Banana River Naval Air Station

The Banana River Naval Air Station: One of Brevard's most important forgotten military sites is the Banana River Naval Air Station — the base that would become Patrick Space Force Base. Why it was built: In the late 1930s, with war looming, the U.S. Navy needed bases to patrol the Atlantic coast for enemy submarines and ships. The Banana River — the lagoon between the mainland and the barrier island, just south of Cocoa Beach — was an ideal location: protected water for seaplanes, lots of land, and right on the Atlantic. The base: The Navy built the Banana River Naval Air Station, which opened in the early 1940s. It was a seaplane base — the planes landed and took off on the lagoon itself. The base housed patrol squadrons flying seaplanes and, for a time, blimps (airships) used for anti-submarine patrol. What they did: The base's mission was coastal patrol and anti-submarine warfare. German U-boats operated off the Florida coast in WWII (and sank ships there), so the patrols were real and important. The seaplanes and blimps flew out over the Atlantic looking for subs, escorting ships, and reporting sightings. The lagoon as an airfield: The Banana River was literally the runway — the seaplanes took off and landed on the water. Ramps and ramps and maintenance facilities on shore hauled the planes out of the water for service. The base was a major employer and presence in wartime Brevard. After the war: After WWII, the base was deactivated, then transferred to the Air Force in the late 1940s as the space program began. It became Patrick Air Force Base (now Patrick Space Force Base) — the base that manages the Cape Canaveral launch range. The Navy seaplane base is the forgotten origin of one of the Space Coast's most important military installations.