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 original Avenger Newspaper started during WWII for the personnel at the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale. It stopped printing after the war ended. The NASFL Historical Association began a print newsletter for its members in 1995.  We have them all archived at the Museum, and soon we will begin to curate for digital form and available for viewing.  We are going to start with our first "The Avenger" Newsletter for our April - June 2011 Digital Issue.   Each current issue will be showcased on the screen.  Then we will begin to archive them and place links with their corresponding dates, for you to view or download. From now on you'll be able to view, download or print the PDF document directly from our website. Feel free to share it, save it or print from it.

Click here to see our first digital edition of The Avenger

The NASFL Museum was able to accommodate 6 volunteer workers on the Goodyear Blimp “Spirit of Innovation” on June 16. They all had a great time overlooking the landforms along Pompano, Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton. Pilot Corky Belanger, a second generation Blimp Pilot, was very informative and entertaining. Thanks Donna, Doug and to all the crew at the Pompano Blimp Base for making this such a memorable flight!  You guys are the best! 

Although it was a hazy and cloudless day because of wildfires on the Everglades, we still got to enjoy the spectacular views.  The special thing is that each day the Blimp goes on a flight, it is a unique experience because it depends on the weather. We got several cancellations due to the fire and wind before we were able to embark on this journey.  Thank you Donna... it truly must be hard to do the scheduling! We were so grateful to be re-scheduled!  Even though it was hazy, it was FANTASTIC!   We hope to have more images on our next newsletter.  We are also going to try to create a Video of the experience. We will post the link here when it is done.

Photography Copyright © 2011 by Minerva Bloom
Goodyear Blimp Logo & Offices Copyright © 2011 Goodyear Blimp

Flight 19 also known as the "Lost Squadron" vanished in the Bermuda Triangle while on a routine navigation exercise, December 5, 1945. Flight 19 remains one of the great aviation mysteries.

Flight 19 Avenger Squadron Crew and Home Towns
 - Unfortunately, we don't have an image of Walter R. Parpart RMC3c, USNR. The Radioman for FT-28 -

Burt Edward Baluk, Jr.
S1c, USNR from Bloomfield, NJ - Radioman on FT-3. He was 19 yrs old.

Ensign Joseph Tipton Bossi
USNR from Arkansas City, KS - Attended University of Kansas. He was on FT-3. He was 20 yrs old.
He passed up a discharge so that he could stay in the Navy. He had 373.4 hours of flight time, 65.9 on Avengers alone.

George F. Devlin
AOM3c, USNR from Brooklyn, NY - Gunner of FT-28
Enlisted under the alias Robert F. Harmon because he was underage (at 15 yrs old).
He was in the process of having that changed. He was 17 yrs old.

Robert F. Gallivan
Sgt.,USMC from Northampton, MA. He was on FT-117

2nd Lt. Forrest J. Gerber
USMCR from New Ulm, MN - He had received his gold wings 4 months earlier. He was 24 yrs old.
He was on FT-81.

Robert P. Gruebel
Pvt, USMCR from Long Island, NY. He was on FT-117.

William Earl Lightfoot
Pfc., USMCR training from Lexington, IL. He was on FT-81
Born in Clayton, Union County, New Mexico. He was 19 yrs old.

George R. Paonessa
Sgt., USMC from Mamaroneck, NY. Radioman on FT-36
Paonessa's family would receive a telegram days later reading
"You have been misinformed about me. Am very much alive."
Signed with his nickname (reportedly a hoax). He was 27 yrs old.

Walter R. Parpart
RMC3c, USNR from Brooklyn, NY - Radioman of FT-28

Capt. Edward J. Powers
USMC from Mount Vernon, NY - Graduate of Princeton. 26 yrs old.
He was on FT-36. Though a NASFL student, he was the senior officer of the flight.
He was the only married man aboard and the only father.
Two months prior, Powers had lost a crewman: he was flying out of NAS Miami in a TBM Avenger
with gunner Michael Belvito. When he got back to the base he found that the man was missing.
The gunner's door and parachute were gone.
A search and rescue was launched but nobody found anything.
The cause of the gunner's disappearance is still unknown.

Capt. George William Stivers, Jr.
USMC from Piedmont, MS - Graduated from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
He was cited for gallantry in the South Pacific, Guadalcanal in 1942 and Tarawa in 1943.
He was General J.C. Smith's Aide de Camp and in 1944 he became an air cadet.
That same year he received his wings from the Corpus Christi NAS.
He had 374.7 flight hours, 579 in Avengers. He was on FT-117. He was 25 yrs old.

