To NAS Ft. Lauderdale Historical Association:

"Hello, my name is Edward M. Steidler and I was in training at the NAS Fort Lauderdale in WW2. I volunteered for the Navy at the age of 17 and applied for the V-6 program which was the Aircrew. Got accepted, then on October 5, 1944 I was shipped to Millington, Tennessee by train. This was the Naval Air Technical Training Center where we took our boots and learned how to take code, etc. The next step was Air Gunnery School at Miami, Florida. Finally, we went to NAS Fort Lauderdale to Air operations where we were assigned a Pilot and became an Aircrew. Here we combined all the skills including torpedoeing ships, ditching procedures, etc. I was assigned to pilot Harry Allen III, from Richmond, VA. I became the belly gunner, and John Payne was the turret gunner.

I thought our training was inconsistent, in that operating the radio gear was skimpy. The TBM had a radio setup called GP which had several coils that you plugged into the radio to set your frequency. Most of us felt that particular session was not very thorough. All during this training, John Payne was chronically airsick and would throw up. Usually on me. I didn't complain because he was the only support for his mother and she needed his flight pay.

Remembering Flight 19 incident: On 5 December 1945, the Flight 19 incident occurred. The day was warm, clear, and beautiful. About supper time, a front came through and it became bitterly cold. We were told the lost flight would be in the water about 7pm. I remember how sorry I felt for them ditching in the dark, and even if they got into their rafts they would be soaking wet and freezing cold. Our crew took part in the search. As I remember, the total search was 5 days, and our crew flew 3 of the 5 days. Never saw a trace of them.

Hurricane Incident: I don't remember the dates, but a hurricane struck south Florida and destroyed a Blimp Hanger I believe, located in Hollywood. The personnel at the blimp base was set free and NAS Fort Lauderdale was to furnish guards, and we were asked to volunteer. I said I'm not volunteering for anything, but I was watching a movie when an SP came in and selected 12 of us for something. We were put in a dump truck and taken to the blimp base. The local officials put all their equipment in this immense hanger which was destroyed and burned up. The metal equipment was melted. All the food at the blimp base was spoiling, so the mess cooks set the grandest table of all time. From steak to lobster, but we couldn't even make a dent. On the way back to NAS Fort Lauderdale after several days, we were driven through a black district. The people were sitting in chairs out in their yards, their houses were gone, and the mosquitoes were coming out.

Transfer out: My pilot transferred to dive bombers which were a two-place aircraft. He kept me and let Payne go. We went into training near Virginia Beach, VA. We were assigned to Bomber Squadron 3, which was on the USS Yorktown. It was proposed to replace the SBD Dauntless dive-bombers with the newer SB2C Helldiver dive-bomber, but the Yorktown got sunk at Midway before the transfer was accomplished. The VB-3 planes were scattered over the surviving carriers, so VB-3 disappeared. We never got another carrier assignment so we stayed in training until discharge.

I have included my picture where I look awful young. I am 86 now and in fair health. I have been happily married for 65 years."

Ed Steidler
Aviation Radioman 3C

Jim Nesta said:  "I was a student of the first class of Dania-Stirling Sr. High at the NASFL station in the fall of 1966. We voted on a name for the school mascot and chose the Spartans. During PE, when the teacher was out, we would roughhouse in those old WW2 era barracks and would sometimes punch holes in those old walls, to the consternation of the teacher! After the first semester, I later transferred to Stranahan Sr. High. In my electronics class at Stranahan we would get old electronic communications gear from the NAS, as our teacher was a retired major from the army signal corps and had some pull with the military. When I entered the Army in 1969, we trained in the same kind of barracks that were at NAS."

Hillar Brandt said:  "It is indeed exciting to see something like this after so many years. I attended Florida Military Academy as of summer of 1959 until 1962 when they moved to Plantation. I still remember airplanes taking off after warming up their engines at 5am. Of course at the time we could still climb and look around inside the abandoned Catalina's and naval fighter planes there. I spend most of the time in Miami and will make a point to visit in Feb/March when I get back to the US. If I am not mistaken, the barracks were those at the lower left side of the shown picture, Thanks for the pleasant memories."

