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Did you know that Miami – particularly the City of Miami Beach – played a vital role in supporting the U.S. Army Air Forces during the Second World War? From 1942 through 1945, the vibrant tourist destination underwent a dramatic transformation as it became home to a significant military training operation.

The Army Air Forces Technical Training Command took over more than 300 hotels and apartment buildings, converting them into barracks and training facilities for nearly half a million servicemen. This massive influx of military personnel marked a shift from the area's usual tourist activities to a focus on military readiness, with the city government leasing approximately $2 million worth of municipal properties to the war department.

The presence of soldiers significantly impacted local culture as community members rallied to support the troops. Residents created spaces like the Servicemen's Pier, where soldiers could relax, socialize and enjoy time away from their rigorous training.

The transformation of Miami Beach from a leisure destination to a military training ground not only contributed to the American war effort but also left a lasting legacy on the community, marking an important chapter in the history of both the city and the nation.

Courtesy of the Miami-Dade Military Museum and Memorial

Courtesy of the Miami-Dade Military Museum and Memorial

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Monday, January 27, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Coral Gables Branch Library

This Holocaust Remembrance Day marks eighty years since Allied forces began liberating concentration camps across Nazi-occupied Europe. Join us for a discussion with Holocaust survivor Allan Hall and moderator Dr. Dipak Joshi as they discuss his experiences during the Holocaust.

