Category Archives: Announcement

Yesterday we received exciting news from Ethan Pannkuk. The previous evening, January 7, he was awarded the highest rank from the Boy Scouts of America, Eagle Scout.

Ethan chose the Fort Caswell Rifle Range as the focus of his Eagle Scout Project. He spent many months researching, planning, and raising funds.

Then last March, Ethan and members from BSA Troop 210 of Carolina Beach spent two grueling days working on the target pit at the rifle range.

Ethan is shown at right with his proud father.

The Friends of Fort Caswell Rifle Range are proud of Ethan’s achievement and appreciate his and his troop members’ hard work on the rifle range.

Stories and photos showing the progress last year can be found here: Day 1 and Day 2.

The State Port Pilot newspaper article about the work can be found here.

The Brunswick Beacon article is here.

The Star News article is here.

Note: The Brunswick Beacon announced Ethan’s milestone in the January 24 edition. Read about it here:
Ethan Pannkuk earns Eagle Scout ranking

The plaque and certificate showing the designation of the 1918 Fort Caswell Rifle Range Memorial as an Official United States World War I Centennial Memorial have arrived.

The plaque will be installed on the monument which will be dedicated during the ceremony on November 11, 2018, the 100th Anniversary of the end of the Great War.

Another view of the bas relief image (sculpted bronze image). The Doughboy comes alive!

The certificate will be presented to the town of Caswell Beach at a later date.

Click here to read about the official United States designation:
WWI CENTENNIAL MEMORIAL: 1918 Fort Caswell Rifle Range

The 1918 Fort Caswell Rifle Range is 100 years old today.
MAY 20^TH 1918

Date on south wall

On January 21, 1918, the United States War Department proposed the construction of a rifle range adjacent to Fort Caswell, NC, for small arms training of soldiers “in view of the immediate necessity for instruction of men destined for over-seas duty” in World War I.

Continue reading and view the documents in the History section of the website.

Please consider contributing to the Fort Caswell Rifle Range stabilization fund to ensure many more years.

Click the green “How to make a donation” button on the right or click here.

Read about the stabilization efforts in the Stabilization section of the website.

During the Brunswick Town DAR May meeting, a Community Service Award was presented to Friends of Fort Caswell Rifle Range president, Norma Eckard, along with her husband and Administrator, Ronald Eckard.

The DAR Community Service Award is presented on local, state, and national levels to individuals and groups who have contributed to their communities in an outstanding voluntary, heroic, civil, or benevolent manner, or who have participated in or organized community activities. The award is presented twice/year by the Brunswick Town DAR.

Norma and Ronald began the effort to save the historic rifle range in 2011, and have continued working hard for seven years and counting. See the Stabilization section of the website for a journal detailing the years of work.

Congratulations, Norma and Ron!

DAR member Mary Willetts Earp gave a touching speech at the same meeting about her family and involvement in the Honor a World War I Veteran program for the 1918 Fort Caswell Rifle Range Memorial. Mary and the Friends are working to create a dedicated story to honor her family and thank them for their donation. This will be posted in the near future.

Now that the whirlwind of preparations and the actual Derby fundraiser is complete, it’s time to give thanks to everyone who made it possible.

Thank you to everyone who attended and added to the fun, bid on the baskets, donated their winnings, and gave their support just by being there.

Thank you to all who made the fundraiser possible. It’s difficult not to make mistakes when listing names. Please forgive any omissions.

♥ Barbara and David Ash ♥ Russ and Ann Barlowe ♥ Victor Cash ♥ Mike and Joyce Crabtree ♥ Norma, Ron, Lorraine, and Amy Eckard and Sam Allison ♥ Christy Fox ♥ Mary Lou and Gene Green ♥ Barbara and Jim Griffin ♥ Ken and Lynda Grymala ♥ Marvin and Betsy Hamer ♥ Connie Hendrix ♥ Joe Higgenbottham ♥ Lee Hinnant ♥ Dee Hunsucker ♥ Carol Jutte ♥ Tommy and Gloria Lewis ♥ Lucia Bland and Allen Lister ♥ Gary McDaniel ♥ Jody McCann ♥ Ruth Ann McLellan ♥ Leddy and Richard Polity ♥ Helen and Bob Radcliffe ♥ Jayne and Bill Rankin ♥ Mary Snead ♥ Lois and Norm Sprinthall ♥ Patricia Steele ♥ Stephani Thompson ♥ Trudy Wells ♥ Darby and Judy Whitlow ♥

Thank you to the individuals who donated to the Friends of Fort Caswell Rifle Range for the Stabilization effort. The link to view the names is always shown beside the thermometer on the right side of the website.

Thank you to those who honored the sacrifices of the brave men and women from Brunswick County who served in World War I by participating in the “Honor a Brunswick County WWI Veteran” program. The link to view veteran names and the donor honoring them is also shown beside the thermometer.

Thank you to those who sent photographs of ancestors who served in World War I. These can be found on the World War I Wall of Honor.

Thank you to the businesses that donated items for the fundraiser. We ♥ our local businesses!

One unique item was donated by the Friends of Oak Island Lighthouse (FOIL), which was included in one of the themed baskets.
A plaque with an original piece of the Oak Island Lighthouse Emergency Beacon Tower support system mounted on it, including a Certificate of Authenticity.

There are currently 300 of these available for $60 each. The price will increase to $75 in the fall. Contact oakislandlighthouse@gmail.com for more information.

Thank you to all!

As always, thanks for the support of our local media. See the News section to read years of published stories.

For several months, Ethan Pannkuk, an Eagle Scout Candidate from Troop 210 in Carolina Beach, has been researching and planning his Eagle Scout Service Project to assist in the stabilization of the Fort Caswell Rifle Range.

The Eagle Scout Service Project planning and approval process is a long one. There are several levels of approval needed: unit, district and council. The project must be approved by officials, in this case a structural engineer from Andrew Consulting Engineers, PC; and a  member of the State Historic Preservation Office, which has offered guidance and advice to Friends of Fort Caswell Rifle Range for many years.

Ethan was required to justify the project; obtain the materials, supplies, and tools; provide transportation; raise funds; and take steps to ensure safety at all times.

The planning and approval process with the Boy Scouts of America is complete, and is now scheduled to be performed at the end of March.

Thank you to Ethan Pannkuk for choosing the 1918 Fort Caswell Rifle Range for his Eagle Scout Project!

Note: To read about the stabilization milestones, go to the Stabilization section or click here.