Albert Harris said:  "You should know that from 1966-68 it was also a high school Dania-Sterling High School. I came from Attucks Jr.-Sr. High School in Dania FL and we were all black. My Sophomore year at that school was my first time to go to school with white kids and we were all Sophomores. The 68-69 school year we were the first class of the new school Hollywood Hills High School. It was ruff at first but it turned out to be the best two years of school in my life.  That old Naval Air Station had no air, no heat in those old barracks lol. You should know this do not forget us the class of 66-68 and the class of 67-68 the Jr. and So. class of Dania-Sterling High School and the Sr. and Jr. class of Hollywood Hills High School 1969 and 1970. Thank You Albert L. Harris U.S.Army and USAF Vet. class of 1969. Oh yea by the way, on my So. year my football teammate who was a running back named Bucky Dent never knew that he could play baseball for the New York Yankees."

Robert Walsh said:  "My father James Walsh signed up for the US Navy with George F. Devlin in Brooklyn NY. My father signed up as Edward J Walsh (alias) at age 15. They were childhood buddies. They both paid a Notary Public 50 cents to have their names and age changed. My father ended up serving on the USS Harry F. Bauer DE 26 with participated in the battle of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. My father always talked about George Devlin being in the crew of Flight 19 and their adventure of signing up for the Navy underage during WWII."

Bryan Ilyankoff said:  "Very nice article about the Photographer who took pride in his work! Photos that he took are great! Wish I could of met him and talked about his experience! I currently show a WWII Navy Photographer's Mate display at military shows and events here in the Seattle area. So, I gladly honor those who came before me in my rate. Thanks for sharing his time in the Navy!

Very Respectfully,
Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class,
Bryan Ilyankoff
U.S. Navy Reservist
(former Photographer's Mate)

In reply to What a find! Mitchel Johnson, Sr. is my grand..., Darrell Johnson said:  "That's my daddy & uncle. Mitchell (Sr.) is my granddaddy. I remember that Navy ship visit (referred to by Cheree in the above post.) It's good that legacies are remembered. Those who don't write their own stories are subjected to others, retelling of them."

Ralph Flaherty said:  "Just came across this site. I am now 84 and remember my days at NAS FT Lauderdale. I joined the Navy at age 17 in 1944 as an air-crewman. After aom school in Norman OK I went to gunnery school at the Emory Riddle bldg on 27th ave in Miami. It was there that I met Whitey Thompson (Flight 19), a marine who had just come back from the fleet. He and the rest of the marine group were there for a refresher course. Anyhow, we finished gunnery school in August 1945 just as the war ended, and ended up in the last class to go through operational training at Ft Lauderdale. On the day that whitey was lost I had just come back from a morning flight and Whitey was on the flight line waiting for his flight. I was probably the last one to talk to him before they left. The next morning I was on the first search flight out of Ft Lauderdale. I remember it well:  it was a very lousy day, real bumpy and the reason I was still at the plane when Whitey arrived is that I had thrown up right behind the pilot where I was standing during the flight. I remember a very angry pilot who ordered me to clean up the mess and make sure there was no smell when he got back. Obviously I got out of there, so I did not have to go on the next flight with him. So much for my story. I just want to end by saying we were all just kids and though Whitey was the only one of the marine group that I knew, he was really quite a guy. Although he did not talk about the war I heard from others that he was on the USS Franklin when she got hit and he was trapped for 4 hrs below deck while she was burning. I can't verify that fact but that's what I remember. My best to all and thanks for all that you do......R Flaherty"

Dated:
7AM, February 9 of 1943. Newport Rhode Island

Servicemen enjoyed free postage throughout the war. All a soldier or sailor had to do was write “Free” on the piece and the Post Office would deliver it. Even if a soldier wanted to mail the end of a C rations box as a postcard, the Post Office would deliver it. Soldier mail and international mail was routinely checked by censors to ensure that vital war information was not passed along to unauthorized persons. This example is from sailor Allan McElhiney Jr, writing to his father Allan McElhiney Sr., who had been a Marine during World War I. Allan has 3 brothers all of whom served in the military in World War II.

