As of July 2008 and compiled by Norman Rozeff, Secretary, Cameron County Historical Commission

Listed by city or town are the following items

Readers are invited to furnish Norman Rozeff any WWII Cameron County items that may have been overlooked.:

Harlingen:

Located at the Marine Military Academy is the Iwo Jima Memorial, the original working model for the flag-raising statue now at Arlington National Cemetery;

Burial site for Harlon Block, one of the Mt. Surabachi, Iwo Jima flag raisers;

located at the Marine Military Academy and adjeacent to the Iwo Jima Memorial;

Iwo Jima Museum located at the Marine Military Academy;

Monument at Lt. George Gutierrez Veterans Memorial Park, West Harrison Avenue, listing Harlingen's WWII veterans;

Valley International Airport was first the site of the Harlingen Army Air Field with its Harlingen Army Gunnery School (HAGS) and later the site of the Harlingen Air Force Base with its Navigator School;

A commemorative THC marker for the above two installations is at the Harlingen Arts and Heritage Museum, corners of Raintree and Boxwood Streets;

Harlingen Arts and Heritage Museum has photographs and other items relating to the Harlingen Army Air Field.

The Harlingen Public Library Archive Room has photographs and literature relating to the Harlingen Army Air Field and WWII veterans.

Bayview and Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge:

The former is the site of the Cameron County Airport built in WWII to supplement the Harlingen Army Air Field and service the HAGS gunnery activities over the Gulf of Mexico;

On the refuge are concrete gun emplacements used for gunnery practice on targets in the Laguna Madre.

During the early 1940s, the US Air Force established an Air Base at a nearby airport (today known as Cameron County Airport ) about three miles West of South Padre Island. Fighter aircraft from the base practiced bombing and gunnery sorties in and around an isolated portion of South Padre Island (and nearby Laguna Madre). Local newspaper headlines at the time were often seen to quote: "Do not swim in the waters East of Laguna Madre or you may be shot by diving aircraft!" If you travel to the West side of South Padre Island , you can still find old bomb and bullet shells from fighter/bomber aircraft. On low tide, you can still see pieces of aircraft from a few unfortunate wrecks and crashes

In 1943, Paramount Pictures shot a WWII propaganda film named "Aerial Gunner" starring Robert Mitchum on portions of South Padre Island and the Laguna Madre/Harlingen area. The movie doubles South Padre Island as Japan and features an intense crash-landing sequence of a WWII bomber. If you take a hard look in one of the flying scenes, you'll spot tents situated every two miles or so apart on SPI. This confirms a long-standing debate that SPI, did, indeed, have German U-boat patrols setup by the US Coast Guard (remnants of one of these campsites can be found about 6 miles north of where highway 100 ends on SPI).

 

South Padre Island:

The History of Station South Padre Island

Station South Padre Island has had a life saving presence along the Gulf of Mexico for the last 83 years. A lifesaving station was established on Boca Chica Beach in 1918. A hurricane destroyed the station sometime before 1924. In 1924, the lifesaving station was moved to the southern end of South Padre Island to a building that was used for 50 years. The current station, constructed in 1974, now houses the main office spaces and duty crew berthing. Though the old building still is still standing, it is now used as an annex for the University of Texas-Brownsville Southmost College. In 1998, Station Port Isabel was renamed Station South Padre Island reflecting the island name and the actual geographic location of the station.

In WWII the station served as headquarters for a series of island observer posts strung along the length of the island at set intervals. The manned posts were the to prevent the landing of enemy saboteurs and the like. One of the crude observer cabins, believed to be the last one existing, was moved to the corner of Haas and Padre Blvd. on South Padre Island and was there for many years before being demolished in June 2008.

 

A top-secret project worked out of the Brownsville Airport. The first military jets engines were being tested. A propeller driven airplane was outfitted to lower the jet engine from within the craft when it was over the Gulf of Mexico. It was then activated for evaluation.

A WII defense industry contractor which operated in Brownsville was the McNair Clothing Manufacturing Company. Started in 1921 in Brownsville, it was one of many firms producing military uniform gear. It was located at 720 E. Fronton Street where the manufacturing building still exists. It later became a prime US military uniform contractor during the Korean and Vietnam Conflicts.

In May 2006 Brownsville erects the four-acre Veterans Park on Central Avenue near the library to honor veterans of all wars. Names of Brownsville veterans are inscribed. A $2 million veterans museum is planned for the park.

William L. Adams in 1999 had the Eakin Press, Austin publish his book Valley Vets An Oral History of World War II Veterans of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. This is available in Valley libraries.

Readers are invited to furnish Norman Rozeff any WWII Cameron County items that may have been overlooked.

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