09/17/2026
his Week in History
Sept. 15 - 20, 2026
1565 (461 years ago) Sept. 16 - Florida's first Governor Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles led 500 soldiers from the first settlement of St. Augustine to attack the French at Fort Caroline. Today, the Florida National Guard celebrates this day as the First Muster of Florida’s militia in honor of the 100 civilians left behind to defend the new community as Florida's first colonial militia.
1917 (109 years ago) Sept. 18 – The 116th Field Artillery was organized as a National Guard regiment assigned to the 31st Division. The 31st Division (comprised of regiments from Georgia, Alabama and Florida) served as a Depot Division during WWI to provide individual replacements to combat units and to serve as a training base. As members of the 31st Division, Florida's officers and enlisted men were transferred to the newly constituted infantry regiments (such as the 124th), machine gun battalions, engineer regiments, and field artillery regiments.
1926 (100 years ago) Sept. 18 - Category 4 “Great Miami Hurricane” hit Miami causing flooding and devastation in South Florida. Men of the 116th Field Artillery under command of Col. Sumter Lowry brought assistance to local authorities beginning 19 September. Colonel Vivian B. Collins, with his field and staff officers, commanded companies "A," "B," "D," and "K;" the Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion; the Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion; the Service Company (less band section), and the Medical Detachment, all of the 124th Infantry, as well as the Medical Detachment, 116th Field Artillery. To Fort Lauderdale - Company "C," 124th Infantry. To Moore Haven - Captain Rupert Smith, 56th Field Artillery Brigade, Captain Henry P. Bemis, Medical Corps and Battery "F," 116th Field Artillery. To Hollywood - Major Mayre R. Woodward, 265th (Separate) Battalion, Coast Artillery Corps, and staff, and detachments from the following organizations: Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, and Company "F," 124th Infantry; Battery "B," 265th C. A. C. Bn; 146th Motorcycle Company; and 220th Motor Transport Company.
1928 (98 years ago) Sept. 17 - Category 4 “Okeechobee Hurricane” hit land near West Palm Beach, Fla. At the time, it was the second deadliest tropical cyclone in the history of the U.S. behind the 1900 Galveston hurricane.
1944 (82 years ago) Sept. 15 –The 116th Field Artillery, part of the 31st Infantry Division, participated in an assault landing on the island of Morotai, Dutch East Indies. The Japanese were taken by surprise and offered little resistance. Following a landing made difficult primarily by underwater coral reefs and muddy terrain, the 116th provided artillery support for divisional infantry units protecting the newly established American airfields on the island.
1947 (79 years ago) Sept. 18 - The U.S. Air Force was organized when President Truman signed the National Security Act to establish a single Department of Defense. From this date, the U.S. Air Force was an independent military service organization.
