July 4th is 'Bob Hendrick Day' in Murrells Inlet
Last Updated on 3/16/2010
Published on 6/26/2008
By Clayton Stairs
cstairs@gtowntimes.com
The Fourth of July, which always has meant a lot to World War II veteran Bob Hendrick of Murrells Inlet, is going to be extra special for him and his family this year.
After 25 years of chairing the Murrells Inlet Boat Parade Committee, Hendrick, 90, recently received a tremendous honor. Georgetown County Council has named July 4, 2008, "Bob Hendrick Day" in Murrells Inlet.
"It was certainly a surprise and very much appreciated," Hendrick said. "It is nice to be recognized for things that you do. I've enjoyed working with the Boat Parade Committee and hope to continue to do it for some time."
On June 10, County Councilman Jerry Oakley, who represents Murrells Inlet, presented Hendrick with a framed certificate commemorating this rare occasion.
"Bob is just an all-around good guy," Oakley said.
"He has worked in the background for all these years to make the Murrells Inlet Boat Parade the event that it is, and now it is an institution that attracts thousands of people to the inlet."
The public is invited to participate in this year's boat parade -- with the theme "Freedom Is Great in 2008" -- either by joining the long procession of patriotically decorated boats or by lining the water's edge to wave a flag as they pass.
SEE HATS, Page 4B
For those who are planning to watch the parade, the most popular places to gather are the marsh walk, the Murrells Inlet Veteran's Pier near Spuds Restaurant and Captain Dick's Marina, or in front of Belin Methodist Church.
There will be five trophies for the best decorated boats ($5 registration fee to be judged), and another five for the best decorated docks (no registration required). Awards will be first, second and third place, with two honorable mentions.
As in years past, Hendrick will be riding on the committee boat with friends, family members -- including his son, Andy Hendrick, his granddaughter, Jill McClellan and her husband, Jerry, who help with the event -- and other members of the Boat Parade Committee. The committee boat leads the procession along the parade route, which winds through the creek and along the waterfront residences and businesses. It also handles registration of boats.
Registration will be on the committee boat near Garden City Point from about 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Pre-registration forms for boats are available at Booty's Outdoor, Garden City Realty, Captain Dick's Marina and the Murrells Inlet 2007 office. It is not necessary to be registered to be in the parade, which begins at 10 a.m., but only those boats that are registered and have a number displayed will be judged.
"This parade is just something that brings the community together," Hendrick said. "We invite everyone to put their boats in the parade or to decorate their docks. Naturally, it also brings a lot of visitors to the area."
Bob Hendrick
Born in Conway on Jan. 3, 1918, Hendrick is the eldest of three sons of the late Robert and Minnie Hendrick. His brothers, who have both passed away, were Hoyt and S.E. "Tubby" Hendrick.
As a young man, Hendrick worked as a partner at his father's grocery store, Hendrick's Market, before he enlisted in the U.S. Army to fight in World War II. His unit was one of several which landed on the beaches of Normandy in 1945.
While fighting in the war, Hendrick earned both a purple heart, a U.S. military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving; and a bronze star, a U.S. Armed Forces individual military decoration which may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. When he returned home, he attended G.I. School, which was then offered at Conway High School, and returned to his job at the grocery store until they sold it in 1958.
He then went to work for Allied Security Company for several years before being hired as the manager of the Conway office of Carolina Pipeline, owned by Natural Gas Company. For 20 years, he served on the Conway City Council. After retiring, he moved to Murrells Inlet in 1974.
A widower of two wives, Hendrick lives alone near the creek. He has two sons, Andy, who teaches at Coastal Carolina University and serves as a practicing attorney and municipal judge in Conway, and Tony, a deputy coroner and retired fire chief and director of EMS in Conway; five grandchildren, Jill McClellan, Lindsey Hendrick, Neal Hendrick, Shelley Hendrick, Kellye Hendrick and Kris Hendrick Dawes; and three great-grandchildren, Todd and Emily McClellan (9-year-old twins) and Hunter Dawes (8 months).
