Respect for patriotism chiseled in stone - again
By Rachel Haynie

Stone crafter Ron Clamp is the third generation of his family to work in the monument industry, but he's the first generation who didn't serve in the military. When he offered to repair the WWII monument the Woman's Club of Columbia first erected in 1947, he did so as a tribute to all veterans, especially those in his own family.

"When my youngest uncle heard at school that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor, he ran all the way home to tell the family," said Clamp. "But everyone of his brothers had already left to enlist. There was nobody there."

That family story still resounds in the Elberton, Georgia, home where Clamp learned the rudiments of the memorial business from his father, who had learned from his. Elberton is considered the memorial capital of the world.

Early on, Clamp discovered he had an artistic flair for stone crafting, and an entrepreneurial spirit as well. When he fell in love and married a Midlands girl, the couple settled here and established StoneCrafters Farm. It is their home and the home for Memorial Design.

Clamp works on memorials and monuments that will stand the test of time in locations throughout the country. One that has special meaning for him is the WWII monument that for six decades has been standing sentinel in an island near the intersection of Blossom Street and Saluda Avenue.

"With the revitalization of Five Points going on, the city wanted to move the monument in order to put a fountain at that location," explained Jan Hadwin. She is chairing the Women's Club of Columbia committee to re-dedicate the monument this Veterans' Day.

"After many hours and meetings, we were able to reach agreement to move it across Blossom Street (but still on Saluda Avenue)." Hadwin said in the process of all the construction that was taking place, one wing of the monument was knocked over. "That really caught the attention of some WWII veterans who were up in arms, so, naturally we started looking for a solution to getting it repaired."

Then, Hadwin said, came a "knight in shining armor by the name of Ron Clamp. Ron travels all over the U.S. to repair monuments, and he took this project on in honor of the men in his family who served their country."

Hadwin said that while Clamp is putting the finishing touches on the monument's repair, the Woman's Club of Columbia continues working with Celebrate Freedom and the City of Columbia toward a ceremony during which the monument will be rededicated.

"We have invited well over 100 WWII veterans to join us at 2 pm after the Veterans Day parade November 10. Ron enlisted the help of a friend who has shined up the brass eagle on the monument, and it is really looking great." Now she's just hoping the weather will cooperate as nicely as all the monument's allies have so far.