Courtesy Photo | A child smiles wide while meeting Santa Claus. After the tree was lit during the tree...... read more read more
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Hundreds gathered Dec. 6 at Fort Jackson’s Patriot Park to usher in the holiday season at the Winter Wonderland Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony. Dressed in ugly sweaters, festive light up headbands and necklaces, and warm coats, attendees were treated to fun activities and a visit from the big, jolly man himself.
“Good evening Team Jackson,” said U.S. Army Training Center and Fort Jackson Commander Brig. Gen. Milford “Beags” Beagle, Jr. “It’s a pleasure to have everyone out here this evening. I know for a fact that I am the only thing standing between your children and Santa Claus so I will be very brief.”
Beagle thanked all the Soldiers, veterans, retirees, civilians and Family members for attending the annual tree lighting ceremony. He said the number of attendees this year were almost triple the number who came out to celebrate the holidays last year.
With a countdown from five, Beagle and his wife threw the switch to light up the 50-foot tree and surrounding light displays. As the crowd clapped hands and shouted out in joy, sirens from a Fort Jackson fire truck rung out over the crowd.
As the truck slowly rolled to a stop at the intersection of Strom Thurmond Boulevard and Marion Avenue with full lights and sirens blaring, a familiar face dressed in the iconic red and white suit waved to the crowd that rushed to the sidewalk to greet Santa Claus.
As he hopped down from the back of the ladder truck, children gazed in anticipation of telling Santa their wish of toys. A line of children and their parents wrapped around the tree as Santa settled into his chair to greet his greatest fans.
In the park behind the tree, tents offered children and those that are young at heart a chance to enjoy snacks, drinks of cocoa and coffee, an ice carving display, bounce houses, and crafts.
The tent containing mounds of synthetic snow seemed to The tent containing mounds of synthetic snow seemed to draw the largest crowd as children threw snowballs at each other and waved their arms and legs as they created snow angels. While the snow may have been synthetic, it acted like real snow minus the cold.
The Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation made the tree lighting ceremony possible with months of preparation and a staff of volunteers to help make the event a success. DFMWR staff arranged the evening’s entertainment provided by the Ukulele Choir from C.C. Pinckney Elementary School, 282nd Army Band and Child Development Center Children’s Choir. Trainees getting ready to start Victory Block Leave also helped ensure the event was a success through their work setting up tents, chairs and bounce castles.
“We are setting up and taking down the event today,” said Pvt. Andrew Estrada, a 20-year-old trainee assigned to the 120th Adjutant General Battalion (Reception). “It was fun.”
Estrada said he and his team of nine spent the whole day setting up for the ceremony and that helping set up the event got him in the holiday spirit and increased his anticipation of Victory Block Leave. He said he will travel to Ohio to spend the holidays with his Family and friends. “I’m looking forward to being home and playing with my dog again,” he said.
Estrada wasn’t the only one to get into the holiday spirit of things.
Christmas tunes bellowed across the field as Families laughed and spent time together with fellow Families and friends creating reindeer antler hats and Santa beards made of cotton balls to pose for selfies in front of the tree.
After the tree lighting, the attendees were invited to ride through the Liberty Lights display, a first for the installation.
“It’s a wagon ride a little over a half mile through lights,” said Rose Ann Turner, operations division chief for DFMWR. “Our theme is patriotic. So far over 1,000 have been through it.”
Turner said that several agencies such as the Directorate of Public Works, Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers and teams of volunteers and DFMWR staff helped complete the light display in time for the holiday season.
Visitors rode through the light display that featured glowing eagles, Marines erecting the flag at Iwo Jima, tanks, battle carriers and the Statue of Liberty.
Turner said that the tree lighting ceremony and Liberty Lights display will return in 2020 and planning is happening now to make the next event bigger.
“We often refer to Fort Jackson as if Fort Jackson was a person, she actually is,” Beagle said. “Look around. Fort Jackson is sitting to your left, Fort Jackson is sitting to your right, Fort Jackson is behind you and in some cases is sitting or standing in front of you. You all are Fort Jackson and I appreciate you all for what you do.”
| Date Taken: | 12.12.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 12.19.2019 10:36 |
| Story ID: | 356429 |
| Location: | FORT JACKSON, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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