Click to view larger

From Lt. Joe O'Brien, USN WWII, Aviator of TBM's
Trained at the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale in 1945

"Thought you might enjoy enclosed photos. You may recall I was talking to one of the planes on Flight 19 as I returned from FAM HOP.  I also remember that I had been first pilot to fly one of the TBM's that would later be used by Flight 19 at the NASFL (BuNo: 45714). I had ferried it from the General Motors factory in Trenton, N.J over to the Franklyn Field in Norfolk, Virginia in 1944."

Observation: Lt. O'Brien's says that on 12 April 1944, his flight log diary shows he ferried TBM Avenger BuNo: 45714 from the factory to NAS Norfolk. Then a year later he went on to train at the NAS in Fort Lauderdale. The serial number would be FT- 3 which was part of Flight 19 Squadron. FT-3 was piloted by Navy Ensign Joseph T. Bossi, with crew S1c Herman A. Thelander as gunner, and  S1c Burt E. Baluk as radioman.

On 5 Dec 1945, Lt. Joe O'Brien says that he had left around 2:00pm for the exercise (FAM HOP = familiar hop), and was returning around 4:00pm to the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale where he was training, when he overheard Flight 19 on the radio. He sensed some trouble and tried to offer suggestions of flying into the sun in a westerly direction, but he had no idea they were in serious trouble, and the signals were getting weaker. He thinks now that if they were flying over the Gulf of Mexico instead of the Atlantic Ocean, that advice would have not worked. He was then ordered to land at NASFL, where he later learned of their disappearance.

"Flight 19 - A Remembrance" by Keith Parker

"This story was told and retold to me through the years by my mother, always with great reverence:
A few months after World War II my father was still serving with the Navy in the Pacific and my mother, Cora Jane Parker, was the District Manager for Cities Service Oil Company. On 5 December 1945, she had just made a delivery of AV gas to the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale and was looking for the duty Lieutenant to sign for it. When she couldn't find him she asked around and was told he was in the Radio Room. She had been there before. She went there and when she entered, she was hit by an eerie sense of quiet, unlike the busy chatter that normally filled it. It was hushed and no one was speaking. The only sound was the crackle and static of the radio speakers. When the Lieutenant signed for the fuel delivery my mother asked about the strange silence in the Radio Room. The Lieutenant explained that a flight of torpedo bombers on a training mission had disappeared and they were waiting for any signs of transmissions from them.

Later that evening when my mother returned home she ran into a pretty young neighbor who complained to her that her date had 'stood her up' and went on to fault him in particular-- and flyboys in general-- for taking advantage of local girls. When my mother informed her that her date was probably missing in action and very likely would not be coming back, the young girl was saddened, embarrassed by the way she had been acting, and quickly changed her tune. Now, like many young women during the War, her man would not be coming home to her."

With remembrance,
Keith Parker

Observation: The United States home front during World War II, supported the war effort in many ways, including a wide range of volunteer efforts. Many women joined the workforce to replace men who had joined the forces. Gender roles were dramatically altered from then on. The increased likelihood that a woman was working outside the home in addition to her homemaking responsibilities was certain. Many women worked in volunteer organizations connected with the war effort. The above letter sheds a small light not only on the events surrounding Flight 19, but also on women helping at the home front during WWII.

Bjørn Madsen, a Physician from Denmark visited the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum, and we learned that for 30 years, him and a group of friends and their children, have been holding a memorial ceremony for Flight 19.

