WWII gun mount
MyPanhandle.com

WWII Gun Mount Uncovered on Florida Beach

Hurricane Michael unearthed a piece of history from about 77 years ago.

Very few people knew there is a piece of history in the gulf coast sands of St. Andrews State Park just east of Panama City Beach, Florida. The World War II gun mount has been there since the 1940s, but it hasn't been visible for years.

Storms will blow sand on and off the dunes, changing the landscape of the beach and ultimately the visibility of this unique landmark. Hurricane Michael had an especially large impact on the dunes, though. Visitors had seen it before, but never this much.

Both local residents and tourists are fascinated with the WWII gun mount, as there are regularly people standing near it taking photos with their cell phones.

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"It's my first time seeing it in seven years," frequent visitor Kitch Millard told MyPanhandle.com.

According to Park Specialist David Morris, the mount was only used for about 9 months after the United States  placed back in 1942. This American gun mount was designed to protect merchant ships against German U-boats.

"Whenever they formed the shipping channel in the '30s, the area really became important for the local economy," Morris said.

Does this make anyone else consider what might be hidden under all those sand dunes along our coasts? How could we ever know what all has washed up from the ocean since the beginning of time?

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