Naval Station - Key West, FL - Military Installations on Waymarking.com

County of station: Monroe County
Location of station: Key West Florida

All y photos are from the seaward aide, since that is how I got there.

County of site: Monroe County
Location of site: Today called Truman Annex, Naval Air Station Key West

Historic Marker at west gate:

Naval Station
1823-1974 Commodore David Porter established a Naval Station here on April 3, 1823 as a supply Base for his 17-ship Anti-Pirate Squadron. The Station remained in constant operation from that date until its disestablishment on March 31, 1974. Although its function has varied over the years it has operated through seven conflicts with its personnel reaching from a low of 17 military in 1932 to over 15,000 military and 3000 civilians in 1945.

"Naval Base Key West was reopened just prior to the United States' entry into World War II to support Navy destroyers, submarines, patrol craft and PBY flying boat and amphibious aircraft. Other satellite facilities were established to support other war efforts, including Meachum Field for lighter-than-air blimp operations on Key West, and runways for land-based and carrier-based aircraft on Boca Chica Key.

"By 1943, German submarines were operating so near Key West that they were sinking allied ships within sight of land. Submarine raids peaked in May of that year, when 49 ships were torpedoed off the coast of Florida. As the war continued, German submarines were progressively attrited by U.S. Navy and Allied antisubmarine warfare forces and German torpedo raids by U-boats decreased. In March 1945, the satellite airfields, some previously known as Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Boca Chica and Naval Auxiliary Air Station Boca Chica were disestablished and combined into a single aviation activity designated as U.S. Naval Air Station, Key West." ~ Wikipedia

Era: Napoleonic - WW I General Comments: Today this Naval Base is used by a couple of Navy Seal Teams, and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Boy Scouts National High Adventure Base in Islamorada has permission to dock here on their adventures...these piers are not open to the public. Related web site: [Web Link]

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   10/14/2021 petendot visited it