Jim Hood remembers the High school at NASFL

6/27/2011

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!

The barracks were converted into a High School from approximately 1950 to 1963.

20 Comments

albert l harris link

10/23/2011 01:14:16 am

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 So. year at that school was my first time to go to school with white kids and we were all So.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 at that old Naval Air Station no air no heat in those old barrcaks lol. You should know this do not forget us the class of 66-68 a 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 ya by the way my So. year my football team mate he was a running back name Bucky Dent never new he could play baseball of the New York Yankees.

Chuck Garbett

8/26/2014 02:40:40 am

Hello Albert. I do remember you at Hills. So many great memories. Concerning Bucky Dent. He played just a few football games for us when we were Dania Stirling-for he had to move to Hialeah and played football-basketball-baseball for Hialeah High School. They won state championships in football and baseball-something he would have never been able to do if he stayed with us. Yes-he played 12 years in MLB-played for and briefly managed the New York Yankees. HHH Class of 1969/70 is having their 44th/45th class reunion in 3 weeks. My best to you always!

Richard hunt

1/12/2021 04:28:04 pm

LIKED YOUR STORY ALBERT L HARRIS MY BROTHER

Jim Nesta

2/5/2013 03:41:28 pm

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 pull with the military. When I entered the army in 1969, we trained in the same kind of barracks that were at NAS.

Pete Emery

10/25/2013 08:08:11 am

I lived in Driftwood Acers in Hollywood, FL. during 1959/60.
I was in the 6th grade and I remember riding a school bus to school that used to be a military barracks. I don't remember the name. If anyone could help it would be appreciated.

bob S.

8/4/2014 08:48:37 am

pete

according to my report card yes still have it !! .. i was their 59/60 also and I was in fifth grade and it was called driftwood elementary and city of west hollywood warren.g cox was the principal and miss wolfe was the teacher printer on my reportcard,, i remember the bus ride very well from taft st out their.,, then i went to lynmar elementary in 6th out near davie road ext or university drive in the tiny portables buildings,,then a new driftwood jr was was built on 70th way in driftwood I went 7th to ninth and a elementary was next door,,, i guess the NAS was made in to a high school later ??? then on to mc Arthur grade till 67 US army 67-70 owned a cushman scooter too

Carol Hart

11/22/2022 11:05:11 pm

I also went to the Naval barracks in 1960 in third grade. Then went to Lynmar portables. Then to Driftwood. Wow can't bely you did also .We probably rode the same bus. We lived right off Davie Rd

Chuck Garbett

8/26/2014 02:31:08 am

I attended the Naval Air Station barracks for 3 years. One year for the 3rd grade for Driftwood Elementary in '59-'60. Two more years from '66 to '68 as Dania Stirling /Hollywood Hills High School. We moved to the new high school for my Sr.year and I am so very proud to have been a member of Hollywood Hills first graduating Class of 1969! My class considers the Naval Barracks as our school-for our last year at the new school went by way too fast. The funniest story that I can relate to going to school at the barracks was if you had a class at the furthest northern end of the school-the airport runway wasn't too far away-and when the jets would reeve up their engines to take off-the noise was very loud-the building would shake-and the teachers could not talk until the plane went down the runway. The campus was huge-we had 10 minutes between classes. We had to travel 20 miles to get there-but we loved every minute of it. Sports wise-we had to go to either McArthur-South Broward-Attucks high schools to practice and play our games. We loved it!

Minerva B. link

8/27/2014 12:09:24 pm

You guys should have a Reunion at the historic building that is now the Museum! We have had so many people that attended school at the NASFL barracks, each went their own way and into different part of the world. It would be interesting if a group got together and celebrated a Reunion at the Museum. contact the Museum!

minerva b. link

8/27/2014 12:32:26 pm

From Karen Ekman-Baur, an Educational Consultant living now in Germany. She remembers:

"I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, and From 1949 to 1951, a contingent of students who lived in the south part of Ft. Lauderdale and had previously attended South Side School were sent to Naval Air Station Elementary School. I'm not sure whether it was a full school of grades 1 through 6, but I was there in grades 4 and 5 (1949-1951). The school was housed in a 2-story wooden building. At the end of our 5th-grade year, Croissant Park Elementary School had been built , and we were all transferred there. Later, I and students from all over Ft. Lauderdale attended Naval Air Station Junior High School from grades 7-9 (1952 through 1955), after which we moved on to Fort Lauderdale High School in 1955."

