Nazi U-boats brought World War II home to South Florida, sinking ships just off the coastline and landing saboteurs. But the real invasion came as waves of servicemen and women arrived to learn how to fight. The Miami Beach training center for soldiers opened in February 1942 and it was one of the largest centers and officer candidate schools during WWII.  Miami Beach city government leased $2,000,000 worth of municipal properties to the war department for a total of $6 a year. At the peak of the training program 93 apartment buildings were occupied by the armed forces and 85 percent of Miami Beach’s hotel rooms –one fourth of Florida’s total hotel space — were leased to the armed services. One fourth of the officers and one fifth of the enlisted men of the entire Army Air forces were trained in Miami Beach. The Miami Beach Municipal Golf Course was leased for $1 a year and used as an Army headquarters and drill field. One of the trainees there: movie idol Clark Gable. Nearly 18,000 local women converted Miami Beach’s Million Dollar Pier into Servicemen’s Pier, where the boys from far away could get a sandwich and a Coke and maybe dance with a local girl.  About 2,000 members of the air forces, released from Japanese prison camps, spent two weeks of their 90-day furlough resting and relaxing in paradise. Miami Beach returned to full civilian operation in 1945 after nearly four years as host to the Army air, ground and service forces.

12/21/1945: Last Of Miami Beach Hotels to be returned to civilian owners by the Army was the Pancoast. Here, Mrs. Harry Grossinger, owner, and Col. Louis A. Merillet commanding officer of the AAF Miami Beach Service Base remove the military reservation sign.

4/19/1944: Miami Beach War Time Head Quarters For Armed Forces

Undated/Miami Herald Staff: Forces. Woman with her son at the beach during a time when Miami Beach was the a wartime headquarter for the armed forces.

Undated/Miami Herald Staff: Miami Beach Officer Training School.

9/8/1945: Officials plan return of 80 beach hotels. L to R: Maj. John M. Eagen, public relations officer; Col. George A. Lockhard, Mayor Herbert A. Frink, Pete Crossland, Maj. W. A. Adler, Maj. W.R. Wade, Lt. Col. Arthur May, Lt. Janet Garland.

3/3/1943: Gen. Weaver confers with Gen. Krogstad and Col. Ralph M. Parker commanding officer of the Miami Beach air base command, inspected by Gen. Weaver Tuesday morning.

1943: Gen. Walter R. Weaver inspects Miami Beach.

3/6/1943: Maj. General Walters Reed Weaver speaks to Officers Candidates during graduation.

Undated, Bill Stapelton/Miami Herald Staff: Buck Leatherman gives one of the ration cards a close look. More of them are in background.

10/12/1942, Miami Herald Staff: Perhaps she doesn't realize it, but when official meat rationing goes into effect Mrs. Herman Obstfeld, 1303 Meridian ave., Miami Beach, will be getting a week's limit of meat for her husband and herself when she purchases a five-pound beef roast like the one being displayed to her by P.T. Jones, a N.W. Seventh ave. meat market manager. Present rationing plans are to limit consumption of meat to two-and-one-half pounds per person a week.

3/19/1945: Contributions exceeding its quota were turned over to the American Red Cross war fund by the ATC Ferrying division personnel at Homestead Army Air Field. Maj. James S. Jones, jr., presents $2,350 to David G. Gaskins, right, Red Cross field director, while T-Sgt. Glen Glidden looks on.

7/8/1946, Bill Kuenzel/Miami Herald Staff: Pan American House -- This estate on Palm Island has been taken over by the Army for use in connection with the entertainment of foreign dignitaries, particularly military personnel, passing through Miami.

Undated: Miami Beach in wartime offered interesting contrast in uniforms. The area's Pan American efforts had to come to a halt

Undated: Servicemen and civilians share the beach.

4/20/1944: Troops Evacuating One Of The Hotels spread the contents of their barracks bags on the lawn for a final inspection before moving out for another base. The Army is releasing the last 139 hotels held as training centers, and by July 1 will have completed the evacuation, leaving only about 20 hotels in the hands of the military that once held practically the solid, miles-long line of ocean front hostelries.

