Military roots run deep in South Carolina, with many cities and towns honoring military members, veterans and first responders with parks, monuments and memorials.
Myrtle Beach is one of those cities.
After the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base closed in 1993, its site was developed as the Market Common, a community of homes, shops, restaurants, parks, trails and offices. It’s heralded as a model for military base reuse, but it didn’t lose its connection to the base, which originally started as a runway in 1941 to train World War II pilots and was established as a full base in 1956. That connection is on full display at Warbird Park.
Park visitors are welcomed by three Air Force planes exemplifying the types used in the Cold War, Vietnam and the Gulf War. Every day, people walk around the aircraft, posing for pictures as they make their way into the rest of the park.
“The city's really invested over the years in the Market Common. It has become one of the gems of Myrtle Beach,” said Meredith Denari, the city’s director of communications and creative services. “What has really become the cherry on top is Warbird Park. It’s a huge attraction, especially in recent years, because we have added these memorials.”
Those include the World War II memorial, which opened in 2023 when 11 local World War II veterans took part in the ceremony. It features a large plaza, panels depicting battles from the war, and columns representing the military branches. The nearby Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial features a long stonework wall, a mural, artwork of a Huey helicopter and seating areas, with statues expected to be installed soon. About 1,000 people turned out for the grand opening in May, with Medal of Honor recipient James E. Livingston as the keynote speaker.
The park also features a 9/11 memorial with a piece of the former World Trade Center, plaques honoring Gold Star families, and a Wall of Service with names of Myrtle Beach base veterans.
Much of the park’s look can be attributed to Chris Miller, who recently retired as Myrtle Beach’s infrastructure project manager. Miller was the on-site caretaker of the base for seven years after it closed.
At first, Miller said the park was just a place to see the planes provided by the military. He teamed up with the Air Force Base Redevelopment Authority, which had funds available to redevelop the base and was interested in ideas to improve the property, and sought buy-in from the city council and city manager.
“Everybody talked about the military cemetery in Florence. I wanted to put Myrtle Beach on the map,” Miller said.
Once the World War II memorial opened, the city began planning the Vietnam memorial, and it turned to the community – particularly veterans.
“All the plaques you see on the sitting wall, those are all divisions of people that were here in Myrtle Beach that served during the Vietnam War, and that was all because of public input,” he said. “If said it once, I said it 1,000 times: ‘This isn't my monument. This isn't the city of Myrtle Beach's monument. This is your monument. I'm just building it for you. So, you tell me what you want.’”
The park has been a source of pride for Myrtle Beach’s residents and visitors.
“We're so proud of it. It’s our busiest park by far, hands down,” Denari said. “It's not just the older population that comes there, people bring their kids, and it's just a great learning experience for everyone.”
In Hardeeville, a new Memorial Park opened May 25, designed to honor veterans and first responders — “our heroes,” said Matt Davis, deputy city manager.
It’s home to a pavilion with meeting and gathering space, along with a Battlefield Cross, a traditional memorial of combat boots, a helmet and rifle. There is a private area for reflection, and monuments and flags to represent each branch of the armed services.
“We also have a large grass lawn, because that was something that really came out of our listening sessions with veterans and other groups. We didn't want it to just always be a solemn place,” Davis said. “I mean, we're never going to have rock concerts there, but it's a place where people can gather and enjoy themselves as a result of the sacrifices that folks have made. We want it to be used more than a handful of times a year.”
The park is part of a larger revitalization push for Hardeeville’s downtown.
“Some folks came to us and said, ‘We really need to honor our veterans,’ so that's what kicked it off. People recognize and value what our veterans and first responders have done and continue to do for us every day,” he said. “We said, ‘Well, we've got all this property, why don't we master plan all of it?’ The first component was the Memorial Park.”
The park’s opening ceremony over Memorial Day brought out both longtime and new residents in the rapidly growing community.
“It was a great blending of the ‘two Hardeevilles’ into one, which is what we work on all the time to try to make it more of a cohesive community. And this is a great way to do it,” Davis said. “So many people can bond over that shared experience.”
Davis stressed the importance of getting public input and understanding what a particular community wants in a memorial, while at the same time being realistic with the public about what is possible. He also pointed out that cities must plan for the costs of park upkeep.
“The absolute last thing you want is for it to look like we don't care and we don't take care of it. Don’t forget about the ongoing costs,” he said.
Goose Creek has historically been a military town, so when Mayor Greg Habib took office in 2018, one of his top priorities was to find a way to show the city’s appreciation for veterans.
“The U.S. Navy brought many of our residents here, including the mayor’s own family, as his father was in the Navy. The mayor realized that honoring their service was important and, frankly, long overdue,” said Frank Johnson, Goose Creek’s public information officer.
That priority became the John McCants Veterans Park, named for U.S. Army veteran and long-time Goose Creek City Council member John McCants. The Veterans Plaza at the park’s entrance features monuments and flags of every U.S. military branch, while the park includes a walking path, a playground, a dog park and a food forest.
Several years ago, the city began offering residents the chance to purchase banners that feature a photo of a veteran along with the veteran’s name, military branch and time of service. The banners are displayed at the park and City Hall throughout November for Veterans Day, and are later given to the families.
Also, Goose Creek residents can purchase bricks engraved with a veteran’s name and military branch or message. These bricks are a permanent addition to the park.
“The banners and bricks in particular give residents a real chance to participate in honoring the heroes in their lives,” Johnson said.