Members of Edgefield County American Legion Post 30 and guests experienced the opportunity to touch a piece of history: a graffiti-marked chunk of concrete and rebar retrieved upon the fall of the Berlin Wall, constructed to prevent the escape of citizens seeking liberty. This artifact of the west’s victory over socialism was a gift to the Post by Scott and Julie Blevins and the subject of a fascinating lecture on May 15, 2025.

President Ronald Reagan delivered one of his most famous and impactful quotes, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” during his speech on June 12, 1987, in Berlin, Germany, despite push-back from top advisors. Secretary of State George Shultz, Deputy National Security Advisor General Colin Powell, and the National Security Council all urged Reagan to remove the line, arguing it was too harsh on Gorbachev. But Reagan felt differently. He overruled their objections, left the line in the speech and, as they say, the rest is history.

Two years later, on November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall was demolished by bulldozers and jubilant citizens wielding sledgehammers, ending its 28-year reign as a hated symbol of the Cold War and socialism’s ruthless, state-sanctioned inhumanity. While vestiges of the wall still stand in Berlin, remnants have made their way to cities across the U.S. One such relic now resides with Hezzie Griffis Post 30.