and many more.

The SCMVHOF team is seeking additional corporate sponsorships to build up its funding base. For example, the organization is looking for a title sponsor for the physical Hall of Fame plaques and busts, in addition to smaller donors to help fund community outreach goals and initiatives. They are also specifically looking for a car dealership to provide a large truck or SUV that will allow for volunteers and board members to visit different parts of the state to meet veterans and honor posthumous inductees with permanent grave markers. For all businesses SCMVHOF offers a free “Certified Veteran Friendly Business” program, which is a seal that those businesses can use on their digital marketing and physical seals and decals for their storefronts.

“This lets veterans in the state of South Carolina know which businesses have made an effort to serve the veterans in their community and not just profit from the veterans in their community,” Alverson said. “We hope to get sponsors so we can travel the state meeting veterans and collecting nominations from every corner of South Carolina, so that every veteran and their family know they have a home here with us.”