Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum - NAS Fort Lauderdale Museum News

My Unusual Search

8/17/2017

FOUND: Harry Brandenburg
U.S Navy Engineer Officer 1917 - 1918
USS Arizona (BB-39) First World War

Harry Brandenburg, 4th row, second from left, 1918.

My Unusual Search
By Ron Brandenburg

My late father, Harry Brandenburg was a US Navy engineering officer aboard the battleship Arizona during the First World War. Aside from a few stories he told me when I was a young man I knew very little about his Navy activities during that time.

Ten years ago I was wandering through a bookstore and came across a very large history book titled “Battleship Arizona” by Paul Stillwell. I was interested in books relating to warships, having served in the Navy in the early 1950's as a radioman on both a cruiser and a destroyer. While browsing through the book, I stopped on pages 34 and 35 and saw a fabulous two page photograph dated 1918 showing the Arizona's wartime crew posing on the ships forecastle. Can you imagine my surprise and feelings when I recognized my father's face among the 4th line of officers? I was amazed that this history book located in an obscure corner of a book store contained a photo of my father taken over 90 years ago....
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TV Spot

8/6/2017

Discussion centered around the creation
of the NAS Fort Lauderdale Museum and all its new projects

Subject: New Countyline program CTY-637 NAS Museum

HOST: Frank X. Loconto

Guests:
1) Dr. John Bloom - Director, NAS Fort Lauderdale Museum
2) Jack Seiler - Mayor City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
3) Tim Ryan - Commissioner Broward County, Florida.

Watch the Show

Update

8/1/2017

The Wrecking Crew continues to work in the beautification of the NASFL Museum: this time they removed barbed wire and an old metal fence and installed white posts with a nautical theme. Also, they re-located our mailbox! Thank you so much Brendan Doyle, Phil Jordan, & Nunzio Galli! You are an inspiration to all of us!

Becon Distance Learning

7/26/2017

The Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum will be participating in the BECON Distance Learning Program for the 2017 - 2018 School Year. Ms. Angela Piraino & Ms. Minerva Bloom will be presenting 9 themes with history of WWII and the museum, through photos, books, and artifacts, for grades 4 and up. The first show starts September 5, followed by a new show every month until May 2018. Thank you to children's author Bill Sydnor for helping set this up!

BECON’s Distance Learning Program provides interactive educational experiences to all K-12 Broward County Public Schools. Whether you are taking your class on a virtual field trip or connecting with another classroom around the world, distance learning provides opportunities to explore curriculum and deepen student knowledge. Transform your classroom into a world of global learning!

thank you

7/26/2017

Thank you to NASFL Museum volunteer
Norene Keyser for her help in assisting
with the World War One uniform
from Lt. John Sullivan!

Beautification Projects

7/21/2017

Beautification Projects at the NAS Fort Lauderdale Museum

North Side and Front Garden Beautification Project
Suggested Improvements to be completed by Memorial Day, May 2018.

NORTH SIDE OF BUILDING Project #1
Museum volunteers will be removing a metal link fence on the north side of the building, which is about 59 feet long, to be replaced with wooden posts linked together with a nautical looking rope. This project would also include purchasing the items and then installing them.

In addition to the installation of a new fence, pruning is needed for the existing shrubs all along the north side of the building as can be seen on 1st photo. These plants need to be pruned back at least a foot from the building and all dead fronds/leaves need to be removed. There is a plant that is growing out from the fronds on one of the palm trees that needs to be removed. There are also other weeds along the ground that need to be pulled out.

FRONT OF BUILDING BEAUTIFICATION Project #2
To the left of the museum’s front door entrance, there are several electrical boxes/meters on the building (as seen on 2nd photo), and it is suggested to use two White Vinyl Traditional Lattice pieces that are being stored under the building to attach it vertically to 4’x4’ lumber. These lattice pieces are 4’x8’. Installed this way, the lattice would be used as a trellis for butterfly host plants that are vines. This would be erected about 6 feet from the building and adjacent to the porch’s railing allowing easy access to the electrical boxes/meters from the left side of the trellis.

ADDITIONAL WORK Project #3
There are numerous Wandering-Jew plants (as seen on 3rd photo), which are invasive, and other weeds that need to be removed from the front and also under the building. All of the plants along the front of the building need to be pruned to remove dead matter and to be cut back so they do not touch the building.

After all of the above work has been completed, butterfly garden plants will be added to beautify the area and labor assistance will be needed for that installation in addition to funding to procure the materials. This area is approximately 70’ x 20 feet and includes a flag pole and its surrounding concrete base and military equipment. Also, in the future, four dedication monuments for the museum’s founders: Allan McElhiney USN WWII, Chief Stephen Sedilo Coast Guard, Ben Langley USN Seabees, and Col. Rawls, US Army, will be installed in the front of the building (as seen on photos with orange cones).