He writes:
"I am back in Denmark after a fantastic holiday in Florida. A big THANK YOU to all at the museum for showing me around and presenting all the information and the exhibits. Especially, thanks to David Epstein for sharing some of his memories and taking me on a little tour around the museum. As I mentioned, (the memorial ceremony) started as an impulse when we were all living at university campus, when some of the guys read about the mystery of the lost airplanes. From there it has grown into a tradition - now, 30 years later, we still get together every year (and now with several children joining the tradition !). It was an experience for me to see the actual Flight 19 monument and the museum in Ft. Lauderdale. I have taken lots of photos that I look forward to share with my friend in just a few days."

December 5, 2012:
"Here in Denmark we were 16 joining together on Dec. 5th, 2012.  I see some of the friends regularly, others just turn up this one time every year. Naturally, we have to do things a little differently. Everything is strictly INDOORS, since this is early winter in Denmark. We had a bit of snow in the air outside (this weekend we expect down to -15 C during the night), and a couple of guys were missing because they were sick with flu. We don´t have a monument - but we DO have model airplanes, and the reproduction poster of one of the Bob Jenny paintings. We get together late in the afternoon (most are working daytime) and keep a moment of silence around 8 p.m. (which with the 6 hour time difference follows very close to your ceremony in Ft. Lauderdale). It seems like we have had some success in bringing the spirit on to the next generation !  One of the guys told me that his youngest daughter (age 13) had chosen Flight 19 as the subject for one of her school projects, and another young guy had also written a school essay inspired by the Flight 19 story." --Bjørn Madsen

Thank you Bjørn for your efforts and to all the Group. It is wonderful to see that you all are teaching the younger generation about this time in history. We welcome you as our new member! Thank you for your support and we hope to see you again!

Click to enlarge

Superstorm Sandy destroyed towns and homes, and took lives, but a stack of 57 letters tied together with a pink ribbon survived the devastating storm. Kathleen Mullen was taking a walk along the Henry Hudson Trail in Atlantic Highlands, N.J., the day after the storm hit when she spotted the bundle of letters.

“They were obviously tied with a pink ribbon, so I automatically knew that they were love letters,” Mullen told ABC News’ New York station WABC-TV. She took them home, carefully dried them under the fireplace in her powerless home and began to read. The letters were written by Dorothy Fallon of Rumson, N.J., and Lynn Farnham of Vermont between 1942 and 1947.

“There isn’t much more to tell you tonight, dear,” one letter read. “I love you very much. Yours always, Dotty.”

Mullen was determined to reunite the letters with their owners. She posted about the letters on Facebook, Craigslist and eventually did a search on findagrave.com, where a Lynn Farnham was listed who died in 1992 and was buried in New Jersey. Through the website, Mullen connected with Shelly Farnham-Hilber, a niece of the couple, who lives in Virginia. She was thrilled to hear of the find.

“It’s magical. You go, ‘This can’t be real,’” Farnham-Hilber told WABC-TV. “It’s like a genealogical gold mine. It’s just that moment that you think is lost forever and here is something. It’s a gift.”

Farnham-Hilber said that Lynn Farnham, her uncle, served in WWII and was at Pearl Harbor. The couple had two children. The son has died and Farnham-Hilber’s family has lost touch with the daughter. Dorothy Farnham is 91 years old and lives in a nursing home in New Jersey. The family is looking forward to being reunited with the letters and the find was a beacon of light to Mullen during tough times.

“It kind of sent the message that love conquers all, you know, in such devastation … something so delicate just washes ashore,” she said.

Sunday, May 06, 2012
LeRoy Crouch USN (Ret)
(Post Navy career he was an architect for Broward County School system in Florida).

"My knowledge goes way back till the time the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale was first built.  My Dad was one of 2 Public Services Directors that built this facility in 1942. Dad claimed this to be one of his outstanding building projects. He talked about the methods they used to construct those long-span wooden trusses for the hangars, as well as the building used to contain the "Link Trainers." He told of the times that they would have to carry a pilot trainee out on a gurney-- after he had crashed in the simulator.

