History Features

“When I returned to Fort Bragg, I became a test pilot for Black Hawks. I made sure that the aircraft systems were working properly before pilots would fly. We would have to fly the aircraft ourselves to troubleshoot any problems; it was essentially quality control.  A lot of it too, was testing new equipment to …

William Glover Farrow was born on September 24, 1918 in Darlington, South Carolina. He attended St. John’s High School and graduated with honors in May 1935. In 1938, he enrolled in the University of South Carolina. During his tenure at university, William was one of three people selected by the Civil Aeronautics Authority to attend …

This month, to honor our country on Independence Day and celebrate the values of freedom our country has always stood for, our history section highlights some snapshots from the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base’s involvement in missions and operations that defended our country. Although this is not an exhaustive list, we hope you’ll enjoy the …

Charles C. Baldwin was born on April 7, 1947, and is a native of New Haven, Connecticut. He attended the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, and graduated in 1969. He is also a graduate of Air War College. After his pilot training, he was assigned as an EC-21 pilot to the 552nd Airborne …

John William Rosa Jr. was born in Springfield, Illinois on September 28, 1951. He grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and earned a football scholarship to attend The Citadel: The Military College of South Carolina, in Charleston. He played as starting quarterback beginning his sophomore year in college, and was also a member of ROTC. He …

“I was born on July 8, 1925, in Georgetown, South Carolina. I was raised in a religious home, and we went to Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church. My father’s name was Engle Green and my mother’s name was Lena Ward. I’m the first boy in the family; there were seven girls and eight boys. I’m the …

By the early 90s, the topic of closing the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base again resurfaced. It had been proposed in the past, ever since the end of the Vietnam War, and now it was suggested again. The base’s proximity to the Grand Strand meant that it wasn’t possible to expand and develop the base …

“Then it was November 21, 1945. The war was over then. And so then I came home. There were a lot of ships that were hit with mines, so actually the war still wasn’t over for us. We had to contend with that. I came home for the Christmas holidays. Then got on another Liberty …

By 1980, when President Jimmy Carter was in office, the 354th at Myrtle Beach became part of the president’s Rapid Deployment Force, also called the Rapid Deployment Task Force. By 1983, the Task Force became a separate entity called the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which focused exclusively on the Middle East in response to the …

“I was born on October 26, 1926, in Mannheim, Pennsylvania.  I went to Manheim high school and graduated in June 1944.  It was World War II.  A friend of mine was on the wrestling team with me, and asked me if I’d like to join the Merchant Marine with him.  And I had no idea …