One such animal was “Skippy,” who was the mascot of Headquarters Squadron 12, or Hedron 12, stationed at Banana River Naval Air Station (BRNAS), which became Patrick Air Force Base in 1950, and now, Patrick Space Force Base. Skippy, above, was assigned a service number of 000-00-01, and given the rating of “Mascot, Second Class.” He would later earn his wings which he proudly wore on his specially designed flight jacket.
Some area residents have long been concerned by what they see as an abnormally high rate of rare cancers and other diseases among those who have lived in the area.