By Paul Gable Gary Watson After graduating from high school in Buffalo, NY, Gary Watson joined the U.S. Navy where he was trained in the Advanced Electronics Program. After completing nearly two years of schooling, Watson was stationed at Naval Security Group Activity Edzell, Scotland where he maintained and repaired a variety of cryptographic equipment. [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Vaught Looking to Help Disabled Veterans Local veteran James Vaught (Lt. Gen. USA – retired) has a vision for using some of the land on the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base to help disabled veterans. Certified 100 percent disabled himself, due to injuries and PTSD resulting from the Vietnam War, Vaught [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Rankin Stops Flow Control Ban
By Paul Gable Horry County Sen. Luke Rankin (R-Dist 33) performed well for his friends and contributors in the last month of the recent legislative session by holding off Senate passage of a bill that would have eliminated a government monopoly on garbage disposal in Horry County. Called the “Business Freedom to Choose Act,” Rankin [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Don Wolford Don Wolford enlisted in the Air Force after graduating from high school in his native Roanoke, Va. “I was 18 years old and I wanted to get some training,” said Wolford. “It was 1958 and I didn’t have the money for college. I thought I could gain some skills and [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Walt Meierdierks A native of Brooklyn, NY, Walt Meierdierks enlisted in the U.S. Navy after graduating from high school in 1949. “I was only 17 and I wanted to go into the Navy,” said Meierdierks. “My parents had to sign for me to join.” Meierdierks was inducted on June 2, 1949 and [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Bike Rally Debate – Arrogance, Confusion, Dysfunction But No Leadership
By Paul Gable In what can only be called an arrogant abuse of parliamentary procedure, Horry County Council chairman Tom Rice called a five minute break, in the midst of debating an ordinance on the floor, because voting on amendments to the ordinance didn’t go his way. This blatant lack of respect for the elected [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Guy Moulton Guy Moulton enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in early 1942. “The draft was getting increased and I wanted to be in the Air Corps, so I enlisted rather than waiting to be drafted,” said Moulton. After completing basic training, he was sent to school near St. Louis, Mo. [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Andrew Hornbuckle This issue’s veteran profile highlights a person who is involved in providing help to American veterans and also is a veteran of the New York City Fire Department who was on the scene at Ground Zero on 9/11. Andrew Hornbuckle is the son of both a military veteran and a [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Myrtle Beach Debate Jumpstarts Gingrich Victory
By Paul Gable If Newt Gingrich should go on to claim the Republican presidential nomination, he will fondly remember Myrtle Beach as the place his success began. Coming into the Myrtle Beach presidential debate, Gingrich had suffered two significant defeats at the hands of Iowa and New Hampshire voters and learned that opponent Rich Santorum [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Herb Bellamy Born and raised in Longs, Herb Bellamy was a member of the last class to graduate from Chestnut High School in 1970, one year before integration came to Horry County schools. “I was hoping through my high school years that I would be able to go to an integrated school [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Pearl Harbor As a Navy veteran, Dec. 7 has special meaning to me. Seventy years ago, without first declaring war, the Japanese Imperial fleet attacked the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor causing considerable damage to the Navy’s Pacific Fleet and bringing America into World War II. A total of 2,402 American [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Hope House Needs Your Help
By Paul Gable Hope House of Myrtle Beach is asking for help from the public in attempting to win a $50,000 grant from Pepsi Cola. In its second year of existence, Hope House of Myrtle Beach is a relatively new initiative dedicated to helping solve the difficulties experienced by homeless students at Myrtle Beach High [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans
By Paul Gable Jim Murph Born and raised in downtown Loris, Jim Murph decided to join the military before graduating from high school. “I believed the service would help me mature by learning to be out on my own,” Murph said. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1962, immediately after graduation. Sent to [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Where Is The Money?
By Paul Gable A potential missing $60,000 in funds paid to plaintiffs attorneys is just the latest of the strange twists and turns of the Southern Holdings case. Attorneys John Rakowsky and Adrian Falgione, who represented the plaintiffs in the Southern Holdings case, have been in a three-year fight to not provide the plaintiffs with [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Richard Cote Richard Cote entered the U.S. Navy after graduating from high school in Glens Falls, N.Y. He spent four years on active duty as a parachute rigger, including an assignment with the helicopter unit assigned to the Iranian hostage rescue attempt in April 1980. “I enjoyed my time in the Navy,” [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Council Votes To Terminate Weaver
By Paul Gable Despite some last minute posturing, Horry County Council voted 10-2 to terminate Weaver’s employment with the county Tuesday night. The two dissenters were council members Harold Worley and James Frazier. According to several council members, Weaver agreed last week to resign if council would pay the remaining six months on his current [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Jim Boswell This week’s veteran, Jim Boswell, is a local guy with interesting long-range connections. “I am a direct descendent of eighteenth century Scottish author James Boswell, most famous for being Samuel Johnson’s biographer,” said Boswell. A native of Tabor City, N.C., Boswell attended the Wake Forest University after graduation. “I was [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Bill Matthews Bill Matthews enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1965, shortly after graduating from high school in his native Bristol, Pa. “I knew when I was in high school that I wanted to go into the Army,” said Matthews. Entering the Army just as the U.S. was significantly increasing its troop [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable J.C. Schubert In order to pursue a future baseball career, J. C. Shubert enlisted in the U. S. Army in 1948 to get his service obligation out of the way. “I was ready to go into professional baseball, but none of the teams wanted to talk to me because of my potential [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable John Heenan A native of Detroit, Michigan, John Heenan joined the U.S. Naval Reserve after graduating from high school in 1954. “I was a young kid and thought getting some training in the service would help me,” said Heenan. For eight years, Heenan trained one weekend a month and two weeks in [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You, Veterans!
