Nebraska World War II Army Airfields
Encyclopedia
Nebraska World War II army airfields were major United States Army Air Force (USAAF) training centers for pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers during World War II
. Nebraska
was a favored because it has excellent, year-round flying conditions. The sparsely populated land made ideal locations for gun
nery, bombing, and training ranges.
As early as September 1940 President Roosevelt
's Advisory Commission to the Council of National Defense gathered information on where to place army airfields in the midwestern states. The east and west coasts were thought vulnerable to potential attack, and the midwest was considered a safe place to put defense training sites, manufacturing facilities, and installations.
Through surveys conducted in 1940 and 1941, the USAAF found Nebraska ideal for training purposes. Meteorologists decided that the state had excellent year-round flying conditions. Additionally, Nebraska was lightly populated with large open areas which would provide numerous locations for gunnery, bombing and training ranges. The land was relatively inexpensive. The state was intersected with many reliable railroad lines which could transport troops and material to Airfields and training facilities. Nebraska also had a strong public utilities system, which meant that the United States military would need to deal with few facilities to obtain electricity for airfields and training facilities.
The majority of these airfields were located in rural farmland, near small farming towns. The effect of stationing thousands of airmen brought the reality of war to rural and small town Nebraska. In addition to providing training for servicemen, the air bases provided jobs for many civilians. Civilians were employed in maintenance, repair, and secretarial work.
Construction of these facilities was based on standardized plans and architectural drawings, with the buildings designed to be the "cheapest, temporary character with structural stability only sufficient to meet the needs of the service which the structure is intended to fulfill during the period of its contemplated war use." To conserve critical materials, most facilities were constructed of wood, concrete, brick, gypsum board and concrete asbestos. Metal was sparsely used. Each facility was designed to be nearly self-sufficient, with not only hangars, but barracks, mess halls, even hospitals and recreation centers
The training that was given to the airmen stationed at these airfields gave them the skills and knowledge that enabled them to enter combat in all theaters of warfare, and enabled the Allies to defeat Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.
, the USAAF established eleven airfields (AAF), the majority of them being under the command of Second Air Force
, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado
between 1942 and 1945. These were:
Currently, of the World War II Army Airfields in Nebraska, six are municipal airports
(Ainsworth, Alliance, Scottsbluff, Lincoln, Kearney, Grand Island), four are owned by the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics (three, Harvard, Fairmont and Scribner, are operated as state airfields, and one, Bruning, is not), one is privately owned (McCook) and one is Offutt Air Force Base
and Lincoln Airport hosts the Nebraska
Air National Guard
.
The memories of them still remain in the small towns which are very proud of the part they played in wartime.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
was a favored because it has excellent, year-round flying conditions. The sparsely populated land made ideal locations for gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
nery, bombing, and training ranges.
As early as September 1940 President Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's Advisory Commission to the Council of National Defense gathered information on where to place army airfields in the midwestern states. The east and west coasts were thought vulnerable to potential attack, and the midwest was considered a safe place to put defense training sites, manufacturing facilities, and installations.
Through surveys conducted in 1940 and 1941, the USAAF found Nebraska ideal for training purposes. Meteorologists decided that the state had excellent year-round flying conditions. Additionally, Nebraska was lightly populated with large open areas which would provide numerous locations for gunnery, bombing and training ranges. The land was relatively inexpensive. The state was intersected with many reliable railroad lines which could transport troops and material to Airfields and training facilities. Nebraska also had a strong public utilities system, which meant that the United States military would need to deal with few facilities to obtain electricity for airfields and training facilities.
The majority of these airfields were located in rural farmland, near small farming towns. The effect of stationing thousands of airmen brought the reality of war to rural and small town Nebraska. In addition to providing training for servicemen, the air bases provided jobs for many civilians. Civilians were employed in maintenance, repair, and secretarial work.
Construction of these facilities was based on standardized plans and architectural drawings, with the buildings designed to be the "cheapest, temporary character with structural stability only sufficient to meet the needs of the service which the structure is intended to fulfill during the period of its contemplated war use." To conserve critical materials, most facilities were constructed of wood, concrete, brick, gypsum board and concrete asbestos. Metal was sparsely used. Each facility was designed to be nearly self-sufficient, with not only hangars, but barracks, mess halls, even hospitals and recreation centers
The training that was given to the airmen stationed at these airfields gave them the skills and knowledge that enabled them to enter combat in all theaters of warfare, and enabled the Allies to defeat Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.
