Downtown Augusta’s Greene Street has a strip of monuments honoring military personnel that fought in various wars throughout time. A few noteworthy individuals from the Augusta area are honored as well. With Augusta being the second town settled in the 13th British colony and Fort Gordon in close proximity, this city has a rich military history. I started my tour by the intersection of Greene Street and 10th Street, at the World War I monument.
What Stands if Freedom Fall?
The front of this World War I monument is engraved with the Rudyard Kipling quote, “What Stands if Freedom Fall?” and on the back, the monument reads that it was erected “[t]o honor the men of Richmond County, of every creed and color, who served at their country’s call. That aggression and lawless force should not dominate the world.”
4th Infantry Ivy Division, U.S. Army
I started walking east and visited this memorial commemorating the first group of soldiers stationed and trained at Fort Gordon (at that time Camp Gordon) from 1941 to 1943. These troops were the first to land on Utah Beach, the western-most beach of the Normandy Invasion of World War II. The story of the 4th Infantry Division is a fascinating one that’s worth further research if you find military history interesting.
United Spanish War Veterans
Further down the street is this stone honoring veterans of the Spanish-American War.
Paul Fitzsimmons Eve, M.D.
A founder of the Medical College of Georgia in 1832, Paul Fitzsimmons Eve had an eventful life. From his role as a major field surgeon in the Polish War, to volunteering in the Mexican-American War, serving as a soldier of the Confederate Army and even acting as a professor of surgery in several colleges, Paul Fitzsimmons Eve has more accolades on his resume than many.
National Guard
My favorite of the monuments I visited on my walk, this obelisk pays its respects to National Guardsmen who fought in several wars throughout history. It pays special attention to those who participated in the Korean War and World War II.
St. Julian Cox, III is a photojournalist for The Augusta Press. Reach him at saintjulianc@gmail.com.
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