id ▁his ▁ze alous ▁support ▁for ▁them ▁with ▁ad ulation . ▁They ▁felt ▁he ▁was ▁their ▁con gress man ▁and ▁referred ▁to ▁him ▁as ▁the ▁" serv ic eman ' s ▁best ▁friend ." ▁A ▁road ▁in ▁Cam ▁Ran h ▁Bay , ▁Vietnam ▁was ▁called ▁the ▁M end el ▁R ivers ▁Park way ▁and ▁the ▁soldiers ▁gave ▁R ivers ▁a ▁captured ▁V iet ▁Cong ▁car bine ▁that ▁he ▁prom in ently ▁displayed ▁in ▁his ▁office . ▁For ▁obtain ing ▁dr ast ically ▁reduced ▁air ▁far es ▁for ▁soldiers ▁on ▁f url ough , ▁they ▁gave ▁him ▁a ▁cap ▁with ▁six ▁stars ▁and ▁" The ▁Big ▁B oss " ▁ins cribed ▁on ▁it , ▁indicating ▁that ▁R ivers ▁out rank ed ▁all ▁military ▁officials . ▁ ▁After ▁his ▁death , ▁the ▁Navy ▁hon ored ▁his ▁dedic ation ▁by ▁naming ▁the ▁sub marine ▁USS ▁L . ▁M end el ▁R ivers ▁( SSN - 6 8 6 ) ▁in ▁his ▁honor ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁His ▁friends ▁raised ▁money ▁create ▁a ▁small ▁park ▁and ▁have ▁a ▁b ust ▁placed ▁adjacent ▁to ▁the ▁O . T . ▁Wal lace ▁County ▁Office ▁Building ▁in ▁dow nt own ▁Char l eston . ▁R ivers ▁was ▁named ▁as ▁one ▁the ▁" M agn ific ent ▁Ten ▁Char l est oni ans ▁Who ▁Sh aped ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁Century " ▁by ▁Char l eston ▁Magazine ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁for ▁his ▁efforts ▁to ▁expand ▁the ▁military ▁in ▁his ▁district . ▁ ▁See