BOCA RATON AND WORLD WAR II, PARADISE DURING THE WAR YEARS
Stream waters , was home to Soldiers during
World War II . At the beginning of the war, Boca Raton mayor, J.C.Mitchell convinced the
Army Air Corps to establish a technical institution to train pilots and technicians in a new
technology called RADAR .
Boca Raton's Army Airfield ( BRAAF ) was the Army's only RADAR traing facility during the
war. It was very Top Secret. The soldiers were trained daily, no notes were taken. Everything was
memorized and tested the next day.
Thousands of soldiers were trained in Boca Raton, Florida one of whom was future astronaut
Gus Grissom.
BOCA RATON AND WORLD WAR II, PARADISE DURING THE WAR YEARS
The military took over the Boca Raton Club which was designed and built by Addison Mizner.
Imagine soldiers staying in such lavish accomendations.
No expense was spared for the hotel for the very wealty residents of Chicago and New York to
winter in Boca Raton.
The lavish amenities included two golf courses and numerous gardens. Fox holes covered the golf course.
Today it looks much the same.
Antiques were stored away and "gold " pillars were wrapped .
A small airport quickly grew.
An article in a newspaper stated : The first emergency condemnation proceeding under the
"second War purpose allows for immediate taking of land without an appraisal and before just
compensation is determined by the Department of Justice...
The action took 5,820 acres of Boca Raton land for the Army Air Corps Technical Training of RADAR.
By May of 1942 the government had the land it needed. With 3,500 construction workers and eleven million dollars
the installation was built in four months. By 1945 there were 16,381 troops here in Boca Raton, whose
previos population was 700 residents including pineapple farmers.
STAY TUNED FOR SUBMARINES OFF THE COAST
BOCA RATON AND WORLD WAR 2 II,PARADISE DURING THE WAR YEARS
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