History Features
History: William H. Rutherford: February 2019
William H. Rutherford was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and joined the United States Air Force where he was a Command fighter pilot for more than thirty years. He also served in the District of Columbia’s National Guard forces as part of his military career. During his tenure in the military, William was stationed at the …
Local Veteran: Kelly Sharbel: February 2019
I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. My father was a World War II veteran; he fought in the South Pacific with the United States Marine Corps. He landed in the first assault wave in the 1942 invasion of Guadalcanal and landed on D+2 with the 21st Marine Regiment in the 1945 invasion of Iwo Jima. …
History: Captain Johnson and Air Force Cross December 2018
by Melissa LaScaleia The Air Force Cross is a military honor given to a member of the United States Air Force. It is the second highest honor that could ever be bestowed on a soldier. This decoration is concomitant to military honors from other branches of the United States military: the Distinguished Service Cross, the …
MEET YOUR LOCAL VETERAN
Bud Shepard – Story continued from October 2018 Vietnam Veteran and POW, Part III …“Then they took me over to a hole in the ground that was about eighteen inches by eighteen inches. And the next thing you know, a doctor came out of this hole. He looked at my wound in my buttocks and …
LOCAL HISTORY
by Melissa LaScaleia This month’s history takes us back to the roots of Myrtle Beach history, and the people and situations that shaped our coastal area. Before the American Revolution, during the era of rampant exploration and colonial growth, it was common for the English King to issue land grants to notables whom he thought …
MEET YOUR LOCAL VETERAN
Meet Your Local Veteran gives voice to the stories of the U.S. military veterans living amongst us. These stories often fade into the background— silent, present, but unrecognized and unheard by the community at large. The actions of these brave and dedicated people, who have served our country both in active military duty as well …
History Jack Walker
Jack Walker by Melissa LaScaleia Jack Walker was the oldest of six children, and grew up in Columbia, South Carolina. As a boy, he had a paper route that took him through his neighborhood and beyond, exposing him to a variety of home styles, building materials, and landscapes. Jack was disheartened by the landscapes and …
A Voice From the Past
Vietnam War Veteran and POW Bud Vernon Clark Shepard Shares His Story by Melissa LaScaleia Bud Shepard was born in Akron, Ohio on July 19, 1948. In 1967, at the age of nineteen, he was drafted during the Vietnam era. At the time, he was working as a brick mason, and had been working construction …
Local History – September 2018
by Melissa LaScaleia Painting art on the nose of military planes, nose art, is a tradition that dates back to World War I in America. The typical art during this time was mainly that of embellished squadron insignia and many don’t rank it among true nose art. After the war, the military became more strict …
Local History – August 2018
by Melissa LaScaleia This month, we continue our exploration of the origins and history of the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing of the United States Air Force, which was stationed at the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base for many years. (See our June 2018 edition for Part I.) The 354th underwent several name changes over the …