History Features
Local History: USS Pueblo: November 2019
During the 1950s and beyond, the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base saw considerable action in Eastern countries and other parts of the world, including Europe, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. During these years, an estimated 3,500 civilian and military personnel were involved in keeping the military base at the ready to meet the needs of our …
Meet Your Local Veteran: John Walker: November 2019
“I was born in Carbondale, Pennsylvania on August 26, 1924. My father’s name was Leonard J. Walker, and my mother was named Haran Walker. I grew up during the Great Depression. I learned early in life that to survive, you must live moderately, never waste, and never ask for anything that you couldn’t pay for. …
Meet Your Local Veteran: Norton Davis – Part 3, September 2019
Continued from last month… So I came up with a suggestion I thought would help. “Why does each involved agency, division, and branch of the Corps have to send someone to the factory separately to check the equipment, then go back to the office, have meetings, then write reports, then circulate the reports, and, finally, after …
Local History: The Myrtle Beach Airforce Base Through the 20th Century Part III: October 2019
In 1956, officers and military personnel began the work of compiling a fighter wing on the premises of the newly reconstructed Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. The 342nd Fighter Day Wing was initially activated then subsequently deactivated. In its stead, officers and airmen worked to reactivate the 354th Fighter Day Wing which garnered fame during …
Meet Your Local Veteran: Alan Green, October 2019
“I was drafted in Pennsylvania and from there I was sent to Oregon as part of the United States Army Infantry. From there, half of us went to Europe, and the other half were sent down the coast of California. I was part of the group that went to California, where we were in training …
Local History: Colonel Robert G. Emmens: September 2019
The Myrtle Beach Air Force Base Through The 20th Century Part II Last month’s history column highlighted the role that the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base played throughout part of the 20th century. This month, we’ll explore its role in history in greater detail. During World War II, the United States Air Force was not …
Meet Your Local Veteran: Norton Davis – Part 2, August 2019
Part II Continued from last month…. At one o’clock and two-seconds later, there’s a call. I’m in a classroom and an announcement comes in: “Will Mr. Davis please come in.” Now in the Navy, they don’t call you ‘Mr.’ unless you’re an officer, going to jail, or something good happened. So I get in there, …
History: The Myrtle Beach Air Force Base Through The 20th Century: August 2019
In 1939, the Myrtle Beach Town Council voted that the City of Myrtle Beach needed a local airport, and subsequently purchased 135 acres of property to create one. At the time of the purchase, they paid $35 an acre. The airport was constructed by the Works Progress Administration, and named the Harrelson Municipal Airport after …
Meet Your Local Veteran: Norton Davis, July 2019
“I was born in 1925. World War II broke out one Sunday when I was a senior in high school, and everyone went down to enlist on Monday. But I was only sixteen-years-old, and my mother wouldn’t sign anything, so I couldn’t enlist. I finished high school in June of 1942 and didn’t turn 17 …
Brigadier General Thomas Merritt Knoles III: July 2019
Thomas Merritt Knoles was born in Flagstaff, Arizona in 1927. He attended Flagstaff High School, followed by the University of Arizona. In March 1946, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. He received his commission as a second lieutenant and his pilot wings through the aviation cadet program in June 1948. In 1950, he …