During World War II, Miami Springs demonstrated remarkable community spirit. The Miami Battle Creek Sanitarium—later known as Fairhavens—was rented to the Air Transport Command and served as a vital recovery facility for military personnel. At the same time, Miami Springs Elementary became a hub of patriotic activity. Students, teachers, and the PTA operated a Red Cross dressing room, crafted surgical dressings, collected salvage, and tended a victory garden, while also serving as a training site for air raid wardens. These collective efforts underscored the town's unwavering commitment to supporting the war effort on the home front.

 

 This 1943 photo features the Miami Springs Elementary School PTA principal and officers: top row (from left) Mary Kniffen, school principal Mrs. Era May Furr, Mrs. James, and Mrs. Elizabeth Madeira; bottom row Mrs. Hearh, Peggy Filer, Mrs. Madeleine Robinson, and Mrs. Gus Halwardson. Mary Kniffen’s husband, Walter Kniffen—who served as Miami Springs Chief of Police—was killed in action on February 23, 1945, during the Battle of Iwo Jima.