He claimed that he was the only one able to view the entire set of construction plans for the building. Everyone else could only see the portions they were currently working on. Dad proudly displayed a plaque he was awarded by the Base Commander, for the efforts he had made during the construction and maintaining of that facility.  I have the picture of him receiving this award. He cherished that till his dying day. His claim to fame, I guess. He used to point to every building on that site-- and say "I built that one, and this one, and that one...."  and on and on: the hangars, the hospital, the mess hall, the barracks, the officers club...."

We received a letter from Mr. Carlos Chatara who brought his son Giancarlo to the NASFL Museum to research for his School project. Young Giancarlo was very interested with all the artifacts and he was most impressed "to meet a real WWII hero" in Mr. Allan McElhiney, who was a WWII sailor. It was a pleasure to meet the Chatara family and to remind us that the Museum's vision is to Preserve, Educate and Honor the Heroes. Below, is an excerpt from their letter and photos of Giancarlos project:

"March 28, 2012
Dear Debbie and Allan:

Thank you for taking the time to teach us about the Naval Air Station of Florida during WWII, especial thanks to your Dad, he is a real hero not only because he was in the war but to keep and maintain all this valuable information in the Museum during all this time to show to the new generations. Because my son had this project for the school and the information you provided us, my son's project was one of the 3rd best in his class.

The School is: Eagle Point Elementary in Weston
Teacher : Michelle Laudanno
4th Grade

I have attached some pictures of the project. My son Giancarlo, my Wife Tania and myself want to thank you and your Dad for your help. Carlos Chatara."

We received several e-mails and a great visit to the Museum, from NASFL Communications Officer William J. Hopwood. It was an honor and a pleasure to see him again and to learn more about life at NASFL during WWII. The following are passages of his e-mails to Allan McElhiney, President of the NASFL Museum:

Monday, June 27:
"I am a long time member of the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Historical Association and was Communications Officer at NAS Fort Lauderdale when it opened in 1942, and until 1944. I was at one of the NASFLHA lunches on Jan 5, 1996 when I delivered a short speech about what the NAS was like in those wartime years and brought some official Navy photographs I had acquired, at least one of which I remember was on display at the luncheon.  It was a photo of Captain Pratt holding an early AM inspection of NAS officers and this photo was of a small group of us from the administrative staff and I was one of them in the photo.  I don't remember all the names but think I may have written some of them on the back of the photo.  As one of those who was at NASFL during the war, I know I speak for all of us who were there then to say how much we appreciate what Al McElhiney and all of you great volunteers have done to preserve the history of NAS Fort Lauderdale. It played a very active part in our national heritage and thanks to you folks it will not be forgotten. Many thanks, William J. (Bill) Hopwood, CDR USNR (Ret.)"

Tuesday, June 28:
Commander Hopwood remembers:

• "The first C.O. was Commander (later Captain) Donald E. Wilcox who was transferred out around late 1943.  At the time I arrived in October of 1942, the Bachelor Officers Quarters (BOQ) were not ready and they put us up in a small Hotel on Andrews Ave. which was owned by a man and wife who were Free French refugees.  We used to sit around the lobby at night and listen to the Free French short wave broadcasts from Radio Brazzavile in French Equatorial Africa.
  
  
• Commander Wilcox was relieved as C.O by Captain Pratt. Commander Joe Taylor was, I believe, the first Operations Officer and he was in charge of flight training. Lt. Marshall Myler started the first station newspaper, The Avenger, and after the war I knew him in Miami where he ran an advertising/public relations business.  Joe Stiret was Personnel Officer. Major Prine (USMC) was in charge of the Marine Detachment. Lt Burton Wheeler (I forget his title) ran the Payroll department. More of the names come back to me when I think hard enough. Those were busy days. 
  
  
• The student aviators came and went, so I didn't know many of them but I got to know a number of the flight instructors, some of whom had just come from the early days of the Pacific war and had had first-hand combat experience. CDR Joe Taylor was one who later went back to the Pacific and was, I believe, one of those who was on the carrier Franklin when she was set on fire and badly damaged by the Japanese late in the war. I think I was still there when former President George H.W. Bush went through training and I may have seen or met him but he was just another student then and nobody would have dreamed they were talking with someone who would later be President of the U.S.
  
