About Our School

Background Information: Kessler ES supports a student population of 320 in PK through 6th grade, with 30 teachers and support staff. The school mascot, a soaring Eagle, was selected as representative of the school's high expectations and goals. The school slogan, "Eagles-Education and Goals Let Everyone Soar", and the school colors, red, white, and blue, were descriptive of an attitude of pride and patriotism.

Fort Stewart is the home of the 3rd Infantry Division and combined to be the Army's Premier Power Projection Platform on the Atlantic coast. It is the largest armor training base east of the Mississippi, covering 280,000 acres including parts of Liberty, Long, Tattnall, Evans and Bryan Counties in southeast Georgia. Fort Stewart's vision is to be the world's best installation for training and deploying Armed Forces, as well as providing the highest quality environment for soldiers to live and raise a family. In keeping with the vision Fort Stewart partnered with the Residential Community Initiative (RCI) to build better housing on post for 3rd ID soldiers and their families. As a result of this partnership, an increase in families moved on post creating the need for an additional school.

Our Namesake-PFC Patrick L. Kessler

Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company K, 30th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division.

Place and date: Near Ponte Rotto, Italy, 23 May 1944. Entered service at: Middletown, Ohio. Birth: Middletown, Ohio. G.O. No.: 1, 4 January 1945.

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Pfc. Kessler, acting without orders, raced 50 yards through a hail of machinegun fire, which had killed 5 of his comrades and halted the advance of his company, in order to form an assault group to destroy the machinegun. Ordering 3 men to act as a base of fire, he left the cover of a ditch and snaked his way to a point within 50 yards of the enemy machinegun before he was discovered, whereupon he plunged headlong into the furious chain of automatic fire. Reaching a spot within 6 feet of the emplacement he stood over it and killed both the gunner and his assistant, jumped into the gun position, overpowered and captured a third German after a short struggle. The remaining member of the crew escaped, but Pfc. Kessler wounded him as he ran. While taking his prisoner to the rear, this soldier saw 2 of his comrades killed as they assaulted an enemy strongpoint, fire from which had already killed 10 men in the company. Turning his prisoner over to another man, Pfc. Kessler crawled 35 yards to the side of 1 of the casualties, relieved him of his BAR and ammunition and continued on toward the strongpoint, 125 yards distant. Although 2 machine guns concentrated their fire directly on him and shells exploded within 10 yards, bowling him over, Pfc. Kessler crawled 75 yards, passing through an antipersonnel minefield to a point within 50 yards of the enemy and engaged the machineguns in a duel. When an artillery shell burst within a few feet of him, he left the cover of a ditch and advanced upon the position in a slow walk, firing his BAR from the hip. Although the enemy poured heavy machine gun and small arms fire at him, Pfc. Kessler succeeded in reaching the edge of their position, killed the gunners, and captured 13 Germans. Then, despite continuous shelling, he started to the rear. After going 25 yards, Pfc. Kessler was fired upon by 2 snipers only 100 yards away. Several of his prisoners took advantage of this opportunity and attempted to escape; however, Pfc. Kessler hit the ground, fired on either flank of his prisoners, forcing them to cover, and then engaged the 2 snipers in a firefight, and captured them. With this last threat removed, Company K continued its advance, capturing its objective without further opposition. Pfc. Kessler was killed in a subsequent action.