Major airfields
Along with the existing Fort Crook/Offutt Army AirfieldOffutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...
, the USAAF established eleven airfields (AAF), the majority of them being under the command of Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
between 1942 and 1945. These were:
| USAAF Name Current Name |
Mission | Host Unit | Location | Coordinates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ainsworth Army Airfield Ainsworth Municipal Airport |
B-17 Bomber Training Single Engine Fighter Training |
II Bomber Command II Bomber Command The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943.... 4315th Army Air Force Base Unit |
Ainsworth Ainsworth, Nebraska Ainsworth is a city in Brown County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,862 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Brown County.-Geography:Ainsworth is located at .... |
42°34′45"N 099°59′35"W | Satellite field of Rapid City Army Air Base, South Dakota. Closed 1945. |
| Alliance Army Airfield Alliance Municipal Airport Alliance Municipal Airport -Top Destinations:-See also:* Troop Carrier Command* Nebraska World War II Army Airfields* List of airports in Nebraska-Other sources:* * Maurer, Maurer . Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.-External links:*... |
C-47 Training, Glider training; Flexible Gunnery School; Parachute Training | I Troop Carrier Command I Troop Carrier Command The I Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Stout Army Air Field, Indiana.Its primary mission was theater troop and logistics transport training... 434th Troop Carrier Group |
Alliance Alliance, Nebraska -External links:* * *... |
42°03′12"N 102°48′14"W | In addition to the C-47s, the unit repaired B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator aircraft from other airfields. Closed 1945. |
| Bruning Army Airfield Bruning Army Airfield Bruning Army Airfield was a flight training installation of the United States Army Air Forces used during World War II and located in northeast Thayer County, Nebraska, at coordinates 40°20'25" North, 97°25'42" West, approximately six miles east of Bruning.... |
B-24 Bomber Training Single Engine Fighter Training |
II Bomber Command II Bomber Command The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943.... 510th Army Air Force Base Unit |
Bruning Bruning, Nebraska Bruning is a village in Thayer County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 300 at the 2000 census. During World War II the U.S. Army Air Forces operated Bruning Army Airfield nearby... |
40°20′25"N 097°25′42"W | Closed 1945. Operated as an airport until 1969. Now abandoned; currently in agricultural use and as a cattle feedlot |
| Fairmont Army Airfield Fairmont State Airfield |
B-24/B-29 Bomber training | II Bomber Command II Bomber Command The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943.... 511th Army Air Force Base Unit |
Fairmont Fairmont, Nebraska Fairmont is a village in Fillmore County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 560 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Fairmont is located at .... |
40°35′10"N 097°34′23"W | Closed 1945 |
| Grand Island Army Airfield Grand Island Army Airfield Grand Island Army Airfield was a United States Army Air Forces airfield which operated from 1942 to 1946. After its closure, the base was reopened as Central Nebraska Regional Airport.-History:... Central Nebraska Regional Airport Central Nebraska Regional Airport Central Nebraska Regional Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Grand Island, a city in Hall County, Nebraska, United States... |
B-29 Superfortress Bomber training | Second Air Force Second Air Force The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.... 17th Bombardment Training Wing |
Grand Island Grand Island, Nebraska Grand Island is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 48,520 at the 2010 census.Grand Island is home to the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center which is the sole agency responsible for training law enforcement officers throughout the state,... |
40°58′03"N 098°18′35"W | Assigned to Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic... , March 1946. Closed October 1946. Became civil airport, however occasional use by Air Defense Command interceptors from Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force base. It is located south of Kansas City, Missouri. It was closed in 1994.... , Kansas City until ADC shut down fighter operations in 1968. |
| Harvard Army Airfield Harvard Army Airfield Harvard State Airport , also known as Harvard State Airfield, is a public use airport located two nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Harvard, a city in Clay County, Nebraska, United States. It is owned by the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics... Harvard State Airport |
B-17/B-24/B-29 Bomber training | II Bomber Command II Bomber Command The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943.... Second Air Force Second Air Force The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.... 521st Army Air Force Base Unit (B-17/B-24) 17th Bombardment Training Wing (B-29) |