  
• NAS Fort Lauderdale Central Office Xmas Party - 1943 Photograph: I can remember a few names of those in the (group) photo and will try to identify those I remember, by location as best I can."
  
  Sitting, front row:
  2nd from left, Lt. John Rogers, aide to C.O.
  3rd from left, Capt. J.L. Pratt, C.O.
  6th from left, Dolores Frame, clerical dept.
  Kneeling, second row:
  Far right, Mary Bond, clerical and teletype operator, Communications Dept.
  Standing, 3rd row:
  2nd from left, Joe Steiert, Personnel Officer
  3rd from left, Lt. Stoddard (with black tie).
  Standing, 4th row:
  With head framed in middle doorway, Lt(jg) Edward Talbott, Communications.
  Tall man with head touching hanging decoration, Lt. CDR Mac Tharp, Executive Ofcr.
  Next to Lt. CDR Tharp (cheek to cheek) Ens. Knolyn Hatch and Lt. William Hopwood, Communications.
  

Sunday, July 10:
"Hi Allan:  Thanks so much for your nice message. I want to thank you and your team for welcoming me and my friends last Saturday. We had a wonderful time. Seeing the museum really made my day, my month, my year. You folks have done such  a great job. I really marvel at how you and your team of volunteers have managed to do  everything you have to keep the history of NAS alive. I guess you and I can both say that  WWII was the high point of our lives, and to visit the Museum and see all that you folks have  accomplished made me feel young again.  I hope many more who served at NAS during the war will have the same opportunity to visit as I did. I'm sure they will feel the same. 

I want to particularly thank Dr. Bloom for showing me around as thoroughly as he did. And thanks also to the Commander who was there (Karl Bork, naval aviator who served in Vietnam), for their time and for encouraging the young man who was with me to pursue his dream of  being a Naval Aviator. In doing so he was also helping the lady who drove me up from Miami (the young man's mother) to feel more at ease about the possibility of her son having a military flying  career. Allan, it was wonderful to see you again after 15 years, and also to meet your daughter. And I want  to express especial appreciation to you for giving me the copy of that fine book Dr. and Mrs. Bloom wrote about how you started the historical association and over the years have created what has  become such a tribute to everybody who had anything to do with NAS Fort Lauderdale in WWII.

Without your efforts I believe NAS would probably have long-ago been relegated to the dust-bin of history. But the accomplishments of you and your team has not let that happen.  Now the museum will be a major part of the history of South Florida for the foreseeable future. That's really good  news. Thanks again for a wonderful visit."

Bill Hopwood

We want to share these photographs that show some of the servicemen at the NAS Fort Lauderdale base during WWII. They were sent to us by Jennifer, grand-daughter of Seymour Baumgartner, who was stationed at this naval base working as an aircraft mechanic. He was at NASFL for two years from 1944 to 1945. Thanks for sharing your memories Jennifer and Seymour and also thanks to Mary  (Seymour's daughter), for helping us with the image captions! We are proud to honor your service, as it is important for our generation and the ones following-- that we do not forget. We hope you can visit someday! We are sure your grandfather will enjoy himself reminiscing about that period in his life, as we have lots of WWII memorabilia for display at the Museum.

- Click on thumbnails to enlarge -

Jim Hood contacted us and wanted to share his memories of the High school at NASFL:

"During the 50's the influx of new residents forced the retired-NAS to be converted into a public school. If you lived in the area - I lived near Oakland Park Blvd and North Ocean Drive. (In fact I was the paper boy for North Beach) I had to travel to the Gateway area to be transported on to NAS Junior High. Over the years I have met a number of Lauderdale folks who lived back there in that era. Few, if any, remember Naval Air as a school. It was particular in that there was no heat and in those days A/C.  We had frequent cold days.  We all went into the library and stood shoulder to shoulder next to a fire burning stove. Thinking back on cold days, and cancelling school was a hoot.  Imagine cold days in South Florida! Having to travel round trip from North Ocean Blvd and Oakland Park Blvd was a real pain in those days too.  Down A1A to Sunrise to Federal Hwy, across the old bridge which was usually open (no tunnel in those days).  Over to a new school; Strannahan HS, then, finally to NASJH."

