Group’s efforts to preserve Myrtle Beach Air Force Base history marks two decades

It’s been 20 years since a group of military servicemen made it their quest to preserve the history of those who served at the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base and to make sure their legacy is not forgotten.

Col. George Branch came to Myrtle Beach in 1958 after a tour in Korea and Europe. The south Texas native joined the Air Force in 1951 and was commissioned and rated as pilot in 1952. He retired a colonel in 1978 and returned to Myrtle Beach.

“In its time, Myrtle Beach Air Force Base was the best kept secret in the Air Force,” Branch said. “It truly was. It was a great assignment... There’s a lot of history right here at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base that people don’t really realize.”

Branch is one of a number of residents who have worked to preserve the memory of those who once served at the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, which closed in 1993. They’ve spent hours creating script for signs that explain the history of the former base and conceived the idea of the Wall of Service, which honors the men and women, both military and civilian, that once served at the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base.

Chief Master Sgt. Bill Forbus was the senior listed personnel at the Air Force JROTC at Socastee High School for 12 years and spent more than five years bringing cadets to all 153 markers on the former base. There, they’d wash the marker, dry it, wax it and dry it again.

“It was well done and the kids were proud,” Forbus said. “The kids loved it.”

Col. Thomas “Buddy” Styers served in the Air Force for 26 years retiring in September 1992. In 1995, Styers became the executive director of the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base Redevelopment Authority, established by the General Assembly to oversee the redevelopment and reuse of the closed federal military installation.

Now the 3,937 acres of former base land feature The Market Common, millions of dollars of development in homes and businesses, parks, playgrounds, walking trails, ball fields and more.

“We were all committed to not letting the community forget,” Styers said. “We did not want people, just because the base closed, to ever forget what the Air Force meant to the community.”

Styers said the effort, at times, seemed long.

“It’s taken a long time, it seems like, to get there,” Styers said. “A lot of the stuff was donated by the people who live here and who worked here. It was real important for us. That’s why we have the historic signage program that has pictures of ... people who were stationed here and who worked here and contributed to the community.”

General Bob Reed was commander of the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing at the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base from 1976 to 1979, and credited the efforts of Diane Moskow-McKenzie, senior planner with the city of Myrtle Beach and Jack Walker, former city planning director.

“She and Jack Walker have been the prime movers in making sure the city gives the support and attention,” Reed said.

Moskow-McKenzie said the preservation is needed for both new and long-time residents.

“I think it’s critical we preserve the history of the base and what these gentlemen have done,” Moskow-McKenzie said. “If we don’t capture their memories, it will be lost forever... People are thirsty for information about history of the area, particularly people who are new to the area, and the old timers. They want to remember, as well. I think it’s just essential that we keep the memory alive.”

This story was originally published December 20, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Group’s efforts to preserve Myrtle Beach Air Force Base history marks two decades."