NAS Sanford Memorial Park

Designated as a base for Naval Air Operational Training Command, commissioning occurred November 3, 1942. Operating in PV-1 Venturas, PBO Hudsons, and SNB Kansans, the station’s mission was to check out pilots in handling and flying of these planes. In addition to navigational flights, bombing and gunnery techniques were refined here as well. In addition, the Venturas were used in search and destroy missions against German U-boats operating in the Atlantic. Peak wartime complement reached approximately 360 officers and 1,400 men with 150 WAVES during the years 1943-1945. Fighter pilot training began in 1944 using FM-1 Wildcat and F6F Hellcat carrier-based aircraft.

Decommissioned in May 1946, NAS Sanford became the Sanford Airport and later the Orlando Sanford International Airport.