Camp Hancock: WWI in Augusta

Augusta and the other counties that make up the River Region of Georgia and South Carolina are home to a proud tradition of service men and women. Stretching back to the Revolutionary War, the Fall line of the Savannah River has provided the military with an ideal place to train and manufacture arms. Before World War I the Augusta area had two significant army camps, Camp McKenzie and Wheeler, as well as, Barnes Field, the Army's winter airbase and the federally operated Augusta Arsenal. During the war, Augusta was home to one of the largest military camps in the United States, Camp Hancock which opened in 1917. The area experienced all aspects of the First World War including the Spanish Influenza, the expansion of female and African American military roles, and the impact of the war on civilians. After the war ended, a group of men from the famed Richmond Hussars returned home and founded the Last Man's Club for veterans of World War I. The region's dedication to its military and its veterans has continued, and the area is home to Fort Gordon. The military contributions of this region, especially during the World War I years, is highlighted in this online exhibition of World War I memorabilia.