TEAM HAZEL

Devil Dog Headquarters

story by MICAH PEPPERS           photos by SUSAN DELOACH

Jessie Hazel has always called Beaufort home. Growing up, they had to move quite often because of her dad’s business. But when the summertime came, she would visit her grandparents, Skeet and Jean Von Harten, who lived in the Lowcountry, where she began to fall in love with the area. In 2002, when she turned 18, she packed her bags and moved closer to them.

John Hazel was raised in Hollywood, Florida, and joined the United States Marine Corps shortly after high school. In July 1997, he headed to boot camp and graduated in October.

In 2005, he became a drill instructor at Parris Island. While stationed at Parris Island, he decided to have a drink at the local Outback Steakhouse. When he received his drink, he realized it was messed up. The bartender who gave him the wrong drink was Jessie.

They dated over the next two years and married in April 2008. That following November, the couple moved to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. In March 2009, they had a daughter, Payton.

In 2014, the Marine Corps would move the family to Okinawa, Japan. It was there that the Hazels knew they wanted to settle in Beaufort. While assigned overseas, John called up his monitor, who would assist in their follow-up orders, and requested to be stationed back to Parris Island. “I knew I was coming up on retirement, and I wanted Parris Island to be my twilight tour,” John says. The request was granted, and the family moved back to South Carolina in 2017.

Although the couple was very happy in their location, they needed to find out exactly what they wanted to do in this next chapter of their lives, especially with John’s retirement approaching. The Hazels were customers of Devil Dog Headquarters near Parris Island, and the owner had a conversation with them one day. “The previous owner wanted to sell and move away to be closer to her family. She reached out to us and asked, ‘Do you want to buy Devil Dog Headquarters?’ We responded to her surprised and with a lighthearted, ‘Maybe,’” John explains. That light conversation began to grow, and the two got truly serious about a possible purchase. Jessie adds, “I had run a retail store before, so I had confidence in how to operate it.” John says, “We needed an end game with retirement coming up, and we started negotiating.” After a mutual agreement between the Hazels and the business owner, the couple decided to take a leap of faith and embark on this endeavor. John and Jessie purchased Devil Dog Headquarters in March 2019. John and Jessie added, “We were lucky enough to start our journey as retail small business owners with our long-time employee, Kiona Stewart. We truly don’t know what we would do without her. She keeps us grounded and balances the two of us out. Kiona is more like family than an employee.” Finally, in October 2020, after 23 years in the Marine Corps, John retired, and the two were able to focus on the store together.

When asked about their passion for the store, they both agreed it’s the clientele. Jessie explains their unique situation. “We love seeing all the new families each week. Because of the nature of our business, it is a revolving door of new customers. Most of our families come in town for boot camp graduation, so we meet new people every week. They all have different stories to tell and different personalities. Because of this, our workday is never boring.” Devil Dog Headquarters is close to Parris Island’s main entrance, only half a mile in the Shell Point/Midtown shopping center.

When customers come in, they are greeted with a large selection of Marine Corps paraphernalia. Devil Dog Headquarters sells Marine Corps motivational gear, general support gear, t-shirts, glassware, decals, and flags. John adds, “Anything you need to support the Marine Corps, we have.”

But the Hazels have also used this opportunity of being small business owners to give back to the community. “We really try to participate in any philanthropy we can be a part of. Toys for Tots is a huge push for us. It’s our big fundraiser every year,” Jessie explains. “Last year, we raised $5,000 worth of toys for the local Toys for Tots.” John talks about other ways their family tries to give back. “We have sponsored the opening ceremonies the last two years of the Beaufort Water Festival, and I volunteer with them throughout the year.”

John is also the chairman of the Port Royal Parks and Recreation Commission. The couple truly wanted to excel in their business leadership and were accepted into the Leadership Beaufort program. John graduated from the class of 2021, and Jessie was right behind him and graduated with the class of 2022. John took it a step further by serving as the current vice president of the Leadership Beaufort Alumni Association.

 

John and Jessie also use their faith to reach others. The family is active in their church, Cross Community Church, where both Jessie and Payton volunteer in the children’s ministries. John and Jessie hold a weekly bible study at their home. They give to the Young Life of Beaufort program, and the pair also sponsors Holy Trinity at two of the school’s main fundraisers.

The couple keeps their military connection even outside of their storefront as well. “We are on base every week talking to First Sergeants of the graduating company about how the cycle went and if there is anything we can do for them and their Drill Instructors. We also give a gift of Honor Platoon shirts to the team of Drill Instructors who had the highest scoring platoon of the cycle.”

When asked about their future goals, Jessie laughs. “Well, pre-covid, we had a solid 5-to-10-year plan, but that went sideways. We had a dream of opening another store in San Diego near MCRD San Diego. As a result of the pandemic, most people shop online, so opening another storefront might not be the smartest thing anymore. For now, it’s just to continue being successful in our business. We want to continue to give back to the community. That’s our main goal. We want our daughter, Payton, to see what good work ethic is and how much we try to give back to nonprofits and our community.”

The Hazel family loves Beaufort and all it offers. “We both love the water festival, and we love to be out on the river.” John adds, “I like to take Payton deer hunting when it’s the season.” Jessie tends to stay near the water. “Being on the water is my favorite thing because that’s how I grew up with my grandparents, just being out on the water in a boat. I also really love to cook,” she adds with a laugh.

The small-town atmosphere and tight-knit community are what draws the family into the Lowcountry. It’s why, back in 2017, while living on another continent, they knew they wanted to settle in Beaufort. Jessie says, “If someone is going through something hard, this town just rallies around their members, whether it’s a death, a sickness, whatever. Beaufort is quick to provide a meal or create a fundraiser. Beaufort is more than just a small town. It really is a family.”