Serving as an Omar Shriner for more than 30 years, Hendrick has held many positions, the highest being chief aid to the Potentate (who is the top man). He has earned 66,000 points for raising money for the 22 Shrine hospitals in the country and has received a "Medal of Honor" fez (Shriner hat) of which he is very proud.
Involved with many parades with the South Atlantic Shrine Association, which covers six states, Hendrick had a lot of experience with these kinds of events when he and a group of neighbors came up with the idea for a boat parade in Murrells Inlet 25 years ago. He was also involved with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary during that time, teaching boating courses.
A fitting honor
Lee Hewitt, Hendrick's next-door neighbor and one of the original organizers of the boat parade, has been involved with the event ever since. He says that Hendrick has been a hard worker all these years.
"The thing about Bob is that whenever he is working on a project, he takes it and goes with it," Hewitt said.
He says the first year they held the boat parade, it only included about 25 boats. Now the Murrells Inlet Boat Parade Committee is a non-profit organization and last year, there were about 150 boats in the procession. They expect that many boats or more this year. They also expect 2,000 to 3,000 people along the shore.
"It is all about patriotism," Hewitt said. "More importantly, it is about having a good time and enjoying the inlet."
Hewitt is in charge of T-shirt sales and he says that they will sell 2,600 T-shirts this year. All of the proceeds from T-shirt sales -- which total an astounding $110,000 over these many years -- go to Boy Scout Troop 396 of Murrells Inlet. They are available for $10 at Booty's Outdoor and Lee's Inlet Apothecary, both on Highway 17 Business in Murrells Inlet.
Sue Sledz, executive director of Murrells Inlet 2007, has helped Hendrick and the other members of the Boat Parade Committee with getting the word out about the event for the last four years. She says that the honor bestowed upon Hendrick is very fitting.
"I was thrilled to hear that Georgetown County chose to honor him this July 4th by declaring it 'Bob Hendrick Day' in Murrells Inlet," Sledz said. "It couldn't be more appropriate after his 25 years of involvement with this parade."
Other Fourth festivities
* Pawleys Island Parade
The annual Pawleys Island Fourth of July Parade will begin at 10 a.m., with lineup at 9:30 a.m. on the South Causeway, which will be closed to traffic. Applications for floats and T-shirts are available at Town Hall (on the North Causeway).
The parade route will run along Myrtle and Atlantic avenues. Large floats will be diverted at Second Street on the north end to reduce problems with the turn around. Water guns or spraying of water on or from floats is prohibited by law.
* North Litchfield Parade
The annual North Litchfield Parade, put on by the community, starts at 10 a.m. Anybody is welcome to view this "children's parade," which includes decorated golf carts, bicycles, strollers and wagons.
Participants should meet at 135 Hanover Street in North Litchfield at 9:30 a.m. The parade runs south on Parker Street and turns by The Retreat condominium complex, then continues back up Lake Shore Drive.
* Concert at the Kaminski House
The Pawleys Island Concert Band will be performing along with the Indigo Choral Society at the Kaminski House Museum at 7 p.m. as part of the Made in the Shade Concert Series. The event will be held on the lawn and is free to the community. People are welcome to bring blankets and picnic baskets. Fireworks will follow the concert. The rain location will be First Baptist Church in Georgetown.
* Georgetown fireworks
Georgetown City Fire Department will give Georgetown another spectacular display of fireworks over Winyah Bay. Assistant Chief Bill Johnson says the show will start at around 9:30 p.m., or "when it is good and dark." The best viewing areas are East Bay Park, the Harborwalk and at the Kaminski House Museum.
East Bay Park will be open all day, but Morgan Park (adjacent to East Bay Park), is where the fireworks will be shot off. That park will be closed at noon and parking will be restricted 1,000 feet from the shooting area.
* Murrells Inlet fireworks
Fireworks will once again light up the Murrells Inlet skies on Friday, July 4th. The display is shot off from a shell island in the middle of the marsh and is guaranteed to be bigger and better than years past. The fireworks show is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. Spectators can view both events free of charge.
For more information, call the Murrells Inlet 2007 office at 357-2007.