Expedition Day

7/18/2017

After two years of planning,
Project Mariner Expedition finally takes Off on Monday July 24, 2017!
Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum
Project Director: Andrew Marocco

1927 Daily News front page

7/18/2017

Thank you to Peter Larson for donating a framed 1927 Fort Lauderdale Daily News
Front Page "Lindbergh Hops Off On Paris Trip"
On exhibit now, along with John Sullivan's WWI uniform,
and a 1898 Spanish-American War Medal of Honor

Zen Garden Project

7/18/2017

This is the first phase for the Ray Rivera's Zen Garden & "The USS Bunker Hill"
We will be adding more updates, and participants in a few days.
If you would like to help with this project please Contact the Museum

RAY RIVERA, USNR WWII Bio

Phase 2 - Work in progress: The USS Bunker Hill will be featured in the far horizon, on a coastal scene of the Pacific Ocean. This is artist John Bowen's sketch painting. The scene will eventually be painted in an upside down canoe.

Updates

7/18/2017

The Wrecking Crew organized adding new gutters on the East side of the Museum's building.
The gutters were installed by Christian Stutz and Darren Dunaway from Budget Seamless Gutters.
Notice the fresh coat of paint and new tiling that the Wrecking Crew volunteers completed as well!

The Wrecking Crew

7/18/2017

Our awesome "Wrecking Crew" volunteers: Veterans Rolf, Nunzio, Brendan, & Phil
They are all around wizards in gardening, carpentry, preservation, construction, and much more!
We are so very lucky to have their support and dedication. They have painted all the building's steps, railings, fixed leaks, rotten wood, replaced broken panels and tiles, created all the garden areas, tend to the gardens,
and currently they are creating a new garden in honor of WWII veteran Ray Rivera.

Gardens update

7/18/2017

The Memorial Butterfly Gardens are doing wonderful, growing and hosting lots of butterflies.
Thank you to the Wrecking Crew Volunteers for the tireless work you do everyday at the Museum.
You know who you are :)

June Luncheon

7/18/2017

June Luncheon

6/2/2017

Greetings from Hollywood in Florida 1930s. Postcard.

NAS Fort Lauderdale Museum LUNCHEON
Saturday, June 24 - 11:30 am

GUEST SPEAKER
Joan Mickelson, Ph.D.
Writer, editor, blogger, Florida historian, mystery book author

"History of flying in and around Hollywood, Florida 1920 to 1940"
- A PowerPoint presentation -

Donation: $25 (at door)

Joan Mickelson Website

Albert Beyer

5/30/2017

Thank you to the Myers family, relatives of ALBERT BEYER for donating a Congressional Medal of Honor in mint condition, from the Spanish-American War. This donation was in memory of Rev. & Mrs Stacy D. Myers, Jr.

Albert Beyer
Spanish American War
Coxswain, U.S. Navy.
Awarded for extraordinary bravery on board the U.S.S. Nashville.
May 11, 1898

Citation:
On board the U.S.S. Nashville during the cutting of the cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898. Facing the heavy fire of the enemy, Beyer set an example of extraordinary bravery and coolness throughout this action. Albert Beyer was one of 52 sailors and Marines awarded the Medal for actions during that battle.

Albert was born June 13, 1859 in Hanover, Germany. He entered Service at Boston, Massachusetts. Albert died October 29, 1929. He's buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, there are no known photographs of Albert Beyer.

USS Nashville at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, 8 January 1898.

USS Nashville (PG-7) a gunboat, was the only ship of its class. It was the first of three ships of the United States Navy to hold the name Nashville.

Spanish–American War:
Upon commissioning, Nashville joined the North Atlantic Fleet; and, as war with Spain became imminent after the sinking of the armored cruiser Maine, she was ordered to the Caribbean. She captured four Spanish vessels from 22 April-26 July 1898, and assisted in cutting the undersea telegraph cable just off the shore of Cienfuegos, where many of her sailors and Marines were honored with Medals of Honor. Nashville remained on duty off Cuba until the war's end.

Tuskegee Garden

5/30/2017

Tuskegee Garden Celebration

Thank you to all the visitors that attended the Tuskegee Garden Celebration! And most of all thank you to the Master Gardeners and Veterans that made this project possible!