Undated: Beach Hotel Restoration In Their Hands -- Here are the officials of the Miami Beach post engineer office who keep the Army's hotel turnback program functioning. Seated, left to right: Lt. Joel A. Clark, assistant post engineer in charge of custodial organization; H. J. Green wood, chief building inspector, and Leonard H. Sacks, chief furniture inspector. Standing, left to right: Lt. E.C. Hammond, assistant post engineer in charge of accounting; W.F. Carman, senior engineer, and Maj. Arthur R. Mays, jr., post engineer.

7/15/1943, Miami Herald Staff: Honorable Discharge -- Out of the Army, officially, goes the Greenview hotel on Miami Beach as Owner David J. Light, second from right, receives the key from Lt. Vincent Proven-zale, custodial officer. Maj. Arthur R. Mays, Jr., post engineer, is seated behind desk, and at right is John C. Frazure, corps of engineers real estate project manager for Miami Beach.

5/15/1942: Sgt. Hank Greenberg, former big league baseball star, right, is shown being registered by Staff Sgt. E. C. Ackerman for the Miami Beach Air Corps Officers Candidate school Thursday night

Undated: Retreat. Old Glory comes down into waiting hands of Sgt. Joseph Marcinkas, S/Sgt. Walter J. Thorne and T/Sgt. John Doyle at Service Base headquarters hotel Dorchester flag pole.

Undated: Miami Beach Soldiers observed the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av at services conducted Monday night and Tuesday morning (Aug. 9 and 10) by Chaplain Harold H. Gordon (left) of BTC 9, AAFTC, in the Army-occupied Sea Isle Hotel. Shown singing (center) is Pvt. Emanuel Rosenberg, well-known New York cantor and trainee of ETC 4. Sgt. Samuel Kadison, chaplain's assistant, stands at right.

Undated: Miami Beach was a wartime headquarter from 1942-1945.

Undated: Soldier -Worshipers filled the day room of the Sea Isle Hotel, Miami Beach, at services commemorating Tisha B'Av on Monday night and Tuesday morning (Aug. 9 and 10). While Chaplain Harold H. Gordon of BTC 9, ALFTC, stands by at left, Sgt. Samuel Kadison (center) sings a hymn of mourning. Pvt. Emanuel Rosenberg is seated on the right. Tisha B'Av marked the destruction of the first and second temples of Jerusalem.

8/6/1942: Hank Greenberg, former Detroit Tiger star, signs the Army payroll for Lt. T.B. Hamilton as the former home run king draws his last stipend to become a sergeant with Uncle Sams army. Greenberg was graduated Wednesday from the Air Corps Officers Candidate school at Miami Beach and commissioned second lieutenant. His next assignment was not disclosed.

Undated: Two By Two, foot patrolmen take off for tours of duty after daily 6.30 p.m. inspection. All beats are walked in pairs.

10/29/1945: Officers Row has been set up on the Municipal golf course to house officers evacuated from returned hotels. The men hope that "unusual weather" will stay way from these pyramidal tents. Splinter barracks on the southern tip of Miami Beach, will house enlisted men who finish up the evacuation chore. The barracks are interspersed with sandbagged air raid shelters, built when coast artillery guns guarded Miami Beach from the U-boat menace.

Undated: Over Headquarters of the MP's at the Governor hotel is the shortwave radio providing instant communication. Sgt. Tom Marten is checking the unit in its roof-top cubicle.

Undated: Entering a military zone in Miami Beach.

"At Ease" Soldier policemen receive final instructions before leaving MP headquarters hotel for Saturday morning review.

Undated: Trying For Size.Tallest in front, tapering off to rear, MP's line before Saturday morning review at the headquarters hotel.

4/3/1943, Miami Herald Staff: Obstacle course strengthens muscles.

Undated: Pith Helmets help traffic control and keep cool under the sun. There's a rare lull here at the 20th and Collins avenue intersection.

Undated: Help for injured serviceman. Sgt John Doyle assists soldier who cut his head while Lt. Jack T. Kimrey uses cruise car radio call ambulance.

3/3/1943, Miami Herald Staff: Condition of kitchens and menus also drew careful attention of Gen. Weaver who arrived Monday for a three-day inspection of the Miami Beach center.