Synergistic Real Estate Memorial Day is set aside to honor the Americans who died in military service. Tampa Bay's connection to that service runs deep. Long before MacDill Air Force Base became home to two unified combatant commands, the Rough Riders boarded ships at Port Tampa for Cuba. Highlights Tampa was selected as the U.S. military's assembly and embarkation site for the Spanish-American War in 1898, with approximately 17,000 troops mobilizing at Port Tampa. The Rough Riders sailed from Port Tampa for Cuba on June 14, 1898. MacDill Field opened in early 1941, more than six months...