The A-10 Thunderbolt II was developed in the 1960s for the United States Air Force by the OEM team from Fairchild Republic Company. The military commissioned a new close-air support aircraft that would be an…

Paul T. Johnson of the United States Air Force was a pilot who served in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Northern Watch & Operation Enduring Freedom. He did a job that not many people could handle; for that, we are all thankful.

Robert Emmens (front row, right), with the other crew members of plane #8 from the Doolittle Raid, on deck of the U.S.S. Hornet, April 18, 1942. Emmens Preserve in the…

The 114 acres of land located within the city limits of Myrtle Beach, today known as the Market Common, has a long and interesting history. Most people who have taken…

Market Common is filled with history and at the Insider we always like to learn more and more about our community, so read with us all about the heroes of this area!

A look back at some local History!

Hoyt LeGrand Hendrick was born in Conway, South Carolina on January 24, 1924 to parents Robert O’Neil and Minnie Cannon Hendrick. Growing up during the roaring 20s, he served in…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

During the Vietnam War years, needs abroad for fighter units left the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base without any squadrons.  Air guardsmen were dispersed throughout parts of Europe, Japan, South…

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…

The Myrtle Beach Airforce Base Through the 20th Century Part III In 1956, officers and military personnel began the work of compiling a fighter wing on the premises of the…

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,…

Staff Sergeant Larry Bragg Larry Bragg was born in Savannah, Georgia and attended college at Armstrong University, in Georgia.  After college, he joined the U.S. Airforce and completed basic training…

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…

Colonel Francis S. Gabreski By Melissa LaScaleia Francis (Gabby) S. Gabreski was born to Polish immigrant parents in Oil City, Pennsylvania on January 28, 1919.  Like many immigrant parents, they…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…