Myrtle Beach hosts 14th annual Military Appreciation Days Parade

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Hundreds of people attended Myrtle Beach’s annual Military Appreciate Days Parade on Saturday, taking time to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Local groups including Quilts of Valor, War Vets Motorcycle Club and junior ROTC students from schools across the Grand Strand took part in the event, which stepped at 10:30 a.m. along Farrow Parkway in Market Common.

Organizers added something a bit new this year, inviting emcees to explain the people and groups that were taking part in the parade.

“Always a blessing to be able to provide sunshine and rainbows to my veteran neighbors,” emcee Tony Marra said. “I am so proud of the veterans who are around me, but especially my son.”

Many members of the parade, which begin in 2009, have ties to the military, including some who served themselves.

Mary and Frank Venegas have lived in Myrtle Beach for decades and make the parade a part of their plans every May.

Frank served in the United States Air Force for 20 1/2 years and says the support from the community is always there.

“We just enjoy coming every year to the parade, if we can come here, we’re going to be here, that’s for sure. He got off work to come today. I always take off for this, there’s no doubt about it,” Mary Venegas said.

“The soldiers marching and the American flag, when the kids came down with the American flag, because I’m very patriotic, I come from a patriotic family,” she said.

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Hannah Huffstickler is a multimedia journalist at News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2024 after graduating from Coastal Carolina University in December of 2023. Keep up with Hannah on Facebook and Instagram . You can also read more of her work here .

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