Category Archives: In the News

Thank you for joining us in November for the Veterans Day program.

The Brunswick Beacon published a very nice feature in the December 8 edition, which can be read here:
NSDAR in Brunswick, area rifle range honor veterans

The State Port Pilot also published a story on November 16. It may be available online here:
Event at WWI site at Caswell Beach honors veterans

The next Roll Call is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, April 6th, 2023, to commemorate the date the US entered World War I in 1917.

Wishing everyone a happy holiday season!

The Friends of Fort Caswell presented framed certificates to two local journalists, recognizing their efforts in promoting the Friends’ missions.

On a rainy Veterans Day morning, Norma Eckard, president of Friends of Fort Caswell Rifle Range, recognized staff writer Lee Hinnant of The State Port Pilot for promoting the stabilization work at the 1918 Fort Caswell Rifle Range and attending every commemoration and fundraising event. Lee was at the rifle range to document the event for Veterans Day, Veterans honored at Fort Caswell Rifle Pit.

Lee’s initial coverage of the rifle range was in 2012, Group aims to save World War I rifle range. He continued to document each step advancing the preservation of this unique piece of history. The Friends are thankful for his years of journalism!

To read all of Lee’s work about the rifle range in the State Port Pilot, click on the News tab.

Board members Gwen Causey, and Norma and Ron Eckard presented Brunswick Beacon Managing Editor Sam Hickman and his staff with a framed certificate of honor for publishing the World War I Profiles of Brunswick County men and women who served in the Great War. Since January 2018, Hickman and his staff have dedicated a space in the newspaper honoring the 718 local men and women who were identified as enlisting or reporting for duty, sacrificing their livelihoods and in some cases, their lives.

The Friends of Fort Caswell is a nonprofit whose members receive no compensation. Their mission is to stabilize and preserve the 1918 Fort Caswell Rile Range, which was built to train soldiers for World War I, as well as publicize and preserve the legacies of the men and women of Brunswick County who served in the Great War. The State Port Pilot and Brunswick Beacon provided significant assistance in accomplishing that mission.

The WWI Profiles published in the Brunswick Beacon and work to stabilize the 1918 Fort Caswell Rifle Range are included in the book published in 2020, Brunswick County in the Great War: Preserving the 1918 Fort Caswell Rifle Range and the Legacies of the Men and Women Who Served.

To order your own book, call or contact The Friends now as shown below (click to enlarge), or use the Purchase a Book link.

Local libraries were presented with copies of the book published by Friends of Fort Caswell Rifle Range.

Two copies of Brunswick County in the Great War: Preserving the 1918 Fort Caswell Rifle Range and the Legacies of the Men and Women Who Served were donated to each of the five library locations in Brunswick County. An additional copy was donated to the Brunswick County Community College.

These donations were made possible thanks to gifts from Gwen Causey, Barbara Griffin, Judith Holden, Kirk James, and Teresa A. McLamb.

You can read about the donations in local newspapers using the following links. They are also listed on the News webpage or using the News tab at the top of this website.
Brunswick Beacon: McLamb donates Great War book to BCC library
State Port Pilot: Friends of Rifle Range gift book

To order your own book, call or contact The Friends now as shown below (click to enlarge), or use the Purchase a Book link.

The book signing and purchase events and Taps Across America were covered in the local newspapers this week, and Norma Eckard presented to Southport Historical Society.

• The Brunswick Beacon published Book signing and sales for Brunswick County in the Great War every Saturday at noon
  

  Note: There are no plans for book signing and purchase events in the near future. As a reminder, click on Purchase a Book to choose a method convenient for you.

• Lee Hinnant from the State Port Pilot attended and covered the Taps Across America event in Veterans honored at Fort Caswell Rifle Pit
• The Brunswick Beacon also publicized Taps Across America plays at the 1918 Rifle Range on Veterans Day
• Norma Eckard, president of Friends of Fort Caswell Rifle Range, presented sections of the book to Southport Historical Society. You can view her presentation here:

As always a big Thank you! to our valuable local media for continuing to publicize and support our efforts, and to Southport Historical Society for their support!

There are no plans for book signing and purchase events in the near future. As a reminder, click on Purchase a Book to choose a method convenient for you.

The book signing and purchase events were covered in the local newspapers this week, accompanied by several photos.

The Brunswick Beacon published Friends of Fort Caswell Rifle Range host book-signing event

Lee Hinnant from the State Port Pilot attended and covered the event in Great War book out; focuses on county

As always a big Thank you! to our valuable local media for continuing to publicize and support our efforts. And another Thank you! to Phyllis Wilson for the photos, most of which were used in the published stories.

A reminder that Brunswick Beacon continues to publish weekly WWI Profiles and Snapshots, an effort of over two years. We thank them for preserving the legacies of our WWI veterans.

These stories and the Brunswick Beacon’s weekly profiles can also be found by selecting the News section at the top of the website.

Newspaper articles courtesy of
The State Port Pilot
Brunswick Beacon

The next book signing and purchase event is scheduled this Saturday (November 7, 2020), noon – 3 pm at the Caswell Beach Town Hall. Read the previous post with details here or select the Events section at the top of the website.

During the month of March, ATMC a non-profit cooperative offering services such as internet and cable to Brunswick and Columbus County, will feature The Friends of Fort Caswell Rifle Range on their Our Home program, which includes interviews with Norma Eckard, president, and Ron Eckard, who serves on the Board.

The half hour program will air 3 times a day, 8:30 am, 11:00 am, and 6:30 pm.

For the new readers to the website, welcome!

Highlights of the Honor a Brunswick County World War I Veteran program include the following lists.

• The Brunswick County WWI veterans list, which acts as an index to additional information such as WWI Profiles either written about or mentioning the veteran, as well as posts such as visits to cemeteries that mention the veteran. Date of birth, death, and Findagrave listings are included if known.
• The WWI Army/Marine Division rosters webpage includes some of the divisions that have been included in WWI Profiles, the sources and even rosters published for the units. Of those divisions, a small roster of Brunswick County veterans is also provided.
• The Published WWI Profile list shows the dates WWI Profiles have been published, as well as the dates the veteran was featured in local newspaper articles.

Please consider donating to honor a veteran. To date, 401 of 724 veterans have been honored. Funds will be used to publish the book of WWI Brunswick County veterans, as well as continue restoring the Fort Caswell Rifle Range.

Thanks to Mary Earp for reaching out to ATMC and organizing the interview!

Click here or the NEWS selection at the top of the website to see the many stories in the media about the rifle range and Honor a Brunswick County WWI Veteran project.

The Brunswick Beacon continues to print a WWI Profile each week! Click here to view the List of WWI Profile Posts by date: Published WWI Profiles

As always, The Friends of Fort Caswell Rifle Range appreciates the support of the local media!

Click here or the NEWS selection at the top of the website to see the many stories in the media about the rifle range and Honor a Brunswick County WWI Veteran project.

As always, The Friends of Fort Caswell Rifle Range appreciates the support of the local media!