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Myrtle Beach Airport’s Military Transformation into Economic Powerhouse
Myrtle Beach gave its small airport to the US government where thousands trained for WWII. After a brief return to civilian use, the site came back as Myrtle Beach Air Force Base in 1956.
Home to the 354th Fighter Wing, it sent pilots to Vietnam and later became the first base with A-10 “Warthog” aircraft. When the base closed in 1993, most towns would have faced ruin.
Instead, it transformed into The Market Common, now a $3 billion economic hub where visitors can still touch military history at Warbird Park.
Wikimedia Commons
Myrtle Beach Gave Away Its Airport Just Before Pearl Harbor
Myrtle Beach leaders gave their local airport to the federal government in December 1941, just days before the Pearl Harbor attack changed America. The timing couldn’t have been better…