We Have A Story To Tell - Episode 3

General John Dozier retired as South Carolina’s Adjutant General in 1959, and was replaced by Major General Frank D. Pinckney. Pinckney led the SC National Guard through the tumultuous 1960’s, an era of change and painful progress for the National Guard, and for America as a whole. As the world changed, so too did the National Guard, with the full integration of African Americans and women into the SCNG. Visionary leaders prepare the National Guard for what it would become in the 21st century: a well-trained, world-wide deployable force that would stand at the front of the line when asked to support South Carolina, and defend the U.S. The next few Adjutant Generals, Major General Robert L. McCrady and Major General T. Eston Marchant made significant contributions and expansions to the SCNG. Maj. Gen. Marchant’s political influence and persistence brought major upgrades to the Guard.

The SC Air National Guard received some major upgrades in the early 1980’s, like replacing the old A-7 Corsairs of the Vietnam era with F-16 Fighting Falcons, as well as the arrival of AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. Marchant’s relationships at the state and local level were never more essential than in 1989 when Hurricane Hugo struck South Carolina. Hurricane Hugo changed everything about not only how the National Guard operates, but it also changed how South Carolina prepares for emergencies.