Honoring the WWII servicemen

During WWII, the Military had to mobilize with speed and urgency, thus the number of casualties at military bases was on the high side. A sad but equally historic note is the fact that 95 Americans lost their lives at the NAS Fort Lauderdale base during 1942-1945— the three most intensive training years of the war. The Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Historical Association proudly salutes all of the service members who perished while serving at this naval air station.

Memorial Ceremony Program Sample
- Click for larger view -

The historic WWII Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum hosted the 67th Anniversary of the US Navy Flight 19 Memorial, on 5 December 2012. The Master of Ceremony was Donald Prichard, Vice President of the NASFL Historical Association. In attendance were Broward County Aviation Department Directors, several historians and local politicians, including Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler, Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca and retired Mayor Jim Naugle, whose uncle Thomas "Tex" Ellison was a flight Instructor at this naval base. In all, about 160 people attended the ceremony.

Among the attendees were many veterans of wars, five of them were personnel of the former NAS Fort Lauderdale: Lt. David White, TBM flight Instructor who participated in the search for Flight 19; George Lord, Aviation gunner's mate on TBMs; Henry Torres, Sr., who was in charge of the Machine Shop at the Beach Target Range; Floyd Johnson, TBF Gunner; and Allan McElhiney USNR aboard the USS Asheville, a ship that tested weapons for this naval base. Also, Officers and crewmen of the USS Taylor (FFG-50) The Proud Defender participated with Commander Dennis Volpe, as well as members of the Stranahan High School Marine Corps JROTC Color Guard. The vocalist for this occasion was professional singer and entertainer Frank Loconto and the bugler assembly and TAPS was performed by Robert Young. This event was covered by the media.

Honoring Allan McElhiney

This Museum began with the vision of one man, who was a sailor in World War II, aboard the USS Asheville: Allan McElhiney, who in the course of more than 30 years has compiled a vast amount of documents, photographs, articles and artifacts for the institution he founded. This Museum is on the National Register of Historic Places, the only military museum in Broward county, and the only remaining WWII military building left in Broward county, thanks to his efforts.

We salute you Allan McElhiney.

Gallery of Images Copyright © David Baum Click for larger view

We invited five WWII Veterans living in the area of Fort Lauderdale for a Round Table discussion at the Link Trainer Building #8 (our current Museum). These Veterans served at the NAS Fort Lauderdale base during the period of 1942–1946. George Lord was a Gunnery Instructor; Henry Torres Sr., had been in charge of the Machine Shop at the Beach Target Range, Allan McElhiney was stationed aboard the USS Asheville at Port Everglades. The Asheville tested experimental weapons for NASFL. David Epstein who got to train with George H.W. Bush, would drive a Jeep Willys loaded with parachutes from NAS Key West to NAS Fort Lauderdale. And David White a Senior Flight Instructor, was part of the search for Flight 19.

The Veterans were asked questions such as:

• Did they feel the Fort Lauderdale community was receptive?
• What do you remember about the base?
• What was the Syllabus course for pilots like?
• Where exactly were the locations for Target Practice at the Ft. Laud. beach?
• What was there to do for entertainment in Fort Lauderdale?
• How did they transport around?
• Did they witnessed any plane crashes at the base? (There were 95 fatalities).
• What was their range for bomb practice, how far did they go?
• Where did the women WAVES live? Did they do any jobs as mechanics?
• Where were you when the war ended?
  
  We received many interesting answers, and learned from their recollections. We're going to try to do more small sessions with veterans and civilians that served at this base. If you were part of the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale, please feel free to contact the Museum, so we can record your history. Thank you!
  
  Click on thumbnails to enlarge
  

Members of the NASFL Museum attended the "World Wide D-Day School picnic for Peace & Freedom Event" at the campus of the Cooper City Elementary School on June 6. This event was held across the world, for students to honor veterans of WWII. Among this group of veterans are Museum members George Lord, Leo Gray & Paul Bradley.

___ARM3/C George L. Lord, Jr., USNR
Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale
Gunnery Instructor from August 1944 to July 1945

_George L. Lord, Jr., enlisted in the Navy at Springfield Illinois on January 19, 1944— 11 days before his 18th birthday. George went to boot camp at Great Lakes, Illinois until about May, at which time he was transferred to Millington, Tennessee for Radar/Radio school. Upon completion, he was transferred to Gunnery School in Miami, Florida. He was given choice for either naval base at Norman Oklahoma, or Miami Florida. George chose Florida as he thought it would be warmer, not knowing he would be working in TBF's. When he completed gunnery school, he was awarded Third Class Petty Officer.

Next, he transferred to the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale. While waiting for the next operational school to start, he was assigned to Pilot's torpedo training at this base. As George recalls from his days at NASFL: “We had small battery carts with a small torpedo under it. We also had a battery operated model ship that was started across a concrete pad where pilots steered the cart and dropped torpedoes to try to hit the ship. Our practice area was attached to the Link Trainer Building, currently the NASFL Museum. After we finished operational training I was offered a position on the Beach-Range target practice, on the thirty-caliber range. We had both .30 and .50 calibers. The 30's were mounted on wooden tripods on the beach sand. The 50's were mounted on turrets on raised stands, also on the beach sand. A TBF would fly out to sea, then turn back west, towing a sleeve target. When the plane passed overhead, the students were to open fire. I recall one time when the cable was shot apart, less than 30 feet behind an airplane. As I remember, the pilot was a little put out about this close call.”

In July 1945, George was transferred to North Island in San Diego, CA, to be part of the Squadron Xray – VT41, which was formed of all instructors. He then moved to Oxnard CA, for advanced operational training. In August 1945, he transferred back to North Island to load aboard the USS Ranger for Pearl Harbor.

As he recalls: “The war ended prior to leaving, so we were transferred once more to an old converted Army base at Fort Emery, which the Navy called Coronado Heights. Those of us with enough points for close discharge, were sent to Shore Patrol in the city of Chicago. The others, were sent out to fleet. We rode trains from Chicago in all directions.” On March 3, 1946, he was given his discharge at Great Lakes, Illinois. George currently resides with his wife, in Plantation Florida.

Click on thumbnails to read description