South Florida During World War I

Miami History Podcast

This podcast episode features the story of South Florida during World War I. The story begins just prior to the United States entry into World War I on April 6, 1919, and shares how South Florida and Miami were transformed as a training center during the war.

South Florida began its journey as an aviation training ground preparing flyers for the war. Local residents in Dade County welcomed the soldiers and cadets as they prepared for war in places such as Coconut Grove, Allapattah, and Hialeah. Like so many other parts of the country, bond drives were an important part of daily life in South Florida and were pivotal in financing the war effort.

After the celebration of Armistice Day on November 11, 1918, the region was stricken with a world-wide flu epidemic that had far reaching implications. Once the epidemic concluded, South Florida would return to life before the war. Given the exposure of the area to soldiers who trained in Miami and surrounding areas, the decade that followed the war, and subsequent flu epidemic, was one of the most prosperous boomtimes in Miami’s history.