Michael trotto

1/22/2016 06:42:16 am

I went to NAS in 1952 and 1953.Do you have any pictures of the school or know where I can see some.Few people seem to remember the school.If anybody remembers Gale Bundy or Randy Gadd please contact me

Carol Nau (Ware)

2/13/2025 01:06:00 pm

I’m trying to find information about Plantation Middle School back in 1966. School was held in the barracks. I would like to confirm my memories of it being in old two story wooden buildings with scary outside stairs. It had board walks between the buildings. I never went into the cafeteria because it was too dark and stinky with maggot filled trash cans. For gym class we stored our clothes in a metal basket that had a lock. I don’t remember attending classes! Please comment if you remember the school. Thank you.

Cindy Halliger - Maiden name: Cindy Hansen

3/6/2015 10:45:13 am

To whom this may concern:

I was reliving history and decided to look up the barracks, where I attended school but find it mentioned the barracks were closed in 1963 after Broward Communiy College finished their time there. This cannot be true since I attended school there for two years while we waited for Plantation Middle School to be completed during the years of 1968-1970. This was my 7th and 8th grade years. I missed out on going to the new middle school as it was not completed in time. The years I attended the barracks were quite memorable with planes interrupting our day frequently and there was the time a kid fell out of a second story window, since there was no screens. Is there any way this can be verified and perhaps corrected in your history?
Thank you so very much for your attention concerning this matter!
Sincerely,
Cindy Halliger
Maiden name: Cindy Hansen

dennis basile

1/7/2016 04:03:49 pm

I also attended school at the air barracks. We lived out in Plantation Acres and had a 45 min ride to school. I went there for middle school and I believe it was called Plantation Middle school as you mentioned they were building the new Middle Plantation middle school. I was there when they opened it. We moved in during the 1970 -71 year. The musical group Looking Glass played a concert on the revolving stage. The new school was a concept being tried where the academic area was one large area with only book cases dividing class areas. Quite a big change from the old barracks.

Jerry Schoyen

4/8/2015 03:51:53 am

Our family moved to Ft. Lauderdale in 1947, from Long Island NY.
I 1st went to Naval Air for my 1st and 2nd grades,1948-50, then again in 1956 for 8th Grade, Sunrise Jr. High.
My twin brother and I went to Croissant Park Elementry, Sunrise Jr. High and graduated from Ft Lauderdale High in 1961

James Durham

5/25/2015 06:46:00 am

Being a native of Ft. Lauderdale, I have fond memories of the different schools I attended, from the new Croissant Park Elementary, to the Junior High at NAS, and finally on to the good ole Ft. Lauderdale High School downtown. I spent too much time at the A&W drive-in across the street, and looking out the second floor window, while doing mech. drawing,so after completing the 11th grade,I walked across US1 to the American Legion and joined the U.S.Navy in 1959 and never looked back.
However, my days at the old NAS Junior High were probably my happiest school days. From walking on the boardwalks to the 2 story barracks/classrooms to P.E. and those great field-day events, and especially being a student there,when most disabled people did not attend public school,and we had the honor to welcome a blind student into our ranks!
Being very near-sighted at the time, most sports were not an option,but I did play tennis and had Jimmy Evert as my coach,and actually practiced with his young daughter Chris at the old clay courts behind Southside School.
I just lost my Mom, Elizabeth Durham who was a Broward County pioneer since 1925.

Mike Trotto

1/18/2016 12:15:45 pm

I went to the Naval Air School in 1953-1954
Lived of on on in Boynton Beach and Jupiter
and retired in Butler,PA
I lived where #84 and #95 is today.Florida was so beautiful and peaceful as I remember.I miss those days

Carol Melchiorre link

3/27/2016 10:57:07 pm

Michael Cellura

2/28/2022 07:38:30 am

I went to the old Navel Barracks for 6th and 7th grade while they were building Lauderhill Middle School I'll guess 1970 71 I remember no A/C and when a jet would take off the fumes would come into the classroom. But it was a cool place. We would hide under the buildings one of my classmates found an old bullet shell

Charles Wright

6/4/2024 06:26:26 pm

I was in the first graduating class of Plantation High School 1967.We went to the naval air station 1964-1966. HOT, stone crabs walking into the classrooms. Used to run to a little restaurant at the airport for the best chili and hot fudge sundaes around or drive to Royal Castle in Dania. Anyone out there remember that… Bob Vick, Joe McClung

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