History Features

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 …

This month’s history section commemorates the valor of Colonel Joseph R. Nevers, for whom Nevers Street in the Market Common is named.  Colonel Nevers, passed away several months ago, on November 15, 2019, in Homestead, Florida; he was 89 years-old.  He had an illustrious military career with the United States Air Force that spanned thirty-five …

“As a guard, you’re standing on the edge of the jungle.  You’re trying to make yourself look as small as possible.  It’s dark, and it’s not quiet.  There were all kinds of noises in the jungle— birds, and monkeys, and you stood there and listened and listened.  But the moment it stopped— that was the …

As we continue our exploration of the history of the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base throughout the 20th century, as well as the squadrons that were stationed there and abroad, our journey takes us this month back to Vietnam during the 1970s. The 354 Tactical Fight Wing flew combat operations in Vietnam until January 1973.  …

PART ONE “I was born on September 3, 1927, in a small village on the small island of Cape Breton, in Nova Scotia— it’s off of Prince Edward Island.  I was born in a small farmhouse with no electricity.  My grandmother was the midwife. My mother was born on the island too.  She was an …