Thank you to the following individuals for their gracious help, and generous donations:

ALYSSA LAVORA, Alexander Landscaping & Plant Farm
JANICE MALKOFF, Master Gardener
JOHN BOWEN, Veteran
NUNZIO GALLI, Veteran
ROLF EKELUND, Veteran
PHIL JORDAN, Veteran
MICHAEL THOMAS, Master Gardener & Veteran
ERROL SIMMONS, Master Gardener & Veteran
BRENDAN DOYLE, Master Gardener & Veteran
SONNY MANGUAL, Tree Trimming & Gardening
HAPPY PAPPY'S Restaurant
JEFF MAGALINE, Heavy Equipment
RAY RIVERA, WWII Veteran
LARRY RIVERA
Daughters of Veterans:
Renee Doyle WWII
Shea Ciriago WWII
Janet Colbert WII
Ladies of Plantation Gardening Club
Tuskegee Exhibit by:
Minerva Bloom & Renee Doyle

Ewa Field

5/23/2017

SAVE EWA FIELD! Image from Ewa Historian, John Bond

75th Anniversary Battle of Midway Commemoration
Sunday June 4 from 9 - 9:30 AM at Ewa Field ramp
and 9:30-10 AM tour of 1942 aircraft revetments

This Commemoration will be the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Midway which began on June 4, 1942 near Midway Island, which is part of the Hawaiian archipelago. Many Navy and Marine planes from Ewa Field were sent to fight in this famous and decisive Pacific War naval battle.

The USS Hornet had just recently completed the then secret B-25 bombing of Tokyo on April 18, 1942. Pilots, planes deployed to Ewa Field to prepare for Midway and left just days before the beginning of the Midway battle on June 4, 1942. Many planes from Ewa Field were shot down, including the now legendary Torpedo Squadron 8 of the USS Hornet. Ewa Field pilot Richard Fleming USMC was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his attack on a Japanese battle fleet cruiser. The sinking of four Japanese aircraft carriers was a nearly miraculous feat which changed the course of the Pacific War and quite possibly WW-II. However the air battles entailed a very great sacrifice by US Navy and Marine pilots in out classed planes against superior Japanese carrier aircraft and ship gunnery units.

Few today know that Ewa Field played a major role in the planning, training and formation of the US naval air forces deployed at the Battle of Midway and why today a visible legacy remains of large concrete aircraft bunkers built to protect key aircraft from Japanese air attack and coastal bombardment. They are now being evaluated for placement on the NPS National Register of Historic Places.

75th Anniversary Battle of Midway Commemoration, Sunday June 4
from 9-9:30 AM, Ewa Field ramp. And from 9:30-10 AM tour of 1942 aircraft revetments

The James Campbell HS Navy JROTC will be providing a color guard. Hickam AFB Honor Guard will provide rifle salute. We expect to have some key speakers including: James M. D’Angelo, Chairman and Founder of the International Midway Memorial Foundation (IMMF); Daniel Martinez, NPS WW-II Valor in the Pacific historian. We may also have two Midway veterans attending who will leave Sunday afternoon for Midway on a special charter flight. More may be added. Public invited, no charge. An educational event with tour of 1942 aircraft revetments which are today part of the Barbers point stables.

For more info please contact:
John Bond, POC 685-3045
Ewa Battlefield Historian
E-mail: ewabond@gmail.com
Ewa Field Blog: http://ewafield.blogspot.com

Ewa Field Blog by John Bond, Ewa Historian

Expedition

5/23/2017

In behalf of the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum
Aviation Archaeologist Andy Marocco and Historian Jon Myhre
search the Bermuda Triangle to find Flight 19 and the PBM Mariner:

Donate to Project Mariner
An Expedition of the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum

Pioneer Day 2017

5/19/2017

Congratulations to EDGAR "BUDDY" GALVIN, a WWII Navy veteran, for being chosen as one of the Broward County Pioneers for 2017! Buddy was nominated by our Museum, for his outstanding volunteerism:

Throughout the years, he has been a volunteer of several organizations, including this museum. After the end of WWII he left the Navy, and in 1955 settled in Hollywood, Florida with his family. He was engaged in the Construction Business, Real Estate, Millwork, Hardware, Cattle Business, and Golf Course design & construction. Buddy became very involved in civic duty: he was President of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Kwanis Club, Hallandale Chamber of Commerce, and second President of the Navy League of Hollywood, he also served as a city Commissioner, and then as Mayor of Hallandale. He supports several Veterans organizations such as Honor Flight South Florida. Buddy was also responsible for naming the "Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport" when he was in the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Buddy has traveled extensively around the world, and he's also an accomplished pianist and lover of classical music.

Buddy is 96 years old, and still strong. He is the oldest member at his gym club. Currently, he volunteers his time and also enjoys his Butterfly Garden at our Museum, which veterans & Master Gardeners created in his honor. The museum published his very entertaining memoir "This is Your Life Buddy Galvin" (all proceeds go to museum).

The Broward County Pioneer Day - 2017 Award Ceremony will take place at the Parkland City Hall, located at 6600 North University Drive, Parkland, Florida 33067. A reception will begin at 1:00 pm and the recognition program will begin at 2:00 pm. Please join us! Admission is free!