World War II Wednesday - World War II at 80
Wed, Jan 08, 11:00am - 12:30pm
West Flagler Branch
Join us for informative presentations about WW2 and related topics, followed by guided discussions around the importance of remembering history in our lifetime. Light refreshments will be provided. Registration is required. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-442-8710 or muniasm@mdpls.org. Ages 19 yrs.+
History of Chapman Field with Ray McGuire - Presented by the Miami Pioneers and Natives of Dade Historical Society
Sat, Jan 11, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Pinecrest Branch - Meeting Room
Historian Ray McGuire recounts how an area south of Miami transformed from a Biscayne Bay mangrove into a World War I army air base, now known as Chapman Field. Dedicated to Victor Chapman, the first U.S. pilot killed in the war, McGuire will explore Chapman Field's legacy through both World Wars and its lasting impact on the region. Attend in person or online; a Zoom link will be sent to registrants 24 hours before the program. For details, contact 305-668-4571 or booke@mdpls.org. Ages 19 yrs.+
Yankee Doodle Dandy (TV-G) - Saturday Wartime Movie Matinee - World War II at 80
Sat, Jan 25, 12:00pm - 3:30pm
Miami Beach Regional - Auditorium
Come recreate the wartime movies with a Saturday matinee! During World War II, movies had more than a single show - they included newsreels and short patriotic films. Grab some popcorn and watch a 1942 musical matinee starring James Cagney, as his character reminisces about his vaudeville days and Broadway success (126 minutes). For more information, please contact the branch at 305-535-4219 or capleyb@mdpls.org. Ages 10 yrs.+
A Holocaust Remembrance Day Discussion with Holocaust Survivor Allan Hall - World War II at 80
Mon, Jan 27, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Coral Gables Branch
This Holocaust Remembrance Day marks 80 years since American and Allied soldiers liberated prisoners from Nazi-occupied concentration and extermination camps in Europe. Join us for a moderated discussion with Holocaust survivor Allan Hall and Dr. Dipak Joshi as they discuss Hall's experiences during the Holocaust. Registration is required. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-442-8706 or capleybr@mdpls.org. Ages 14 yrs.+
World War II Wednesday - World War II at 80
Wed, Feb 12, 11:00am - 12:30pm
West Flagler Branch
Join us for informative presentations about WW2 and related topics, followed by guided discussions around the importance of remembering history in our lifetime. Light refreshments will be provided. Registration is required. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-442-8710 or muniasm@mdpls.org. Ages 19 yrs.+
AV Club: World War II in Central and Eastern Europe - World War II at 80
Sat, Feb 15, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Main Library - Arva Parks McCabe Auditorium
Join us for a screening of 16mm films that depict the wartime experience in Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia, which were under Soviet and Nazi occupation in World War II. Join Special Collections librarian and archivist Katharine Labuda and librarian Miriam Kashem in a discussion on Central and Eastern Europe during World War II and the "World War II at 80" program series. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-375-5572 or specialcollections@mdpls.org. Ages 14 yrs.+
Objective, Burma! (TV-PG) - Saturday Wartime Movie Matinee: World War II at 80
Sat, Feb 22, 12:00pm - 3:30pm
Miami Beach Regional - Auditorium
Come recreate the wartime movies with a Saturday matinee! During World War II, the movies had more than a single show- they included newsreels and short patriotic films. Grab popcorn and watch a matinee with a 1945 film about World War II paratroopers behind enemy lines, where they must destroy a Japanese radar station in Burma. They then trek through Japanese-held jungle to safety. (142 minutes). For more information, please contact the branch at 305-535-4219 or capleyb@mdpls.org. Ages 10 yrs.+
Casablanca Screening and Discussion on Jewish Actors in Hollywood - World War II at 80
Sat, Mar 01, 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Miami Beach Regional - Auditorium
Join us for a discussion with actor and producer Chaz Mena about Jewish immigrant actors in Hollywood that fled Nazi Germany, followed by a screening of the 1942 wartime classic film. The film follows Rick Blaine, a nightclub owner in Casablanca, where refugees go to escape German domination. Rick remains uninvolved in the war, but all that changes when Ilsa Lund walks through Rick's club. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-535-4219 or capleyb@mdpls.org. Ages 12 yrs.+
Women's History Month Meet-and-Greet - World War II at 80
Thu, Mar 06, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Miami Beach Regional
Step back in time as we meet remarkable women that helped the war effort during World War II. Join us every Thursday in March to meet women that helped at home and abroad to win the war in this engaging historical role-playing series. Ask questions and take pictures with the featured characters and discover how their contributions helped shape the world we know today. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-535-4219 or capleyb@mdpls.org. Ages 6 yrs.+
A League of their Own (PG) - Women during World War II - World War II at 80
Sat, Mar 08, 2:00pm - 4:15pm
Miami Beach Regional - Auditorium
Join us as we watch films that celebrate women's efforts during World War II. A look at the first women's professional baseball league is set during World War II and focuses on the rivalry between sisters, one a sweet-swinging catcher and the other a pouty, impulsive pitcher, who play on the same team, which is managed by a washed-up, hard-drinking ex-Major Leaguer. 128 minutes. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-535-4219 or capleyb@mdpls.org. Ages 8 yrs.+
World War II Wednesday - World War II at 80
Wed, Mar 12, 11:00am - 12:30pm
West Flagler Branch
Join us for informative presentations about WW2 and related topics, followed by guided discussions around the importance of remembering history in our lifetime. Light refreshments will be provided. Registration is required. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-442-8710 or muniasm@mdpls.org. Ages 19 yrs.+
Women's History Month Meet-and-Greet - World War II at 80
Thu, Mar 13, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Miami Beach Regional
Step back in time as we meet remarkable women that helped the war effort during World War II. Join us every Thursday in March to meet women that helped at home and abroad to win the war in this engaging historical role-playing series. Ask questions and take pictures with the featured characters and discover how their contributions helped shape the world we know today. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-535-4219 or capleyb@mdpls.org. Ages 6 yrs.+
Carve Her Name with Pride (NR) - Women during World War II - World War II at 80
Sat, Mar 15, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Miami Beach Regional - Auditorium
Join us as we watch films that celebrate women's efforts during World War II. Watch WWII intrigue as one wartime widow fights back when she becomes an Allied spy. 119 minutes. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-535-4219 or capleyb@mdpls.org. Ages 10 yrs.+
Women's History Month Meet-and-Greet - World War II at 80
Thu, Mar 20, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Miami Beach Regional
Step back in time as we meet remarkable women that helped the war effort during World War II. Join us every Thursday in March to meet women that helped at home and abroad to win the war in this engaging historical role-playing series. Ask questions and take pictures with the featured characters and discover how their contributions helped shape the world we know today. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-535-4219 or capleyb@mdpls.org. Ages 6 yrs.+
Mrs. Miniver (TV-G) - Women during World War II - World War II at 80
Sat, Mar 22, 2:00pm - 4:30pm
Miami Beach Regional - Auditorium
Join us as we watch films that celebrate women's efforts during World War II. This Best Picture winner is a portrait of how an upper-class British family (headed by Best Actress Greer Garson), living in "one quiet corner of England," deal with the trials and tribulations of World War II. 134 minutes. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-535-4219 or capleyb@mdpls.org. Ages 10 yrs.+
Women's History Month Meet-and-Greet - World War II at 80
Thu, Mar 27, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Miami Beach Regional
Step back in time as we meet remarkable women that helped the war effort during World War II. Join us every Thursday in March to meet women that helped at home and abroad to win the war in this engaging historical role-playing series. Ask questions and take pictures with the featured characters and discover how their contributions helped shape the world we know today. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-535-4219 or capleyb@mdpls.org. Ages 6 yrs.+
Hotel Berlin (TV-G) - Saturday Wartime Movie Matinee - World War II at 80
Sat, Mar 29, 12:00pm - 3:00pm
Miami Beach Regional - Auditorium
Come recreate the wartime movies with a Saturday matinee! During World War II, the movies had more than a single show- they included informative newsreels and short patriotic films. Grab some popcorn and watch a matinee with a 1945 film showing life among an array of people carrying on at a hotel while waiting for the end of the Nazi regime. (98 minutes). For more information, please contact the branch at 305-535-4219 or capleyb@mdpls.org. Ages 10 yrs.+
Online Event: What Soldiers Read During World War II - World War II at 80
Sat, Apr 05, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Miami Beach Regional - Miami Beach Virtual Programs Room
In recognition of National Library Week, join us for a presentation about the books and mobile libraries that provided solace and distraction to soldiers in World War II. See materials from the period and learn about their creation. Students can ask about earning community service hours for attending and participating in the event. Registration is required. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-535-4219 or capleyb@mdpls.org. Ages 14 yrs.+
Registration opens Monday, February 24 2025 at 9:00am
See all events

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