Miami-Dade Military Museum
The Historic Nature of this Building
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1942-1947
In WWII the Navy built it as headquarters for Naval Air Station Richmond, FL; the blimp base that fought the Nazi U-boats attacking Florida shores.
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A circa 1943 view of the interior of the massive NAS Richmond blimp hangar, showing 5 Navy blimps & a blimp gondola undergoing maintenance
1961-1969
During the Cold War it was CIA Station JM-WAVE, headquarters for Freedom Fighters of the anti-Castro Cuban exile community including Brigade 2506, the Manuel Artime Naval Group, and Operation Mongoose.
12/29/1962, Miami Herald: President John F. Kennedy in Orange Bowl walking alongside Bay of Pigs invasion leader, Manuel Artime.
Mid-January 1945. Official Award Ceremony and presentation of Bronze Star Medals at Born, Belgium to several members of the 324th Medical Battalion.
1970-1985
The US Army Reserve Center during the Vietnam War; home to thousands of local Army Reservists, including the 324th Army General Hospital and other units.
1985-1992
Our Marine Anti-Tank TOW missile Company went from this building to fight in Operation Desert Storm.
An M41 tripod-mounted TOW ITAS-FTL with PADS of the U.S. Army in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, May 2009
​2018-Present - Restored to the Miami Military Museum and Memorial.