Thank you to Our Sponsors
Thank you to Our Sponsors
Before it was a Naval Air Station, it was just a municipal airport. Built in the 1920s by the City of DeLand—with its first asphalt runway added around 1936—the field served the civilian community until the U.S. Navy came calling in 1941. Heeding the same call for service that drew thousands of young men into military duty, the City of DeLand donated its airport to the cause.
As a result of World War II, in 1942, the United States Navy purchased the City of DeLand’s airport and constructed the DeLand Naval Air Station (DeLand NAS). These naval air stations were developed to support pre-fleet operational training activities at larger hubs like Jacksonville NAS. Each station cost approximately $5 million to build and included a full range of facilities: administration buildings, barracks, housing, dispensary, instructional buildings, hangars, gasoline storage, and the main field itself.
As part of this acquisition, the Department of the Navy also took ownership of the Frank Shearer House, originally built in 1926, which was located within the surrounding property acquired for the base.
New facilities rapidly took shape, and on November 17, 1942, the DeLand Naval Air Station officially opened. The base became a major training site for Navy pilot/gunner teams, focusing on land-based aircraft like the PBO Ventura, PB4Y-2 Privateer patrol bombers, and the famed SBD Dauntless dive bombers—the carrier-based planes credited with sinking four Japanese aircraft carriers in the pivotal Battle of Midway. In 1944, the F6F Hellcat, another powerful carrier-based fighter, was added to the station’s training operations.
Young Navy fighter pilots came to DNAS in DeLand to learn how to land planes on aircraft carriers. These men were often referred to as “Ninety-Day Wonders,” trained rapidly before being deployed to combat units in the Pacific and around the world.
Sadly, training was not without risk—over 100 pilots and support troops were killed in training accidents at DNAS. A specific display inside the museum has been set up to honor their memory and ultimate sacrifice. Additional photos and memorabilia in the 1942–1946 DeLand display give visitors a glimpse into life on the base, as well as the contributions made by military personnel and local civilians during that time.
Many weddings also took place during these war years at the DeLand Naval Air Station Chapel and in local churches. Many of those couples settled in the area, and their children and grandchildren still call DeLand home today.
In March 1946, after the war had ended, the DeLand Naval Air Station was officially closed. The control tower shut down, and the entire airfield was returned to the City of DeLand. Years later, from 1956 to 1971, some of the remaining Navy buildings were repurposed for use by the Florida Military School.
Fifty years after the base first opened, the DeLand Naval Air Station Museum was founded, occupying the former Master of Arms Residence, which had been generously donated by the City of DeLand. Following a dedicated restoration effort, the building was officially dedicated in November 1995.
Today, the museum houses a growing collection of military artifacts, aviation memorabilia, veterans’ mementos, and historical artwork, preserving the proud legacy of the DeLand Naval Air Station for future generations. In 2001, the museum building was proudly placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
As long as someone remembers your name you will not be forgotten.
The DNAS Museum is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to commemorating the men and women who have served in America’s armed conflicts. Donations are always welcome.
