Military Appreciation Month

In honor of Military Appreciation Month, the South Carolina State Library presents a special selection of books from our shelves that celebrate the courage, sacrifice, and service of our nation’s military and their families.

From firsthand accounts of combat to reflective histories and stories of healing, this collection offers a better understanding of the military experience throughout our history. We invite you to explore these powerful reads and join us in expressing our deepest gratitude to those who have served and continue to serve.

Cover of Mastering census & military records.

Mastering census & military records

Quillen, W. Daniel

Examines how to use census and military records for genealogical purposes, explaining where to find them, the information they provide, and possible problems with their use.

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Cover of 'They were good soldiers' : African-Americans serving in the Continental Army, 1775-1783.

'They were good soldiers' : African-Americans serving in the Continental Army, 1775-1783

Rees, John U.

The role of African-Americans, most free but some enslaved, in the regiments of the Continental Army is not well-known, neither is the fact that relatively large numbers served in southern regiments and that the greatest number served alongside their white comrades in integrated units. There have been no other book-length works that deal with the wartime experiences of black Continental soldiers in detail; additionally, the use of pension narratives of black soldiers to gain personal data and 'hear' them tell their own stories is relatively new, and compelling.

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Cover of When the soldiers came to town: Spartanburg's Camp Wadsworth (1917-19) & Camp Croft (1941-45).

When the soldiers came to town: Spartanburg's Camp Wadsworth (1917-19) & Camp Croft (1941-45)

Spartanburg, S.C. : Hub City Writers Project, 2004.

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Cover of Cummings, Edna W..

A soldier's life: a Black woman's rise from Army brat to Six Triple Eight champion

Cummings, Edna W.

A memoir of one woman's extraordinary personal journey in the US military and her work to honor her predecessors with the Congressional Gold Medal. Chronicling Cummings's unlikely but successful path to leadership roles in the US Army and afterward, this book also tells the story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion (known as the Six Triple Eight)-a trailblazing African American World War II Women's Army Corps unit-and of the grassroots campaign Cummings led to honor them.

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Cover of My daddy's a soldier.

My daddy's a soldier

Arnett, Sara Jane

Gammon's dad is a soldier who is leaving for deployment.

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Cover of From fields of fire and glory: letters of the Civil War.

From fields of fire and glory: letters of the Civil War

San Francisco Chronicle Books

Presents a history of the Civil War, focusing on the experiences of the soldiers and sailors who fought for the Confederacy and the Union, and features reproductions of actual letters written by enlisted men to friends and family members. 

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Cover of Carrying the colors: the life and legacy of Medal of Honor recipient Andrew Jackson Smith.

Carrying the colors: the life and legacy of Medal of Honor recipient Andrew Jackson Smith

Beckman, W. Robert

In 1862, Andrew "Andy" Jackson Smith, son of a white landowner and enslaved woman, escaped to Union troops operating in Kentucky, made his way to the North, and volunteered for the 55th Massachusetts, one of the newly formed African American regiments. The regiment was deployed to South Carolina, and during a desperate assault on a Confederate battery, the color bearer was killed. Before the flag was lost, Smith quickly retrieved it and under heavy fire held the colors steady while the decimated regiment withdrew. The regiment's commanding officer promoted Smith to color sergeant and wrote his a commendation for both saving the regimental flag and bravery under fire. Honorably discharged, Smith returned to Kentucky, where over the course of the next forty years he invested in land.

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Cover of Martyr of the American Revolution: the execution of Isaac Hayne, South Carolinian.

Martyr of the American Revolution: the execution of Isaac Hayne, South Carolinian

Bragg, C. L.

In 1781 South Carolina patriot militiamen played an integral role in helping the Continental army reclaim their state from its British conquerors. Martyr of the American Revolution is the only book-length treatment that examines the events that set an American militia colonel on a disastrous collision course with two British officers, his execution in Charleston, and the repercussions that extended from the battle lines of South Carolina to the Continental Congress and across the Atlantic to the halls of British Parliament.  

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Cover of Dearest Mama: the lost letters of a fallen soldier and the stories of those he left behind.

Dearest Mama: the lost letters of a fallen soldier and the stories of those he left behind

Walker, William

Walker's Dearest Mama is Bud Blanton's story. More than that it is a deeply personal family chronicle that resonates for all those left behind when servicemembers do not return home from combat.

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Cover of The deployment toolkit: military families and solutions for a successful long-distance relationship.

The deployment toolkit: military families and solutions for a successful long-distance relationship

Moore, Janelle

The Deployment Toolkit is essential reading for those families who need a guide through the modern day reality of military deployment and separation.

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Cover of Forward together: South Carolinians in the Great War.

Forward together: South Carolinians in the Great War

Charleston, SC History Press

In 1917, the United States recognized the threat that Imperial Germany posed to the rest of the world, and declared war on the rampaging country and her allies. The nation was immediately thrust into a new kind of war-one that would transform American society. Following the patriotic lead of the president and Congress, South Carolina's leaders took steps to foster total support for the war effort among residents of the Palmetto State.

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Cover of Serving those who served: librarian's guide to working with veteran and military communities.

Serving those who served: librarian's guide to working with veteran and military communities

LeMire, Sarah

Practical advice on how best to serve veterans, service members, and their families in your community, including effective ways to develop new outreach partnerships and collaborations. The first guidebook of its kind, intended to support librarians, administrators, and library employees of all types better serve the veteran and military communities. 

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Upcoming Event

Quilts of Valor logo.

2026 Quilts of Valor Presentation Ceremony

May 21, 2026, 6:00 PM

The Mission of the Quilts of Valor® Foundation is to cover Service Members and Veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. A Quilt of Valor is a high-quality, handmade patriotic quilt made by several quilting guilds and hundreds of volunteers.

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