Fighter jets will join July 4th celebration

A tribute to the troops will return to the South Carolina coast on the Fourth of July, this time with a squadron of F-16s. A Salute from the Shore has been organized by a group of vacation-home owners at Pawleys Island and Litchfield with sponsorship from the town of Pawleys Island.

Last year, the Salute featured a C-17 cargo jet from Charleston Air Force Base. It flew the length of the coast as beachgoers waved flags. The scene was filmed from a chase plane and shown to troops serving overseas.

This year, the organizers got the 77th Fighter Squadron from Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter to conduct the flyover. While the F-16s will be more dramatic, the event will be shorter. The jets are scheduled to fly the length of the state's coast in 20 minutes.

"They'll go as slow as they can, but that ain't very slow," Pawleys Island Mayor Bill Otis said.