Save the Date!
You are invited to the 69th Anniversary of Flight 19 Memorial Ceremony.
When: Friday December 5, 2014 at 1:00 PM (13:00)
Where: NASFL Museum building
4000 W. Perimeter Rd. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315
Showcasing WWII Vehicles
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Save the Date! You are invited to the 69th Anniversary of Flight 19 Memorial Ceremony. When: Friday December 5, 2014 at 1:00 PM (13:00) Where: NASFL Museum building 4000 W. Perimeter Rd. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315 Showcasing WWII Vehicles
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Allan McElhiney's memorial service took place November 15, 2014. A Sea Story Re: Brother Al. By Dick Boyce "I was Officer-in-Charge at (former Naval Air Station) Ft Lauderdale Base from Sept 1988 until 19 July 1991. Al and I hit it off at our initial introduction and remained close throughout my tour. My new base was noticeably the biggest eyesore in the vicinity of the airport. The buildings were in disrepair with peeling paint and suffering from no maintenance program and no money to correct the problem. I felt more like a slum lord than a naval officer. My tightfisted seniors offered advice, but no funds. Allan McElhiney asked me to provide space for him to start his museum. He discussed his plans to recreate a WWII flight student's bunk room as well as collect plaques from all ships visiting Ft Lauderdale. His long range plan included having a mural painted on a wall with President GHW Bush's plane included. I agreed to all of it with one condition... Al had to tell me that President Bush was coming for the dedication of the mural. Tongue in cheek, Al told me of his plan to have the President on site. Over the next few weeks I signed a lot of bogus letters to a lot of ships asking for plaques for a museum that didn't exist, to be seen by a president that wasn't going to visit. I also officially notified my seniors that President Bush was going to participate in our ceremony. Paint and maintenance crews were flown into from Dahlgren, Virginia to "beautify" the facility. I provided weekly updates to seniors about the potential VIP visit and developed a formal program for the ceremony. I also helped Al unwrap many of the plaques he received and helped him write Thank-you notes. Just prior to the big event, I passed the word up my chain of command that Jeb Bush would be standing in for his father. The list of attendees dropped significantly. What a happy ending! In the end my facilities looked new, Al had lots of souvenirs from the fleet and neither of us spent a penny. Al was my kind of sailor. Our philosophies were similar. If it's good for the Navy, just do it. One senior eventually discovered the scam. He complimented me for "my ability to interact with the Navy League and civilian community in promoting a positive image of the Navy". In private he said Al and I were modern day Frank and Jesse James." Dick Boyce  Eventually, President George H.W Bush did visit with McElhiney and signed Bob Jenny's mural which is on exhibit at the NASFL Museum. Allan McElhiney's Memorial Service will take place on Saturday November 15th from 1-4pm. Refreshments to follow. At Broward Burial and Cremation. 1801 East Oakland Park Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 (954) 731-4321. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Museum. Allan McElhiney, founder of Navy museum and Flight 19 ceremony, dies at 89, on Sunday, his birthday By Ken Kaye, Sun Sentinel  McElhiney spent the past 30 years preserving Naval history to honor those who died during the war (RICHARD SHEINWALD / Sun Sentinel)  Sign the Guestbook for Allan McElhiney OPEN LINK > Allan McElhiney AMM - 2c USNR, WWII & Korea Founding Father of NASFL Museum Curator, Historian & Photographer On November 9, 2014, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease, Allan McElhiney passed away on his 89th birthday.  Allan McElhiney, U.S Navy Allan McElhiney was born November 9, 1925, to Allan and Ruth McElhiney in Lynn, Massachusetts. His father was a Marine who served in World War I. Allan has three brothers, all of whom served in the military, and one sister. On Allan's 17th birthday, his parents signed his papers to join the Navy. Beginning in 1944, he served on convoy duty on the Patrol Frigate USS Asheville PF-1 based at Port Everglades. After World War II while in the Reserves, he was called to active duty for the Korean Conflict, back aboard the USS Asheville. After his discharge from the Navy, like many veterans who had spent time or heard stories of our area, Allan moved with his wife Carolyn and five children to Fort Lauderdale. He started a wall-covering business with contracts up and down the East Coast as well as the Bahamas. In the 1970's he joined the Navy League, and later became chairman of the Sea