Military Heritage Plaza
"This Hallowed Ground"
Clemson University was established in 1889 to offer
education in applied sciences, including military
training. The institution opened four years later
and for the next 62 years academic life was
organized within an all-male military college
setting. This plaza depicts the passage of the cadet
through each academic year, represented by four
terraces. The military formation of footprints of
former students on the second terrace represents
the corps of cadets as it then existed. By the close
of the third year a complete Clemson man emerged
from the mold of the model cadet, rendered by
the artist in the twin towers: a man
prepared to meet life with determination to achieve
his goals, be a good citizen and make a
contribution to society. That senior cadet's likeness
appears in the sculpture on the fourth terrace.
Inscriptions on the wall caps list the major
conflicts in which Clemson men and women have
served as of 1998. Of the thousands to whom the
medals replicated here were awarded, at least three
were presented the Medal of Honor.
Clemson Military Heritage
Corps of Cadets
From the arrival of the
first 448 students in 1893
through the spring of
1955, Clemson was a
military college, strict
discipline and regimen
were the
essence of early
Clemson life. This Military
Heritage Plaza overlooks
the parade ground on
which all cadets became
instilled with the traits
inscribed on these steps
and from which
thousands marched away
to serve this nation in
war and peace.
Military Veterans
Since Clemson's
founding, its alumni have
served this nation in war
and peace, and many
sacrificed their lives in
battle. They epitomized
the spirit of the
citizen-soldier who takes
up arms out of a sense of
duty. The medals
displayed here replicate
the thousands awarded to
Clemson men and
women for valor, merit
and honorable service
while members of the
armed forces of the
United States.
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