Events

The Horry County Museum presents a program on the Vietnam War by Coastal Carolina University History Professor John Navin on Saturday, May 17th, at 1:00 PM. Dr. Navin will discuss circumstances and events that led to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. He will describe political conditions, military strategies and major combat operations, the experience of soldiers and civilians, the role of the media, the rise of a powerful anti-war movement, the politics of withdrawal, and the war’s legacy. Veterans are especially invited to participate and to contribute to the discussion.
John J. Navin is a professor of history at Coastal Carolina University, where he teaches American history. He holds a master’s degree in American studies from Boston College and a Ph.D. in history from Brandeis University. Dr. Navin is the author of The Grim Years: Settling South Carolina, 1670-1720 (University of South Carolina Press, 2020).
The program is free to the public and will be held in the Museum’s McCown Auditorium located at 805 Main Street, Conway, SC 29526. For more information, call 843-915-5320 or email hcg.museum@horrycountysc.gov. To view a full list of scheduled programs, visit the museum website at www.horrycountymuseum.org.

The 2025 Horry County Museum Documentary Film Series continues with Soldier Stories: Valor in Vietnam. This locally produced film chronicles the common experiences of Americans in uniform during the Vietnam War through historic combat footage, period photography, and personal commentary by local Vietnam veterans and others.
The film is free to the public and will be shown at 1:00 PM, Wednesday, May 21st, at the Horry County Museum, located at 805 Main Street in Conway.
The Horry County Museum Documentary Film Matinees will continue throughout 2025. For a list of films, visit our website at www.horrycountymuseum.org. For more information, call the Horry County Museum at 843-915-5320 or e-mail hcg.museum@horrycountysc.gov.

Veterans of the American Armed Forces, active-duty military, and the general public are invited to the 2025 Memorial Day Tribute at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 26th in McCown Auditorium at the Horry County Museum in Conway. The event is sponsored by Goldfinch Funeral Home, the Horry County Museum, HTC, and the United Bank Center for Military & Veteran Studies at Coastal Carolina University.
“Veterans Day honors our military veterans, Armed Forces Day honors active-duty military, and Memorial Day honors those Americans in uniform who sacrificed their lives for our country,” said Walter Hill, who is director of the Horry County Museum. “The annual Memorial Day Tribute is an event that enables all of us to take a moment and gratefully reflect on those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.”
The 2025 Memorial Day Tribute at McCown Auditorium is designed to honor Americans in uniform of all ages who sacrificed their lives in the service of their country, and will include a moment of silence, presentation of the national colors by a color guard, live patriotic music, and recognition of veterans by service branch and era. It also includes the screening of a new and locally produced documentary film: The Golden Boys: Heroism & Heartbreak in World War II America, which chronicles the story of the Norton twins of Horry County, who sacrificed their lives as bomber pilots in Europe during World War II.
“The story of “Hoagie’ and ‘Whack’ – the Norton twins -- is remarkable and very inspiring,” said Rod Gragg, who is the film’s producer. “It is a fitting reminder of the sacrifices made by American military personnel for our country, and underscores the truth of the honored saying – ‘Freedom is not free.’”
“We invite the general public to join veterans and active-duty military at the 2025 Memorial Day Tribute,” said Meghan Hayden, the president of Goldfinch Funeral Home. “It’s a meaningful way for us to remember those in uniform who gave all on our behalf, and it gives us an appropriate opportunity to express our gratitude to our veterans and active-duty military for their service.”
Seating at the 2025 Memorial Day Tribute will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. McCown Auditorium and the Horry County Museum are located at 805 Main Street in Conway. Admission to the event is free of charge.

The Golden Boys: Heroism & Heartbreak in World War II America, which chronicles the story of twin brothers from Horry County during World War II, will be presented at the 2025 Memorial Day Tribute on Monday, May 26 at 2 p.m. in McCown Auditorium at the Horry County Museum in Conway. The free event will also feature recognition of local veterans, patriotic music, and presentation of the colors. (Photo courtesy of the Horry County Museum)

The 2025 Horry County Museum Documentary Film Series continues with Back to the Battlefield: Remembering D-Day. This locally produced film follows the late Mike Fitch of Conway, an 89 year-old D-Day veteran, as he returned to Omaha Beach in France for the first time since landing as an American combat soldier on June 6, 1944. Attached to the 116th Regimental Combat Team on D-Day, Fitch landed in the second wave of American troops on Charlie Sector, which was one of “Bloody Omaha’s” deadliest landing sites.
Shot on location in France, Back to the Battlefield leads the viewer through the beaches, battlefields, hedgerows and villages of modern Normandy. Enhanced by historic newsreel footage, the one-hour documentary chronicles the dramatic story of D-Day as retold on-the-scene by Fitch, a World War II combat veteran whose vivid memories give viewers a unique you-are-there exposure to the world-changing events of D-Day.
The film is free to the public and will be shown at 1:00 PM, Wednesday, May 28th, at the Horry County Museum, located at 805 Main Street in Conway.
The Horry County Museum Documentary Film Matinees will continue throughout 2025. For a list of films, visit our website at www.horrycountymuseum.org. For more information, call the Horry County Museum at 843-915-5320 or e-mail hcg.museum@horrycountysc.gov.

Join us Saturday, May 31st, for a free 30 minute activity at the Farm! Parents can sign children up for a half hour session between 9 AM-11 AM. Group sizes will be limited. In this session, we’ll celebrate the warmer weather with a fun, and tasty, science experiment by making ice cream in a bag.
For information about available times and to register, contact Marian Calder at 843-915-7861 or email calder.marian@horrycountysc.gov . Available sessions are 9, 9:30, 10 or 10:30, please specify which session you would like upon registering.
The L.W. Paul Living History Farm is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 AM-4 PM and is located at 2279 Harris Short Cut Road, Conway, SC 29526.

The Horry County Museum presents a concert by the Saltwater Chamber Orchestra on Saturday, May 31st at 1 PM. Comprised of volunteer members and performers, Saltwater Chamber Orchestra boasts a robust season of concerts with quality music performance. The group began as a club in the Coastal Carolina OLLI program in Myrtle Beach, SC, and is now an independent chamber string orchestra. Their repertoire consists of classical and show/pop selections, as well as selections for various holidays. Throughout the years since its founding, the organization has performed along the Grand Strand coast of South Carolina, sharing the comforting sounds of strings in the palmetto community. Venues have included churches, schools, libraries, and museums, as part of an ongoing concert series, and for educational, charitable, and civic events. For more information about the Saltwater Chamber Orchestra, and to view a schedule of their events, visit www.saltwaterchamberorchestra.org.
The concert will be held in the Museum’s McCown Auditorium located at 805 Main Street, Conway, SC 29526. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 843-915-5320 or email hcg.museum@horrycountysc.gov. For more information about programs for 2025, visit the museum website at www.horrycountymuseum.org.