[ By David J. Coles , Ph.D.
Historic Photography Courtesy Florida State Archives
Artifact Photography by Ray Stanyard ]

The Second World War marked the emergence of Florida as a modern, influential state. On the eve of war, Florida's population numbered just under two million. While two-thirds of the state's citizens lived in towns and small cities, much of Florida remained rural. Florida's efforts on the home front and the battlefield contributed to the national effort in defeat of Nazism, Fascism, and Japanese militarism in the greatest conflict in modern world history.

A tremendous migration of military personnel into Florida took place after America's entry into World War II, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. More than 170 installations were established or expanded. Civilian workers came to staff the camps and bases, shipyards and other industries during the conflict. Many soldiers, sailors and marines who served in Florida later returned to the state to live. The state's population grew more than 46% during the 1940s, and would expand even more rapidly during the 1950s.

Florida's strategic location made it vital for national defense. Planes and ships from Florida bases helped protect sea lanes in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. The state was an important first line of defense for the southern U. S., the Caribbean Basin, and the Panama Canal. Even before the outbreak of the war, new installations were built to house the prewar defense buildup. The Army's Camp Blanding near Starke, with nine infantry divisions and many independent units passing through its facilities, became one of the largest training bases in the southeastern United States. Camp Gordon Johnston at Carrabelle served as the Army's major amphibious training center. Major Army Air Force bases included Valparaiso's Eglin Field, Drew and MacDill Airfields at Tampa, Dale Mabry Field at Tallahassee, and Sarasota Army Airfield. At Lakeland, Avon Park, and other locations from 1940 to 1945, civilian contractors trained 14,000 cadet pilots m-m including many from Great Britain. Today, airplane wrecks, a legacy of the extensive training that took place during the war, still dot the peninsula and its coastline. Major naval bases and air stations were established or expanded at Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Key West, Melbourne, Miami and Pensacola. At Fort Pierce, some 150,000 Navy, Marine Corps, and Army personnel passed through amphibious training, including elite scouts, raiders, and frogmen. Even the Coast Guard and its women's auxiliary, the SPARS, would establish a training center in St. Augustine.

Floridians served in all major theaters of the war. Thousands paid the ultimate sacrifice. Over 4,600 Floridians serving in the armed forces died during the war, with battle deaths numbering 3,174. A number of native-born or adopted Floridians rose to high rank, including General Joseph Stilwell, Lieutenant General Roy Geiger, and Lieutenant General James Van Fleet. Several Floridians earned high military honors for their bravery. Colin Kelly of Madison was one of the war's earliest heroes as a result of his actions as a bomber pilot in the Philippines. Sergeant Ernest "Boots" Thomas of Monticello led the patrol that placed the first American flag atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima, and Lieutenant Alexander Nininger of Fort Lauderdale earned the war's first Medal of Honor for leading a counterattack against the Japanese on Bataan. None of these men survived the conflict. Florida's tourism economy was curtailed during the early months of the war by restrictions on travel and a 1942 blackout enacted to prevent Allied ships from being silhouetted against the coastline. To compensate for the loss of tourist dollars, the military took over hotels for use as barracks, and restaurants as mess halls. By the end of 1942, more than 70,000 trainees attending various service schools run by the Army Air Force were staying in hotel rooms in Miami and Miami Beach. Servicemen were billeted in hotels throughout the state, such as St. Augustine's luxurious Ponce de Leon, while the Women's Army Corps "invaded" Daytona Beach. Later in the war the tourist trade returned, as Florida promoted itself as a vacation getaway for hard-working, and now highly paid, civilian workers.

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