Ceremony to honor Flight 19

It has been 70 years, yet the disappearance of Flight 19 remains a mystery — one that military, history and aviation buffs refuse to forget.

As they do each year, they will gather on Dec. 5 to honor the squadron of five Navy torpedo bombers that took off from Fort Lauderdale in 1945, never to return, and popularizing the myth of the Bermuda Triangle.

This year’s ceremony commemorates both the “Lost Patrol” and the end of the second world war, said Minerva Bloom, docent at the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum.

The ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. at the Naval Air Station Museum, 4000 W. Perimeter Road, on the west side of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

There also will be World War II vehicles on display, and the Gold Coast Radio Association will broadcast the ceremony.

Flight 19 departed on Dec. 5, 1945, from Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale, which today is the site of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

About 90 minutes after takeoff, the flight commander reported he was lost and his compasses were going haywire. Historians think that between bad weather and nightfall, the squadron became hopelessly disoriented, ran out of fuel and crashed in the Atlantic off Daytona Beach.

All 14 crewmembers perished. To compound the tragedy, while searching for the squadron, a large seaplane also crashed the same night, killing 13 more men.

Ken Kaye

Dentists to offer day of care

Dentist in Indian River County are teaming up to provide a day of free basic dental care for those in need.

The Dec. 5 event known as Project Christmas Smile is sponsored by the Treasure Coast Dental Society.

Miranda Hawker of the local health department says the annual event provides crucial services for people who cannot afford dental care. Organizers say the goal of the event is to make sure no one in the community has to spend Christmas with a painful toothache.

Associated Press