SUMTER COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - Hidden in plain sight in a quiet church cemetery in Sumter County lies the story of a long-forgotten World War I hero — Sgt. Perry “Rawhide” Loyd.

Loyd served in the 371st Infantry Regiment, an all-Black U.S. Army unit that helped blaze a trail for African American soldiers fighting overseas. More than a century later, his family and community members are working to ensure his legacy is never forgotten.

For decades, Loyd’s story rested beneath the soil of High Hills AME Church Cemetery in Dalzell — unnoticed by many who passed by.

“I’ve been attending this church all my life,” said Perry James, Loyd’s grandson. “As a little boy, I’d walk past my grandfather’s tombstone, read it, and go about my business.”

It wasn’t until James began researching his family’s

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