Visit Camp Blanding and the Military Museum of North Florida
By Elton Meta
On April 12, 2023, I went to visit Camp Blanding and the Military Museum of North Florida. I went with my girlfriend Rosey again and we had the best time talking to the tour guide about WWII and the different equipment, guns, outfits, and lifestyle people had back in the war. We went for about an hour and a half to both places (12-4)! This was super interesting and fun to learn about the war and how important Camp Blanding was to the war and what artifacts and different items were either used or taken from the war!
At the military museum of North Florida, one thing that caught my eye was the memorabilia that the Americans took from the Nazis. I saw the newspaper that said "Nazis out!" and also "Hitler is Dead!". I also saw the Nazi flag with blood all over it. Seeing what the Germans had on them like "Mein Kampf". Was absolutely nuts to see. Mein Kampf is the book that Hitler wrote about his process of becoming anti-Semitic. This was from the 1940s when Hitler invaded countries and after Americans invaded Germany, they take Flags.
Something I found that Camp Blanding was that in World War II when the Americans were fighting in Europe, another War was going on in Asia. This story was about a Japanese General surrounded by American soldiers in the night in the middle of jungle warfare. After the general runs out of ammo, he pulls out his short sword and as a bullet is shot at him, the bullet goes through his sword's hand protector, and goes straight through his hand. As he drops a sword onto the ground, an American grenade blows some up. "News of the Japanese surrender ending the war swept across the peninsula and panhandle on 14 August 1945." (pg. 348)
"Before the war, few Floridians had ever flown in an airplane... Florida benefited handsomely from the aviation boom." (Pg. 349) This was one of the airplane engines that I took a photo of at the museum. It was a Pratt and Whitney R 2800 Engine that generated over 2,200 HP. The plane crashed into the ground when the pilot was undergoing instrument flight training, the pilot survived the crash.
Individual spotlight: an American male army lieutenant in Germany by the name of Frank Towers, was a lieutenant in the 30th Infantry Division that trained in Tennessee South Carolina later being transferred to Camp Landing in 1942. Frank Towers who lived in Gainesville, and son who lives in Florida, and a daughter who lives in Jacksonville, is a hero because he saved over 2,500 Jewish men, women, and children who were headed to their death. 
As the people were getting transferred to gas chambers to get killed, on a train going to this camp, American soldiers and Frank Towers helped these tightly compacted men women and children get off the train and take them to safety As the people were getting transferred to gas chambers to get killed, on a train going to this camp, American soldiers and Frank towers helped these tightly compacted men women and children get off the train and take them to safety before service, Sergeant Frank Towers was born in Boston Massachusetts, and lived there for 10 years, he graduated from the St. Johnsbury Academy. After high school, he was employed as a claims insurance adjuster and later wasn’t listed in the Vermont National Guard. He took his military training to Camp Blanding in Florida. There he transferred to the army and became an officer for the 30th infantry division. This was the article I found about his last reunion, where Mr. Franks suffered a heart attack and one of the survivor's children helped him and performed CPR on him. This is what the tour guide told me was one of the most important stories about the war.
After saving over 2500 men, women, and children from a transportation train to a gas chamber, Mr. Towers was awarded the Alachua county veteran of the Year award on two separate occasions and was awarded the distinction of the night of the French Legion of Honor. When he retired, he left the US Army with the rank of captain and received recognition of valor and bravery, a purple heart, a bronze star with Oak Leak Clusters, and many more awards. we see in chapter 19 of the History of Florida book, chapter World War II, it says that “Camp Blanding represented the transforming wand of federal largess… Florida bristled, with 172 military installations ranging from mega complexes at the US Army’s camp Blanding to facilities, such as Naples army field” (pg. 333) showing the validity of Camp Blanding's contribution to World War II, and helping us win the war with the Germans and Japanese. As something to add to that, Frank Towers was recruited and shipped to Camp Blanding and trained before going to Germany. something I found interesting about both the military museum of North Florida and Camp Blanding was How many artifacts the Americans took in Germany, Japan, and all over the world that belong to these other soldiers. Something else that I found very interesting was that we won the war against the Axis powers and the With less technology, fewer men than the Axis powers. Knowing that a lot of the men that came from the United States came from Camp Blanding that trained here before going to war is such a big, proud accomplishment.
Medal of Honor
These were the outfits the Americans wore to war. They wore heavy helmets that would be used as a place to eat out, shave, and drink water.
Overall, This trip was amazing. It was very educational and kind of made me feel like I went back in time to live a life in WWII. The brave men that sacrificed their lives for us to be a free country still baffle me. These men are the reason we are still a free country and should be the most important men on the planet. These men went to hell and back to win a war for our nation and to help the people who needed it the most!
TOVAR HOUSE GUIDE
ALL INFORMATION WAS FROM THE TOUR GUIDE AND THE PHOTOS WERE FROM ME!
Gannon, M., & Landers, J. (2018). Free and Enslaved. In The history of Florida. University Press of Florida. Michael Gannon, (2018) pg 333-350
.jpg)
As the people were getting transferred to gas chambers to get killed, on a train going to this camp, American soldiers and Frank Towers helped these tightly compacted men women and children get off the train and take them to safety As the people were getting transferred to gas chambers to get killed, on a train going to this camp, American soldiers and Frank towers helped these tightly compacted men women and children get off the train and take them to safety before service, Sergeant Frank Towers was born in Boston Massachusetts, and lived there for 10 years, he graduated from the St. Johnsbury Academy. After high school, he was employed as a claims insurance adjuster and later wasn’t listed in the Vermont National Guard. He took his military training to Camp Blanding in Florida. There he transferred to the army and became an officer for the 30th infantry division. This was the article I found about his last reunion, where Mr. Franks suffered a heart attack and one of the survivor's children helped him and performed CPR on him. This is what the tour guide told me was one of the most important stories about the war.
Medal of Honor
Comments
Post a Comment