Yemassee Heritage Tribute Plaque

This 5x7 commemorative plaque is carved from historic Yemassee White Oak, reclaimed from the very Marine receiving barracks that housed recruits between 1915 and 1965. For fifty years, this was the first place every rail-traveling Marine recruit set foot before beginning the journey to earn the title United States Marine. Laser-engraved with the Belleau Wood Tavern Jack—our signature depiction of the fierce Marine spirit at Belleau Wood—this plaque honors the grit, determination, and legacy of every Marine, past and present. Instead of the traditional swords, the Jack symbolizes the close-quarters combat, ferocity, and warrior ethos that defined the Marines of WWI and continues to inspire today. This wood once stood beneath the boots of tens of thousands of nervous recruits on their first night as “almost Marines,” right before boarding the trains to Port Royal and the boats that carried them to the Yellow Footprints of Parris Island.