Cadet Program. In 1979, Allan, along with military friends Ben Langley MCB7, Army Col. Robert Rawls, Chief Stephen Sedillo USCG, and a handful of history enthusiasts and supporters, established the 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Historical Association. Their main mission was to save from demolition at least one of the buildings from the former WWII Fort Lauderdale naval base. The group worked tirelessly for many years, and finally on May 20th of 1998, they were successful in registering Building #8 "The Link Trainer Building" on the National Register of Historic Places. In December 1999 after much work and preparation-- and joining in their preservation cause-- was Broward County Commissioner Lori Nance Parrish, whose father W.A. Nance, Jr. served in the Navy during WWII. Lori was able to locate a $200,000 grant from the Transportation Department, and just in time, the building was officially saved and moved to its permanent location at 4000 West Perimeter Road. Restoration has continued since, to complete Allan's dream of a permanent place (Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum), to honor the service and sacrifices of those who trained here during World War II. In the course of more than 30 years, McElhiney compiled a vast amount of documents, photographs, articles, and artifacts that are on display at the Museum. He did all this without pay, with the help of members and volunteers. This World War II collection continues to grow daily, thanks to the efforts of volunteers, museum members and benefactors. Beginning on December 5, 1989, Allan presided over the Flight 19 Memorial Ceremony-- originally celebrated at Navy Park, and more recently in the Museum building. This annual ceremony is open to the public. In December 2011, Allan McElhiney was inducted as a Broward County Pioneer, and was also awarded the Broward Navy Days Freedom Award for 2012. On December 5, 2013, he was honored with a Proclamation "The Allan McElhiney Day in Broward County" by Commissioner Chip LaMarca. Over the past several years Allan's physical health deteriorated, limiting his activities however his keen mind and sharp wit remained. Having learned of the Honor Flight, he was invigorated by the opportunity to travel with other World War II veterans to visit the World War II, Korea, and Iwo Jima Memorials as well as the Arlington Cemetery in Washington, DC. It was obvious to his family and friends how very important this was to him. With the great help of volunteers from the non-profit organization Honor Flight South Florida, Allan made the trip of a lifetime on October 11, 2014. His joy was palpable, especially with the reception and celebration on their return that night to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Allan McElhiney's Memorial Service took place Saturday November 15th at Broward Burial and Cremation. 1801 East Oakland Park Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Museum. THANK YOU to the following individuals for their generous donation of World War II artifacts for exhibit at the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum: Donna Kotrady in honor of Anthony Cusolito
Ken Steigelman Mira Libansky in honor of Otakar Libansky James Eng Charlie Schauss, Chevalier Kerry Raymer Al Yoder Robert Morris Walter Morgenstein Susan Taylor Gabriel W. Nemeth in memory of Gabriel P. Nemeth Joanne Castelli - Gold Coast Women Veterans THANK YOU to the following Benefactors for their support
of the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Historical Association: Dayton-Granger Christopher Maholm - Director of Business Development and Engineering Dr. Anthony Atwood Director of Miami Military Museum of South Florida Edgar "Buddy" Galvin Mr. Keanneard L. Steigelman Oil Spill Response USA Inc. Paul Schuler - Director Phi Delta Theta / Sigma Chi Alumni of Broward County Also THANK YOU to the following Donors for their support: Dr & Mrs Jim Perry Rudy Oetting Beverly Babcock Vern Lewis, Jr. Charles & Andrea Mulin Norene Keyser Broward County Homeschool Parent Support Group Paul Buckley Ralph Flaherty Robert Donigian Keith E. Mullaney Dr. Jerry Klein |
Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum National Register of Historic Places. A Florida Heritage Site. Only remaining structure from WWII left on the naval base property. Home of Flight 19 one of the great aviation mysteries. A 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. The Only Military Museum in Broward County. Support the Museum at Amazon
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Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum
4000 West Perimeter Road Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33315 Phone: (954) 359-4400 HOURS: THURSDAY, SATURDAY, & SUNDAY from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm Events Blog | Contact | Tours | Privacy |
