Dunedin in Pinellas County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Training Area of the U.S. Marine Corps Amphibian Tractor (Alligator)
Inscription.
In this area between Curlew and Cedar Creek along St. Joseph Sound during the month of August, 1941, the first Alligator, which was designed by Donald Roebling and built in Dunedin, was received and launched by elements of the U.S. Marine Corps four Amphibian Tractor Battalions.
Erected by Marine Corps League, Morris F. Dixon Detachment of Clearwater and the Dunedin Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, World II • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is August 1941.
Location. 28° 2.447′ N, 82° 47.014′ W. Marker is in Dunedin, Florida, in Pinellas County. It is at the intersection of Bayshore Boulevard (U.S. Alt 19) and Palm Boulevard, on the right when traveling south on Bayshore Boulevard. Marker is on a very short post in front of the Harbor View Villas sign. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Dunedin FL 34698, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Florida’s Gulf Coast and on Tampa Bay. It is also in the American South and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Dunedin Isles Golf Club (approx. 0.4 miles away); Historic Andrews Memorial Chapel (approx. 0.4 miles away); Oasis Park (approx. 0.8 miles away); Dr. Willis S. Blatchley House (approx. 1½ miles away); Dunedin's African-American Community (approx. 1½ miles away); Dedicated to the Memory of Dr. Willis Stanley Blatchley (approx. 1½ miles away); Purple Heart Memorial (approx. 2 miles away); Orange Belt Railway Station (approx. 2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dunedin.
Also see . . . Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT-2 / LVT-4) (Alligator / Water Buffalo). Military Factory website entry (Submitted on July 18, 2018, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)

Alfred T. Palmer/Office of War Information (courtesy of the Library of Congress), May 1942
3. Marine amphibian tractor
"... The soldiers of the sea have a new troop carrier that serves them well on land and in the water. A special Marine unit, training with an amphibian tractor at New River, North Carolina, is on its way from a battleship to establish a beachhead". - Library of Congress
Credits. This page was last revised on August 30, 2022. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2018, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,120 times since then and 65 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 18, 2018, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. 3. submitted on July 20, 2018. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.

