Christmas in Orange County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
A Fateful Flight
Photographed by Brandon D Cross, December 4, 2022
1. A Fateful Flight Marker
Their flight departed from Sanford Naval Air Station, once filled with metal hangars containing fighter and patrol aircraft and approximately 1,700 women and men committed to the work of winning the war.
These men would have queued up on the busy runway to complete training exercises or patrol the nearby Atlantic coastline for German submarines. With partly-cloudy skies, the day would be another normal, if hot, afternoon in the middle of World War II.
However, this flight was not normal. At 3:00 p.m. on that June day, their Lockheed Ventura PV-1 twin engine medium bomber inexplicably spun out of control before slamming into the ground, exploding and killing all aboard.
World War II didn't end for two more years and, although this was the first plane crash at the Sanford Air Station, it wouldn't be the last. The loss of these brave men reminds us of the costs of war borne by service personnel and their families.
Erected 2020 by DeLand Naval Air Station Museum.
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is June 19, 1943.
Location. 28° 29.941′ N, 80° 58.777′ W. Marker is in Christmas, Florida, in Orange County. It can be reached from Taylor Creek Road 3 miles south of East Colonial Drive (Florida Route 50), on the left when traveling south. Marker located within the Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3365 Taylor Creek Rd, Christmas FL 32709, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Orlando and in Central Florida. It is also in the American South. 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 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Fort Christmas (approx.
Photographed by Brandon D Cross, December 4, 2022
2. A Fateful Flight Marker
Photographed by Brandon D Cross, December 4, 2022
3. Memorial Plaque
June 19, 1943
They served with honor and will not be forgotten
Major George H. Brockway, USMC • Lt. Frederick L. Speiser, USN • Lt. Alan H.Schrimer, USN • AM2c Melville T. Hess, USNR • AM2c George R. Morris, USNR • AMM3c Phillip H. Eichelberger, USNR • AMM3c George J. Eckels, USN
Photographed by U.S. Army Air Corps
4. PV-1 Ventura
Credits. This page was last revised on December 9, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 8, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 580 times since then and 89 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 8, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
