South Carolina National Guard suspends Apache pilots who dazzled beachgoers, prompting outrage: ‘Should be celebrated, not sanctioned’

Politics South Carolina National Guard suspends Apache pilots who dazzled beachgoers, prompting outrage: ‘Should be celebrated, not sanctioned’ By Victor Nava Published July 9, 2026, 10:20 p.m. Add The New York Post on Google Eight Apache helicopter pilots who wowed a crowd of beachgoers during a Fourth of July airshow were suspended by the South Carolina National Guard — a decision that sparked outrage among lawmakers who argued the airmen should be applauded rather than punished. Video footage of the military pilots’ low pass during the Salute from the Shore event went viral on social media and showed the attack helicopters thundering along the South Carolina coast as dozens of people waved and cheered them on from the water and sand below.