Fort Lauderdale, one of the ten largest cities in Florida is located on Florida’s southeastern coast with scenic inland waterways, famous beaches, and diverse industries. Founded by Army Major William Lauderdale and his fellow Tennessee Volunteers in 1838, the city has developed a strong Navy connection over the years. With 3,000 hours of sunshine annually, it was an ideal location for Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale that opened in 1942. Over 2,000 Navy, Marine Corps, and British torpedo bomber pilots along with their crews trained at NAS Fort Lauderdale during World War II. Those pilots would sink German submarines and Japanese battleships, and serve in every theater of the war. Since the war and the closure of the Air Station, the city has always been a welcoming port of call for Navy ships and their Sailors.