Clermont, Florida: WWII Pilot Crash Memorial
Lt. Gilmore won the Distinguished Flying Cross fighting the Axis in Italy in 1944. Later that year he died in Florida when he crashed into Lake Louisa on a training flight. A monument marks the spot.
Lake Louisa State Park
- Address:
- 7035 U.S. 27, Clermont, FL
- Directions:
- Lake Louisa State Park. Once you pass through the entry gate, follow the road, bearing right, until you reach the Lake Louisa parking lot. Walk over the bridge, and the monument is to the right.
- Hours:
- Dawn-dusk Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Admission:
- $5 per car
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This monument is on the sandy shore of Lake Louisa. The remains of a crashed P-51 Mustang were found in the lake when the water level dropped during the 2001 drought. That plane was flown by 1st Lt. Dean Gilmore, and was lost in November 1944. A monument was erected on the shore of Lake Louisa to honor both Lt. Gilmore and all aviators.
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Lt. Gilmore died on his 23rd birthday. The monument originally contained a tip from one of the plane's propellors; now it has an empty tip-shaped niche. A little plaque says that the tip is on display in the Ranger Station.