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Home Donate Memorial Bricks About NASFL History NASFL Timeline The Avenger Exhibits Online-Only Exhibits Veterans History Project Merchandise Directions / Contact Blog Home Donate Memorial Bricks About NASFL History NASFL Timeline The Avenger Exhibits Online-Only Exhibits Veterans History Project Merchandise Directions / Contact Blog COME JOIN US ON DECEMBER 5, OF EVERY YEARThe Memorial Ceremony is free & open to the public (rain or shine)Museum Building at4000 West Perimeter Rd. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315Directions / Contact Flight 19 is an annual memorial ceremony. The ceremony commemorates the 14 crewmen from 5 Avenger airplanes, and the 13 crewmen from the Mariner rescue seaplane: a total of 6 aircraft and 27 men, all vanishing on the afternoon of 5 December 1945. Flight 19 began the legend of the Bermuda Triangle, and is one of the great aviation mysteries. The Memorial Ceremony is a public event celebrated on the grounds of the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, and a Florida Heritage Site. The ceremony also commemorates the 95 service members who died while training at Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale during 1942 – 1946. This memorial celebrates the heroes and heroines of World War II, while educating the public about the important role Florida played in training for the battlefield, and on the home front during the war. 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 young Americans lost their livesat 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 & Museumproudly salutes all of the service members who diedwhile serving at Fort Lauderdale during 1942 – 1945 List of Those Who Perished at the NASFL Wilmont, Gerald W.Caffee, William B.O'Connor, Vincent J.J.Butler, John T. Jr.Cobin, Raymond H.Avram, Lloyd M.BarryMcFadden, Samuel G.Horton, George N.Osgood, Leland L.Suythe, Wallace KAtkins, James M.Beaton, Russel F.Belzarine, Louis J. Jr.Benson, BarneyComer, William D.Kwaak, Herberty C.Raby, Robert T.Sudak, JohnBlair, Jeff G.Netterville, Le Ray T.Stormont, F.E.Barth, William H.Bruner, Glenn L.Fenster, Duane M.Gunderson, Gene R.Hupp, Ray Jr.Maloney, William P. Jr.Christenson, Dorin K.Ergle, Alva C.Pfeiffer, William F.Peterson, Roy H.Brown, George S.Dunning, George K.Fauth, James E.Hammon, Samuel J.Lownstein, Victor H.Minch, Fred ScottTanelian, GeorgeTucker, William H.Whipple, Irving W.Teates, Kenneth E.Barlow, Arthur C.Potter, Leonard M.Alem, Peter L.Barton, James R.Clayton, Ronald J.C.Hart, William S.Hintz, Walter E.Mikulski, WassilGilmore, Donald L.Foy, William Fred Jr.Ellrot, Norbert J.Morgan, Donald P.Kusiak, Richard E.Campbell, James X.Craddock, Elving C.Sneed, John W.Eklund, Burton A.Fogarty, William P.Hebstrom, Bruce A.Hickey, John F.Scollan, Felix Jr.Wold, Leland R.Azer, William S. Jr.Edwards, Claude F. Applegate, Sidney S.Grisez, Reginald Jr.Maleio, Arnaud Peter Jr.Gould, Meredith WilliamMarquat, Joseph MelvinBurns, Frederick M.Watson, RobertBarry, John EdwardCampbell, Robert E.Krausaukas, Edward S.Muelenbeck, Robert C.Taylor, Donald B.Siden, Harry W.Hanlan, Kirk AllanRud, Duane ElmerLost Squadron Flight 19:Flight 19 was a training flight of five TBM/TBF Avenger torpedo bombers that disappeared on December 5, 1945, while over the Atlantic. The squadron's flight plan was scheduled to take them due east from Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale for 141 miles, north for 73 miles, and then back over a final 140-mile leg to complete the exercise. The flight never returned to base. The disappearance was attributed by Navy investigators to navigational error leading to the aircraft running out of fuel, however the "Mystery of flight 19" still remains, as nobody really knows what happened.Click on individual names to read biographies:Baluk, B.E. Jr.Bossi, J. T.Devlin, G. F.Gallivan, R. F.Gerber, F. J.Gruebel, R. P.Lightfoot, W. E.Paonessa, G. R.Parpart, W. R.Powers, E. J.Stivers, G. W.Taylor, Charles C. - Squadron LeaderThelander, A. H.Thompson, H. O.NAS Banana River- PBM-5 Mariner:One of the search and rescue aircraft deployed to look for them, a PBM-5 Mariner with a 13-man crew, also disappeared. A tanker off the coast of Florida reported seeing an explosion and observed a widespread oil slick, while it fruitlessly searched for survivors. The weather was becoming stormy by the end of the incident. Allen, Roger M.Arceneaux, Charles D.Cameron, Robert C.Cargill, Wiley D. Cone, Harry G.Eliason, Lloyd A.Jeffrey, Walter G. - Commanding Pilot of PBM-5 MarinerJordon, James F.Menendez, John T.Neeman, Philip B.Osterheld, James F.Peterson, Donald E.Zywicki, Alfred J.Support Project Mariner: An Expedition of the NAS Fort Lauderdale Museum A Navy Park is BuiltIn 1989, Walter Houghton, Assistant Fort Lauderdale Airport Directo...

Flight 19 Memorial