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A M E R I C A ’ S M I L I T A R Y A N D 1 S T
R E S P O N D E R S M U S E U M H O N O R S
N E A R L Y 2 5 0 Y E A R S O F U . S . S E R V I C E
B Y : C H R I S R O Z A N S K Y
E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R ,
N A P L E S A I R P O R T A U T H O R I T Y
For almost twenty years, the America's Military and 1st
Responders Museum, formerly known as the Naples
Museum of Military History, has been dedicated to
preserving the stories and memories of American
veterans and conflicts.
The museum's location at the airport is significant,
tracing back to its establishment in 1943 as the Naples
Army Airfield, where it trained fighter pilots for World
War II. Supporting the museum holds personal
significance for me, as my wife served as a Navy officer While everyone at the Naples Airport will be sad to
for 20 years. see them leave the airport on a full-time basis, we
will continue to support and host the museum at the
Initially launched as a mobile exhibit, the Naples Airport airport while the new space is being prepared. We
has been the museum's home since 2011. With over are committed to honoring our past as an Army Air
12,000 artifacts spanning from the Revolutionary War Base by continuing to find ways to support and work
to present-day conflicts, the museum bridges the gap with the museum in the future.
between visitors and the armed forces who have
safeguarded our freedom for nearly two and a half The museum, staffed by a group of veteran
centuries. volunteers, is open daily and is currently located at
the Naples Airport’s North Road Terminal at 500
Thanks to community support, the museum's collection Terminal Drive, Naples, FL 34104. For more
has expanded significantly, necessitating a new 12,000- information or to learn how to support the museum
square-foot facility near the upcoming veteran's nursing and their mission, please visit https://amfrm.org
home in Collier County. The remodeling of this facility,
estimated to take up to two years, will allow for better Want to learn more about the Naples Airport? For a
display of the extensive collection, including a tank, as tour of the airport, or to arrange for a speaker at
the museum continues to evolve and honor the stories your group’s next meeting, call (239) 643-0733.
of our military personnel.
20 Life In Naples