Thank you Jim, for sharing your experience! Hope to see you someday!

We got an e-mail from Mr. Ralph Flaherty who remembers the gunner of FT-36 Flight 19, Sergeant Howell ("Whitey") Thompson.

"Just came across this site. I am now 84 and remember my days at NAS FT Lauderdale. I joined the navy at age 17 in 1944 as an aircrewman. after AOM school in Norman OK. I went to gunnery school at the Emory Riddle bldg on 27th Ave in Miami. It was there that I met "Whitey" (Howell) Thompson a marine who had just come back from the fleet. He and the rest of the marine group were there for a refresher course. Anyhow we finished gunnery school in August 1945, just as the war had ended. We were in the last course to go through operational training at the base in Ft. Lauderdale.

On the day that Whitey was lost on Flight 19, I had just come back from a morning flight and Whitey was getting on line to wait for his flight. I remember it well:  it was a very lousy day, real bumpy, and the reason I was still at the plane when Whitey arrived, is that I had thrown up right behind the pilot where I was standing during the flight. I remember a very angry pilot who ordered me to clean up the mess and make sure there was no smell when he got back. Obviously, I got out of there, so I did not have to go on the next flight with him. So much for my story.

I was probably the last one to talk to him before they left.  The next morning after the disappearance of Flight 19,  I was on the first search flight out of Fort Lauderdale.  I just want to end by saying we were all just kids and though Whitey was the only one of the marine group that I knew, he was really quite a guy. Although he did not talk about the war I heard from others that he was on the USS Franklin when she got hit and he was trapped for 4hrs below deck while she was burning. I can't verify that fact, but that's what I remember."

We got an e-mail from Jose Hurtado, Ph.D:
"I think NAS Fort Lauderdale Museum is a very important an interesting place in Fort Lauderdale and I want to congratulate its founder, Mr. Alan McEhiney and the Historic Association people for such excelent work!

However I'd also like to add a comment in order to complement this historical achievement:
It is correct to say that the Naval facilities were abandoned in 1946, after World War II, but 10 years later Col.(R)Robert "Bob" Young and his wife with some retired army officers founded a military High school named "Florida Military Academy", which occupied the naval facilities for more than 10 years (...or more), probably from 1950 to 1963...
I know about this situation because I was a student at that school between 1956 and 1959, and remember to have lived and attended classes in those old barracks for almost three years, whose pictures Mr. Mchiney shows some of them in his excellent book.."

Malcolm Barker USN WWII sent several great pics he took of TBM bureau number 85828  NL 81865. It is a Grumman TBM-3E shot at the 2009 Stearman fly-in, at Galesburg Illinois.  From 100 to 200 Stearmans fly-in the week after Labor Day each year.

Click on image to see it larger.

The image below is of a B-17 that visited the old Air Force base near Nashville, Tennessee last year. Mr. Barker Met a former pilot there who flew 30 some missions over Germany in B-17's.

ePeterso2 wrote a comment for Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale and Flight 19 Memorial at the Waymarking website:  "If you're a fan of the TV show Burn Notice and saw the episode "Signals and Codes" featuring the actor Michael Weston as Spencer, you might have noticed that the opening scene of the episode takes place right in front of this memorial. Pretty cool, eh?"  Visit Link to read on the Episode at the IMDb

The information for this particular design came from Johnny Signor, who is an avid unit emblem researcher. He studies WW-2 era flying unit emblems of the USN/USMC and USAAF. He is also a leather unit patchmaker of same. He contacted us with this information. Thank you Johnny! To read on the Origins of Nose Art and see some examples and links click here.

