Left to Right: Capt. Ronald Cohen, Col. James Handley, Cadet Gregory Wilhelm, AASU President Tom Jones, Charles Davis, secretary, Chatham Artillery; Col. Henry Crumley, president, Chatham Artillery; and Chris Russell, vice president, Chatham Artillery

 

AASU Establishes the Chatham Artillery Memorial Scholarship

Savannah, GA—November 18, 2004—Attending college just became more affordable for Armstrong Atlantic State University (AASU) student Gregory Wilhelm, a senior information technology major earning his active duty commission in the Army Reserve Office Training Corps (ROTC). He is the first recipient of the Chatham Artillery Memorial Scholarship (CAMS) that was newly established by the Chatham Artillery Corporation.

After graduating this spring, Wilhelm plans to pursue a master's degree in information technology and continue his military career as an officer. Wilhelm says the financial assistance from CAMS will help him achieve his academic goals during what has turned out to be a very challenging senior year.

A Savannah native, Wilhelm graduated from Benedictine Military School and, later, joined the Active Army Infantry. He served for over four years, assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, and attained the rank of sergeant. He currently serves in the Army National Guard and is a member of Isle of Hope Methodist Church.

CAMS gave Wilhelm the opportunity to attend college on scholarship and still serve in the Army National Guard. While the U.S. Army does provide scholarships, students serving in the Army National Guard or the U.S. Army Reserve are not eligible to apply.

Colonel Henry R. Crumley, Jr. , President of the Chatham Artillery Corporation, says the organization created the scholarship to fill in the financial gap for military personnel attending college. "The memorial scholarship is our way of supporting the future of our armed forces and the quality of our future leaders," said Crumley.

The new scholarship program is for full-time students who demonstrate good academic standing, physical fitness, and are under the age of 31. The full scholarships are renewable for four years for qualified students. If ROTC members are not in need of scholarships, they can be awarded to dependents of active duty and reserve component personnel.

The Chatham Artillery Corporation is comprised of former and active members of the Chatham Artillery National Guard Unit headquartered in Savannah. Established in 1786 as a militia unit in Savannah, the Chatham Artillery has participated in every major military conflict including the War of 1812, First Seminole War, the American Civil War, and World Wars I and II and has received mobilization orders for service in Iraq.