Today SWMBO and I took a drive down to Arcadia, FL. If you don't know where Arcadia is, it's maybe 15 minutes south of Zolfo Springs. Arcadia is a quaint little town with a variety of antique shops, small restaurants, a bookstore, etc. It also has a rather unique place, at least unique for a spot in the middle of Nowhere, Florida.
If you drive just a bit north to the end of Nowhere and turn left, the road will become sand and gravel and lead into Oakridge Cemetery, a rather old and obscure cemetery well off the beaten path. Towards the back and off to one side, there's a small burial plot where 23 RAF cadets are buried who died in training exercises during WWII. Florida was covered with military flight training facilities during the war, many of which are airports today. Some of these were used to train UK fliers, and 23 of the ones who died in training are interred here.
It's a little bit of England here in Florida, bought with the lives of British warfighters, and another small and mostly forgotten chapter of WWII history.
If you drive just a bit north to the end of Nowhere and turn left, the road will become sand and gravel and lead into Oakridge Cemetery, a rather old and obscure cemetery well off the beaten path. Towards the back and off to one side, there's a small burial plot where 23 RAF cadets are buried who died in training exercises during WWII. Florida was covered with military flight training facilities during the war, many of which are airports today. Some of these were used to train UK fliers, and 23 of the ones who died in training are interred here.
It's a little bit of England here in Florida, bought with the lives of British warfighters, and another small and mostly forgotten chapter of WWII history.