Pompano Beach Historical Society

5/19/2017

We got to meet some wonderful people from the Pompano Beach Historical Society!
They had their May Meeting at our museum.

The Pompano Beach Historical Society’s mission is to collect, preserve and publicize the history of the Greater Pompano Beach area. This mission is accomplished through the Society’s:

Archives of historical documents and images
Public programs and lecture series
Museum exhibits and displays
Publications
Advocacy for the preservation of historical sites and buildings
Pompano Beach Saturday GreenMarket
Collaboration with like-minded organizations

Tuskegee Garden

5/12/2017

Join us for the Grand Opening of the
Lt. Col Leo R. Gray
Tuskegee Memorial Butterfly Garden
Museum Building
Memorial Day, Monday May 29
10:30am to 12:30 pm

Refreshments will be served outdoors in garden areas.
Photographs, and Tuskegee Airmen related artifacts
will be displayed inside the Museum.
Free Admission. Free parking.

Original Painting by Sir Hamilton, May 2, 2014
Reproduced for the Tuskegee Memorial Garden by Illustrator John Bowen

Click here for directions to Museum

USS New York

5/5/2017

THANK YOU to Crewmembers of the USS New York (LPD 21) who volunteered their time all day yesterday! They sanded, painted, cleaned, and prepared the grounds for our third Memorial Garden areas. Thank you to Commanding Officer Capt. Todd Vandegrift who graciously joined his crew at work!

We also got to meet US Navy Rear Admiral Babette “Bette” Bolivar, who is first female commander of the Navy Region Northwest, and the first woman Commander of Joint Region Marianas. It was inspirational to see them helping our community! We are very thankful for their service!

A special thank you to SCPO(SW/AW/FMF) Rafael Barney, for including the Museum, when organizing events for Fleet Week Port Everglades.

Historic Resource

4/28/2017

Link Trainer Building and Goodman Archaeological Site Designated as Historic Resources:

BROWARD COUNTY, FL - On Tuesday, April 25, 2017, the Broward County Board of County Commissioners officially designated the Goodman Archaeological site in Sunrise and the Link Trainer Building (Museum), in Fort Lauderdale as historic resources. Both properties have significant historical and cultural value, which prompted the County's Historic Preservation Board to make the recommendation for designation in early January.

In the early 1990s, the Goodman Archaeological site was set aside for preservation when developers started to build single-family homes in west Sunrise. It was added to the list of the County's Local Areas of Particular Concern, due to the site's good state of preservation and unique potential for future research.

The Link Trainer Building stands as the only remnant of a once substantial World War II era naval air station. Today, it is a museum located at 4000 W. Perimeter Road in Fort Lauderdale. In 1998, the building was nominated and accepted to the National Register of Historic Places. A year later, it was relocated to its current site and converted into a museum. The museum houses a large collection of military and naval air station artifacts, including one of the few remaining "Link Trainers" (also known as flight simulators) in existence. The Link Trainer Building is one of only 37 Broward landmarks listed in the National Register.

"I am very proud of our Broward County Historical Commission in working on this important symbol of our participation in World War II. I have been a longtime supporter of Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Musem, since meeting a great man: Allan McElhiney, the Museum's founder, and saw his passion. We have come a long way and this building is now under the responsibility of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport thanks to Director Mark Gale. Thank you to the Broward County Board of County Commissioners, William J. Gallo (Chair of the HPB) and Minerva and John D Bloom Jr., for their years of dedication."

-- Chip LaMarca, Broward County Commissioner

John Bowen Exhibit

4/27/2017

Arts Park at Young Circle Gallery
PRESENTS WATER COLOR ARTIST & AUTHOR

John Bowen
SOLO ART EXHIBITION
MAY 2 - JUNE 16

RECEPTION SATURDAY, MAY 20, 2017
6:00 - 10:00 PM
City of Hollywood
Arts Park at Young Circle Gallery
Hollywood Blvd & US 1

FREE ON STREET PARKING

A 20" x 30" original Giclee will be
auctioned off during the reception

Official Website of John Bowen

John Bowen has been an artist and illustrator for more than 45 years. He first studied commercial art at the School of Fine and Industrial Arts in Newark, New Jersey. After two years of experience in advertising agencies, he entered the United States Air Force as an illustrator. His duties in the Air Force included a year of documenting airlift operations in South Vietnam, and his illustrations are on display at the Air Force Academy in Colorado. Upon establishing a residence in South Florida, John discovered the many varied landscapes of the state containing the only subtropical climate in the U.S. and the wonderful lighting that Florida's climate affords. John is a volunteer at this Museum!

Newsletter

4/26/2017

NAS Fort Lauderdale Museum
APRIL 2017 NEWSLETTER is ready for viewing!
You can read online or download file

April 2017 News
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Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum
4000 West Perimeter Road
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33315

Phone: (954) 359-4400
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