Lt. Charles C. Taylor
Flight Instructor at NASFL - He was 27 yrs old. Was on FT-28
USNR training from Corpus Christi, TX - Graduate of Texas A&M University
Became a flight instructor in 1942. In 1943 he flew with the Scouting Squadron 62 until November 1943
when he became a torpedo plane pilot with Squadron 7.
From April 1944 to December 1944 he was aboard the USS Hancock
as part of Task Force 38. Also part of Acorn 36, NAS Miami Opa Locka and Squadron 79.
In November 21, 1945, he was transferred to Fort Lauderdale. He had 2,509.3 flight hours, 616 in Avengers.

Herman A. Thelander
S1c, USNR from Kimbrae, MN - Gunner on FT-3. He was 19 yrs old.

Howell Orrin Thompson
Sgt., USMC from Chicago, IL - Gunner on FT-36


To read more about
the Mystery of Flight 19 Click here

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."

The historic NASFL Museum is a 501c3 organization. Your help will be greatly appreciated as day by day, we are tackling the task of making the Museum fully operational to be enjoyed and analyzed not just by researchers but for the general public. There remains much work to be done so we can get our Certificate of Occupancy.

We have many wonderful, faithful volunteers, who kindly donate their time, expertise or influence. There are many opportunities to volunteer, as we can use all sorts of individuals with varied skills in the areas of history, curators, exhibit maintenance, administrative/clerical assistance, computers, general repairs, cataloging, construction, landscaping, etc. Whether you are a college student, a retired senior or a working adult with the desire to give back to your community, we have opportunities for you! Must be at least 18 years old. Volunteers needed year round, Monday - Sunday. Flexible schedule.

LIST OF THINGS NEEDED AT THE MUSEUM:

• Restore the Guard House to original condition with proper signs. We have the lumber, but we need workers for the restoration.
  
• Remodeling of two restrooms for handicap accessibility.
  
• Moving of two exhibit torpedoes from the back to the front of the building for better viewing.
  
• Remodeling of windows & inside window treatments.
  
• Hurricane preparedness: Tree branch trimming.
  
• New security alarm system.

If you would like to volunteer or donate materials, please contact the Museum at: (954) 359-4400
Or e-mail us: nasft.lauderdalemuseum@netscape.com

Main Exhibit Room Carpet Installation:

The old carpet has all been removed, the floors are being repaired, and beautiful new carpet donated by the Airport is being installed by our volunteer members: Mike McGee, John Bloom, Rob Taylor, Karl Bork, John Casey and our youngest member Richard Jones, who served two tours of duty in Iraq; one aboard the USS George Washington Aircraft Carrier, and the other as a soldier in the U.S. Army.


Helping with the work were also U.S Navy VTU 0808G members: MAC Patrick Bowden, CAPT. Scott Hahn, HM2 Richard McGowan, CAPT. Stephen Schaffer. Also member Rob Taylor is being generous in donating materials and his expertise for carpet installation. And thank you to Ray Rivera for helping in the maintenance of the Museum.

NASFL Museum President Allan McElhiney presented a plaque to member Paul Bradley (Sgt. Paul Bradley USA WWII ), in recognition for his many years of outstanding dedication and contribution to military history.

From left to right: Allan McElhiney, Bob Morris, the honoree Paul Bradley with his wife Barbara Bradley, and Capt. Pete Husta.

Newest Drawing from Architect Paul Bradley

Mr. Bradley brought with him his newest drawing for the Museum. This one is of a Martin B-26 Marauder. It will be proudly displayed at the Museum along with his other works.

From left to right: Allan McElhiney, Paul Bradley with his daughter Pat, and holding the drawing is Bob Morris.

We will be adding more stories to our website such as the Member Spotlight page in which we'll feature every month, members of the Naval Air Station during WWII, with vintage images as well as stories of members from our Historical Association. There are many amazing and courageous stories that must be told, so they are not forgotten.

Our first Member Spotlight is on:

NASFL Illustrator Phillip Bower
Petty Officer ARM 3c, USNR

We want to hear from you! If you would like to share, please send us your story, your memories, or pictures. We will include them in our Blog as well as in both our print and e-mail "The Avenger" Newsletters.