By Paul Gable Carl Schwartzkopf As a teenager living in Michigan, Carl Schwartzkopf got his first glimpse of U.S. Navy ships and sailors in the Great Lakes. “The St. Lawrence Seaway had just been widened and some Navy ships made a fresh water cruise into the Great Lakes in the late 1950s,” Schwartzkopf said. “I [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Myrtle Beach High Volleyball Looks Dominant
By Paul Gable Fall is football season and for the past four years, Myrtle Beach High School fall sports headlines have been dominated by the Seahawk football team. This season could be different as the Lady Seahawk volleyball team looks ready to step into the spotlight. Returning all six starters from last year’s playoff team, [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Boxing Legends Coming To Myrtle Beach Sept. 8-10
By Paul Gable Nine legends from the boxing ring will visit Myrtle Beach September 8-10 to preview a proposed Boxing Legends Hall of Fame. The weekend is the brainchild of former World Boxing Association Heavyweight Champion James “Bonecrusher” Smith. In addition to Smith, the boxing legends will include: James “Buster” Douglas, Gerry Cooney, Ray Mercer, [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Paul Harrison A native of Charlotte, N. C., Paul Harrison was drafted into the U. S. Army in 1969. “I was in one of the last groups to be drafted right before the draft lottery started,” said Harrison. After finishing basic and advanced infantry training, Harrison extended his enlistment for a year [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Dick Haggerty A native of Troy, N. Y., Dick Haggerty joined the U. S. Air Force immediately after graduating from high school in order to receive some job training. “I joined the Air Force right after graduating from high school,” said Haggerty. “It turned out to be one of the best decisions [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Bob Graham A native of New York City, Bob Graham went into the U. S. Navy shortly after graduating from high school in 1943. After basic training at Newport, Rhode Island and advanced training as a machinist mate at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois, Graham was assigned to PT [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Bill Snaden After being classified 4F in the military physical due to a punctured eardrum, Bill Snaden worked his way into the Merchant Marine so he could contribute to the war effort during World War II. “In 1943, I went to work for NACA, but decided after a year that I wasn’t [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Robert Wilkinson Born in Freeman, W.V. in 1928, Robert Wilkinson was too young to enlist in the military during World War II so he opted to join the Merchant Marine. “I wanted to do something to help the war effort, but I was only 16, so I joined the Merchant Marine,” said [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable John Schmidt Growing up in a poor family during the Great Depression, John Schmidt knew what it was like to go without. “When I say poor, I mean we didn’t have electricity and running water inside our house,” said Schmidt. “The thing I remember most from the Depression was being hungry all [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Walter Harkin Walter Harkin enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as a 17 year old high school graduate in 1953. “I wanted to join the service after high school and the Marines were the best of the best in my opinion,” said Harkin. After basic and individual training, Harkin was sent to [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Michael Fridovich Michael Fridovich, is the ultimate definition of a “free spirit” whose life experiences are many and varied. “I had an interesting childhood where I attended 16 schools before graduating high school,” said Fridovich. “My life has been interesting to say the least.” After graduating from high school in South Bend, [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Gene Geldziler A native of Newark, New Jersey, Geldziler studied at Montclair State College for a short time before attempting to join the U. S. Marine Corps. “I was at a teacher’s college, but wasn’t sure about being a teacher, so I joined the Marines in 1963,” said Geldziler. However, 1963 was [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Norfleet Jones A native of Raleigh, N. C., Norfleet Jones enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1961. “I spent four good years in the Coast Guard,” said Jones. “Being under the Treasury Department, we have a different mission than any of the other services.” The Coast Guard protects the coast of [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Walt Meierdierks A native of Brooklyn, NY, Walt Meierdierks enlisted in the U.S. Navy after graduating from high school in 1949. “I was only 17 and I wanted to go into the Navy,” said Meierdierks. “My parents had to sign for me to join.” Meierdierks was inducted on June 2, 1949 and [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Horry County’s Lost Police Car
By Paul Gable One of the more outrageous stories told in the Southern Holdings v. Horry County lawsuit was of the police car of which Horry County had no records. This was a necessary story to cover up the fact that HCPD and its lawyers intentionally covered up the elimination of a key piece of [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Column: Thank You Veterans!
By Paul Gable Frank Turchiano Frank Turchiano was drafted into the U. S. Army in 1943 as World War II was raging. “After I completed basic training, the Army said they were going to make me a cook,” said Turchiano. “I thought someone was kidding.” Turchiano found out there was no joke when he was [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Veteran Profile: Dave Westfall
By Paul Gable Dave Westfall entered the U. S. Army in 1956, looking to obtain a job skill. “I had just finished high school and wanted training I could use in a career,” said Westfall. “I never imagined I would stay for 21 years and retire.” After basic and advanced infantry training, Westfall was trained [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Fraud on the Court Ran Wild in the Southern Holdings Case
By Paul Gable At least since Sir John Fortescue wrote De Laudibus Legum Angliae, arguing for justice against tyranny and setting forth the proposition of ‘innocent until proven guilty’, a concern for justice has been seen as the touchstone for the legitimacy and proper functioning of government and its legal system. In like manner, justice [...]
Read the rest of this entry »