Arizona World War II Army Airfields | |
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Type | Army Airfields |
Site history | |
Built | 1940-1944 |
In use | 1940-Present |
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Arizona for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of Fourth Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However, the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles.
It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields. Many were converted into municipal airports, some were returned to agriculture and several were retained as United States Air Force installations and were front-line bases during the Cold War. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes.
Major Airfields[]
Air Transport Command
- Coolidge Army Airfield, 6 miles (9.7 km) southeast of Coolidge
- Now: Coolidge Municipal Airport (IATA: P08)
- Winslow Municipal Airport, Winslow
- Now: Winslow-Lindbergh Regional Airport (IATA: INW, ICAO: KINW)
Fourth Air Force
- Davis-Monthan Field Army Airfield, Tucson
- 32d Army Air Force Base Unit
- Now: Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
Air Technical Service Command
- Tucson Army Airfield, Tucson
- Joint Use USAAF/Civil Airport
- Now: Tucson International Airport (IATA: TUS, ICAO: KTUS)and Tucson Air National Guard Base, home to the 162d Fighter Wing, Arizona Air National Guard
Army Air Forces Training Command
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Army Air Forces Training Command
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Known Secondary Facilities[]
- Ernest Love Field 34°39′16″N 112°22′33″W / 34.65444°N 112.37583°W
- (8 mi (13 km) north-northeast of Prescott); USAAF Limited Usage
- (6 mi (9.7 km) northeast of the Laguna Diversion Dam); USAAF Limited Usage
- Sahuarita Flight Strip 31°58′12″N 110°55′12″W / 31.97°N 110.92°W (2 mi (3.2 km) east of Sahuarita); Aux to Davis-Monthan AAF
See also[]
References[]
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . ISBN 1-57510-051-7
- Military Airfields in World War II - Arizona
External links[]
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The original article can be found at Arizona World War II Army Airfields and the edit history here.