Warbird Park's Newest Memorial Is Still Waiting on Its Soldiers
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
"The memorial is complete except for our three bronze lifelike soldier statues," Meredith Denari, the City of Myrtle Beach's communications director, told WMBF News in August. That one sentence tells you the most important thing about the newest landmark on Farrow Parkway. The Vietnam Veterans' Memorial at Warbird Park opened on Memorial Day 2026 knowing it wasn't finished. Its final element is three life-size bronze soldiers. They have a combined price of $420,000, and the money for them is coming from local donations.
WMBF reported that the statues were "expected to be installed by Veterans Day." As this post goes up, that's about two weeks away.
The city held the grand opening on May 25, 2026, which also served as Myrtle Beach's yearly Memorial Day remembrance. In the city's own announcement, the ceremony was a long-overdue "Welcome home" for veterans who never got one when they came back from Vietnam. The city's May 26 release put the crowd at well over 1,000. The headline speaker was Maj. Gen. James Livingston, a Vietnam veteran and Medal of Honor recipient.
MyHorryNews covered the dedication. Its account says retired Col. Buddy Styers welcomed Vietnam veterans as "our brothers" and "our sisters." Livingston, Styers and former POW Vernon "Bud" Shepard raised the first flag over the memorial, followed by a rifle salute and Taps. Rolling Thunder South Carolina Chapter 3 set out symbolic empty chairs to honor POW/MIAs. The program also included a battlefield-cross ceremony, a missing-man table, Festive Brass and the Carolina Youth Chorale. Earlier that morning, the Jack Platt Veterans' March set out from Valor Memorial Garden.
The finished design came out of a long round of public input. As WMBF reported in January 2025, city infrastructure project manager Chris Miller worked on it with GreenbergFarrow architect Jessica Wise. WMBF later described a memorial with life-sized statues, engravings, plaques, quotes and a reflecting pool. WPDE reported that the plans also called for the memorial to be visible from every side, with QR codes linking visitors to veterans' stories. The same outlet credited former Councilmember Dr. Phil Renderer with starting the initiative. The South Carolina State Council of Vietnam Veterans of America listed elements the community asked for. Those included a Vietnam-era medevac helicopter image on the rear wall, American and POW/MIA flags, a peace sign and a reflection area.
In a September 18 photo feature, the city said thousands of people had visited since Memorial Day. It described images from the war, historical markers and artwork meant to say "Welcome Home."
The bronze soldiers aren't in that description. They're the part still being paid for.
The memorial had two separate pots of money, and that explains why the statues came last. The Myrtle Beach Air Force Base Redevelopment Authority committed $200,000 a year for three years toward building it, according to WMBF's October 2025 report. That covered the structure itself. The three statues were priced as their own package.
| Piece | Figure | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Redevelopment Authority commitment | $200,000 a year for three years | October 2025 |
| Three bronze statues, total cost | $420,000 | August 2026 |
| Raised toward the statues | More than $100,000 | August 2026 |
| Pinnacle Bank gift, the largest single donation | $50,000 | August 2026 |
| Other donations | About $25,000 | August 2026 |
So as of August 2026, the statue fund stood at roughly a quarter of its goal. That's the most recent public figure. Denari said every dollar the city has collected, and will collect, goes to the statues: "everything else is already taken care of." She called the figures "a great finishing touch" and said "the memorial wouldn't be complete without them." Tommy Chapin, a financial advisor at Pinnacle Bank, told WMBF the bank wanted to recognize "the men and women who served and sacrificed for our country during the Vietnam War."
The city opened a public donation channel back in February. Its instructions offer an online credit card option. You can also drop off cash or a check at City Hall, 937 Broadway Street, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Checks should be made out to the City of Myrtle Beach with "Vietnam Veterans' Memorial donation" in the memo line. The city calls these donations tax-deductible, and its Communications Office answers questions at 843-918-1054. If the deduction matters to you, check with your own tax professional. This post is general information, not tax advice.
Opening the memorial before the statues were paid for fits how Warbird Park has always grown. It's a run of additions, each dedicated as it was ready, all on land the military used for about 50 years. The Army Air Corps began formal operations here in March 1942. The site later became Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, which closed in 1993. In 1985 the base was Horry County's largest employer, with 25 percent of the county's payroll, according to the city's history of the site.
The aircraft came first. Warbird Park displays an F-100 Super Sabre, an A-7D Corsair II and an A-10 Thunderbolt II, the one most people call the Warthog. WMBF has reported that the Air Force donated the planes to the city. WPDE's January 2026 profile ties the F-100 to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Cold War, the A-7D to Vietnam, and the A-10 to service at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base and close air support in Operation Desert Storm. That A-7D gave the park a link to the Vietnam era decades before the new memorial was built.
The paint is new this year. In June 2026 the city announced that all three planes had been stripped, washed and repainted, and that the roundabout parking lot had reopened. If they look sharper than you remember from spring, that's why.
The WWII Memorial opened November 9, 2023. It honors World War II service and the Grand Strand's wartime role in training air crews. The city later added a granite etching with the names of the 11 veterans who came to the opening: Raffaele "Ralph" Vernacchio, Edward "Ted" Lewis, Robert Hirsch, Charles "Dick" Richards, Robert Jones, Robert Varner, Matthew Zawtocki, Alan Green, John Walker, Alfred Smith and Edson Meyers. Robert Hirsch, a former Myrtle Beach mayor, was grand marshal of this May's Military Appreciation Days parade down Farrow Parkway.
The Wall of Service honors military and civilian personnel who served honorably at the former base with engraved granite nameplates. The city has also placed historical markers across The Market Common that tell the base's story. WarbirdPark.com, a privately run site with no city affiliation, also lists 9/11, POW, Korean Conflict, Merchant Marine and Purple Heart memorials on the grounds.
Taken together, the Vietnam memorial is one more layer on a park that has been adding pieces for years. What makes this one different is that its last piece has a public price tag and a date attached.
The city's Military Appreciation Days page lists the two fall ceremonies. A Market Common race and the holiday season fill in the weeks between them.
The Pearl Harbor ceremony takes the calendar back to where the base's story starts. The city's history says Splinter City, the wooden camp that became the air base, went up after the December 1941 attack. The Vietnam memorial sits a short walk from the WWII Memorial, and whenever its three bronze soldiers arrive, they'll stand on the same ground.
I'm a lifelong Grand Strand local, and the old base is part of the story of every street off Farrow Parkway. If you have memories of Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, or you'd like to talk about how its history shaped The Market Common around you, I'd love to hear from you. Megan Parker | Let's Connect.
From buying and selling to real estate investing, Megan Parker delivers trusted guidance, local market expertise, and personalized solutions tailored to your goals. Her client-focused approach ensures a smooth, successful experience at every stage of your real estate journey.