Fort Lauderdale in Broward County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Link Trainer Building #8
Photographed By Jay Kravetz, November 7, 2016
1. Link Trainer Building #8 Marker
Inscription.
Link Trainer Building #8. . Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale (NASFL), a complex of over 200 buildings, was built on the site of Merle Fogg Field in 1942 and served as one of a few specialty schools for training on the TBF/TBM Avenger torpedo bomber. Nineteen-year-old pilot Ensign George H.W. Bush, who later served as president of the United States, trained here in 1943. He spent several sessions in this building on a Link Trainer, a flight simulator commonly known as the “Blue Box” built by Link Aviation, Inc. On December 5, 1945, a routine training flight of five Avengers, Flight 19, disappeared into what became known as the Bermuda Triangle. In 1979 the NASFL Historical Association was formed by Navy veteran Allan McElhiney and a small group of aviation and history enthusiasts. Their goal was to save one building to restore as a museum for the public to visit and learn about the important role this base played in winning the war. With the help of Broward County Commissioner Lori Parrish, this building was relocated to its present location in December 1999. Link Trainer Building #8 is the only remaining building from NASFL, and the only military museum in Broward County., Our Mission: EDUCATE, PRESERVE, AND HONOR OUR HEROES. ,
A Florida Heritage Site.
Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale (NASFL), a complex of over 200 buildings, was built on the site of Merle Fogg Field in 1942 and served as one of a few specialty schools for training on the TBF/TBM Avenger torpedo bomber. Nineteen-year-old pilot Ensign George H.W. Bush, who later served as president of the United States, trained here in 1943. He spent several sessions in this building on a Link Trainer, a flight simulator commonly known as the “Blue Box” built by Link Aviation, Inc. On December 5, 1945, a routine training flight of five Avengers, Flight 19, disappeared into what became known as the Bermuda Triangle. In 1979 the NASFL Historical Association was formed by Navy veteran Allan McElhiney and a small group of aviation and history enthusiasts. Their goal was to save one building to restore as a museum for the public to visit and learn about the important role this base played in winning the war. With the help of Broward County Commissioner Lori Parrish, this building was relocated to its present location in December 1999. Link Trainer Building #8 is the only remaining building from NASFL, and the only military museum in Broward County.
Our Mission: EDUCATE, PRESERVE, AND HONOR OUR HEROES.
A Florida Heritage Site
Erected 2015 by Naval
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Air Station Fort Lauderdale Historical Association and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-878.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is December 5, 1945.
Location. 26° 4.33′ N, 80° 9.969′ W. Marker is in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in Broward County. Marker is at the intersection of West Perimeter Road and Southwest 40th Street, on the left when traveling south on West Perimeter Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4000 W Perimeter Rd, Fort Lauderdale FL 33315, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 12, 2016. It was originally submitted on November 12, 2016, by Jay Kravetz of West Palm Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 459 times since then and 27 times this year. Last updated on December 11, 2016, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on November 12, 2016, by Jay Kravetz of West Palm Beach, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.