[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15619]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



               SOUTH FLORIDA MILITARY MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL

  (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to share the unique history of 
the South Florida military museum and memorial. The town of Surfside, 
led by Mayor Paul Novack, as well as Chief Petty Officer John Smith and 
Christine Ruup, rallied together to save the historic Building 25 to 
its original 1942 condition and establish a museum and veterans' 
memorial.
  Building 25 is the last original structure of the former Naval Air 
Station Richmond, which was a World War II Navy blimp base.
  During World War II, just off the waters of South Florida, a battle 
occurred between a U.S. Navy blimp and a Nazi submarine.
  Isadore Stessel, a Machinists Mate, lost his life in the only blimp-
submarine battle in history.
  Building 25 served as the base headquarters to the Naval Air Station 
and blimp base, and it has been prominent in the history of our South 
Florida community.
  The CIA used this facility as its center for anti-Castro operations 
during the 1960's and it was home to the Marine Corps Reserve during 
Operation Desert Storm. Mr. Speaker, let us preserve it.

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