Lou "Sparkie" Seldon flew in the United States Navy for 7 years, worked for the Federal Aviation Administration for 23 years until he retired in Ft. Lauderdale in 1998 with 30 years U.S. Government Service. He then worked for American Airlines as a simulator instructor at the flight Academy near the DFW airport (so he could travel to Panama) , retired in 2008 and lives in Keller, TX near the DFW airport.

He sent a nice note to Allan McElhiney and the Museum:
"Mac: good to see you Sunday, Jan 2nd and how lucky the rental car number turned out to be the NASFL Historical Assoc as & I got to talk, then visit with you. Please keep me posted on how you & the Assoc are doing."

Visit his website Republic of Panama

From the Archives at: USS Houston CA-30
Survivors Association & Next Generations

Photo Acquired by John Bradford (Australia). John's source for the photograph of USS Houston (at anchor in Darwin) was the wife of the late Ron Beard who saw action while a member of HMAS Warrego’s No. 1 forward gun during the aborted convoy to Koepang and the Darwin air raid.  He left Warrego in December 1942. 

Survivor David Flynn
Still "Perpetuating the Memory of the CA-30 and Her Men"
By John K. Schwarz

"I had the pleasure recently of being able to spend the better part of a day while vacationing in Florida with this beloved survivor and his fabulous wife, Donna Mae. When greeting them, I was offered a little gift in the form of the book Allan McElhiney: One Man's Vision by John and Minerva Bloom, the story of the founder of the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Historical Association (NASFLHA).

Within a couple of days I began to read this book and couldn't put it down. Turns out that the Airport down there serving Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, Florida, an airport I have flown in and out of for over 15 years, was a major training base during WWII for Naval aviators and enlisted Naval airmen of the U.S Navy and Marine Corps. Among its notables who trained there was President George Bush Sr. He went on to fly off the aircraft carrier San Jacinto which ties it into the USS Houston CA-30 through fund raising following the CA-30's sinking. This air station was also notable in being the base from which was flown the memorable Flight 19 which disappeared without a trace while on a training mission over what has been characterized as the "Bermuda Triangle". All fourteen crew members were lost and nothing has ever been found of the plane or crew.

Allan McElhiney was a Navy man who served during WWII aboard the second USS Asheville Patrol Frigate (PF-1), and was stationed in Newport, R.I, during the Korean War. Coincidentally, the first USS Asheville (PG-21), was part of the Asiatic Fleet! Anyhow, just like the spirit of my late beloved Dad, Otto Schwarz, Allan set about and has devoted his entire life to preserving the memory and legacy of the contributions and sacrifices made by so many of the servicemen who served at NASFL. He established the historical association which has been able to retain an original building from the WWII air station which now sits on the airport grounds as a Navy Museum. I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon at this Museum and with this great WWII American hero. There he was, 85 years old, suffering from Parkinsons Disease, and staffing this Museum on his own, continuing his life's work through this Museum packed with artifacts. What a man! He is a true example of the "greatest generation".

Low and behold, commencing on page 94 of the book, is "Survivor's Story" which turned out to be a six-page depiction of David Flynn's experience as a CA-30 shipmate! I have to tell you that it made me so proud to read and see such a fabulous job David and the authors did in condensing David's story into these six pages. What a testament to the CA-30 and her crew. This is such a great example of one of our own beloved men having the courage and talent to tell the story so that the mission of "perpetuating the memory of the USS Houston CA-30 and her men" gets accomplished.

David, hat's off to you, JOB WELL DONE, and God bless you!"

John Schwarz is the Executive Director of the Blue Bonnet Newsletter of the USS Houston CA-30 Survivor's Association. He is the son of USN survivor Otto Schwarz. His father started this association in 1948. Otto recently passed away. Our deepest condolences to the Schwarz family.

To visit David Flynn's website Tribute by his son Shawn Flynn, click on this link.