Opa Locka Miami, FL

When the Korean War began, my father a Marine Corps Reserve Captain, was immediately called back into service. He had been in the South Pacific Theater during WWII. He was at Marine Headquarters in Virginia when a Colonel pressed him into service for duty opening an air field in Miami Florida.

It was then that Opa Locka Marine Air Base Miami Florida would for ever be a part of our lives. In 1952, Miami was a wide open town. The world did not have total air conditioning.

Think about it: Cars without air conditioning-hot, houses without air conditioning-muggy, offices without air conditioning-stifling. I wonder what the hotels had ocean breezes? I remember my father leaning out of a two story military base building waving at us.

As an officer, we had the Officer's Club Pool for our use. To beat the heat, we spent every hour possible there swimming and playing.

Along with his other duties, Dad was in charge of the Brigg. I remember getting my fingerprints taken for fun. I wonder if they went anywhere or were just thrown out. One day a soldier went AWOL in the middle of the night. Dad had to lead the chase to capture him.

Dad and his fellow Opa Locka Marines were the head of the first Orange Bowl Parade. Just a simple parade by today's standards but still a thrill.

Mom was active in the Officer Wives' Club. Ed McMahon was stationed at Opa Locka at the same time. Mom was in a play that he directed. I went to a dress rehearsal and saw my mother run across the stage waving a bra. I can still hear all the laughter from the shenanigans.

Dad was promoted to Major and mom had two babies while we lived there. I loved walking with Dad and seeing everyone salute him.

One incident still plays over and over in my mind. We were on Opa Locka Base to pick up Dad after work. Mother had three children and was expecting another soon. When she stopped the car across the street from the offices, my sister Kathy only 5 and always in a hurry, dashed out of the car and headed across the street. A huge gray base bus hit her. The tire of the bus ran over the heel of her shoe crushing the shoe. Always full of spunk, she scrambled out from under the bus and avoided death. She was hurt and I was screaming.

Since the Marines are part of the Navy, she was taken by ambulance to the nearest Naval Hospital in Key West, Florida. She had a broken leg and a blood clot in the knee of her other leg. She remained in the hospital for two weeks.

One weekend, we drove down to see her. The causeway is still the same. Two miserable lanes of traffic with little shoulder and a ditch with gators after that. On the way home, the car had a flat tire. No air conditioning, no shoulder and mosquitoes think about it. Poor Dad, the bites he suffered when changing that tire.

Finally, the war was over and we left Opa Locka. Dad was discharged and we moved to New Orleans.

Dad died December 11, 2007 and in his obituary we mentioned the Opa Locka Base. Many people remembering Dad, knew some one stationed there.

Do you remember Opa Locka Marine Air Base 1952-1954?