JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Thousands of South Carolinians dressed in red, white and blue gathered along the coast stretching from Myrtle Beach to Hilton Head Island July 4 to "salute" Joint Base Charleston Airmen as they flew by. This year marked the first of what coordinators hope to be many Fourth of July Air Force flights down the eastern coast, honoring military members and our nation's independence.
The idea for the flight was initially proposed by two perfectly normal families from Columbia, South Carolina, the Smiths and the Folsoms, proving that all it takes is a good idea and a lot of determination to accomplish great things in the land of the free. Salute from the Shore was born from their initiative. The organization is a non-profit, non-partisan grassroots group of patriotic individuals according to their press release. Their mission is to demonstrate South Carolina's public support to the troops for their sacrifice and ongoing mission protecting our nation's freedom.
Airmen from Joint Base Charleston's 14th Airlift Squadron took off from the air base and headed toward Myrtle Beach. Within 45 minutes, the aircraft flew over seven coastal cities including Myrtle Beach, Garden City, Pawleys Island, Sullivans Island, Edisto Beach, Beaufort and Hilton Head Island. Onlookers from all over the state gathered at the different beaches to show their support for the men and women of the Armed Forces who sacrifice daily to preserve and protect their freedom. The C-17 flew just 2,000 feet off the shoreline at low levels between 500 and 1,000 feet. Salute from the Shore participants were encouraged to send their footage of the event to salute@salutefromtheshore.org in order to be posted for troops everywhere, at home and abroad, to see.
The event provided the opportunity for participants to connect in a unique and exciting way with the men and women serving our great nation.