The state of Florida served as the location for a variety of U.S. military training activities during World War II. Pilots and sailors used Florida ports, miles of uninhabited shoreline, and the forests of the state’s interior for military exercises. Marines and Army infantry slogged through Florida marshes and trained for beach assaults. In this image, soldiers training with gas masks are shown on a beach in south Florida. In 1941, Miami was still completely dependent on tourism for its economic livelihood. After the United States entered the ...