Harvard Harvard, Nebraska Harvard is a city in Clay County, Nebraska, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 998. It is part of the Hastings, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Harvard is located at .... |
40°39′05"N 098°04′47"W | Closed May 1946. |
| Kearney Army Airfield Kearney Air Force Base Kearney Air Force Base Kearney Air Force Base , was a military airport located four nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Kearney, a city in Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. After its closure, it was redeveloped into Kearney Regional Airport.... Kearney Regional Airport |
II Bomber Command II Bomber Command The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943.... B-29 Bomber training SAC Fighter Escort Base |
Army Air Forces Training Command Army Air Forces Training Command Army Air Forces Training Command was a command of the United States Army Air Forces. It was redesignated Air Training Command on 1 July 1946 as part of the reorganization of the Army Air Forces after World War II.... 4-Engine Flying School (B-17/B-24) Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic... B-52/ICBM Base< Nebraska Air National Guard Nebraska Air National Guard The Nebraska Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is based at Lincoln Air National Guard Base. The Adjutant General for the Nebraska Military Department is Brigadier General Judd H. Lyons... KC-135 Tanker base |
Kearney Kearney, Nebraska Kearney is a city in and the county seat of Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 30,787 at the 2010 census. It is home to the University of Nebraska-Kearney.... |
40°43′37"N 099°00′24"W | B-29 training base during World War II; Strategic Air Command F-82 Twin Mustang Fighter base 1946; Closed March 1949. |
| Lincoln Army Airfield Lincoln Air Force Base Lincoln Air National Guard Base Lincoln Airpor |
B-29 Bomber training SAC B-47 Bomber/ICBM Base NANG Air Refueling Base |
Army Air Forces Training Command, Western Technical Training Command SAC 98th Bombardment Wing NANG 155th Air Refueling Wing. |
Lincoln Lincoln, Nebraska The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379.... |
40°51′04"N 096°45′33"W | Inactivated by AAFTC 1946. Used by Nebraska ANG afterwards, also by United States Navy as Naval Air Station Lincoln. Has been active as a military base since 1941. Joint-use civil airport/military airbase since 1966 |
| McCook Army Airfield McCook Army Airfield McCook Army Airfield was activated on 1 April 1943. It is located nine miles northwest of McCook, a city in Red Willow County, Nebraska, United States and is southwest of Lincoln, Nebraska. It was constructed in 1943... |
B-17/B-24/B-29 Bomber training | II Bomber Command II Bomber Command The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943.... Second Air Force Second Air Force The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.... 520th Operational Training Unit (B-17/B-24) 17th Bombardment Training Wing (B-29) |
McCook McCook, Nebraska McCook is a city in Red Willow County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,994 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Red Willow County... |
40°18′25"N 100°42′07"W | Closed December 1945. Now farmland, abandoned. |
| Scottsbluff Army Airfield Western Nebraska Regional Airport Western Nebraska Regional Airport - History :Western Nebraska Regional Airport was first established in 1934. The original airport had a hangar, commercial airline connections, air mail service, lighted fields, a weather bureau station, and a strong record as a civilian pilot training facility .... |
B-17 Bomber training C-47 Training |
II Bomber Command II Bomber Command The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943.... 4190th Army Air Force Base Unit I Troop Carrier Command I Troop Carrier Command The I Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Stout Army Air Field, Indiana.Its primary mission was theater troop and logistics transport training... |
Scottsbluff Scottsbluff, Nebraska Scottsbluff is a city in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 15,039 at the 2010 census. Scottsbluff is the largest city in the Nebraska Panhandle, and the 13th largest city in Nebraska.... |
41°52′26"N 103°35′44"W | B-17 heavy bomber training, 1941–1944; C-47 training 1944-1945. Glider crews. Aircraft and radio maintenance personnel also trained here. Became sub-base of Alliance AAF under I Troop Carrier Command. Closed December 1945. |
| Scribner Army Airfield Scribner State Airport |
B-17/B-24 Bomber training; Single engine fighter training | II Bomber Command II Bomber Command The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943.... 4316th Army Air Force Base Unit |
Scribner Scribner, Nebraska Scribner is a city in Dodge County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 971 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Scribner is located at .... |
41°36′37"N 096°37′48"W | Closed December 1945 |
Currently, of the World War II Army Airfields in Nebraska, six are municipal airports
(Ainsworth, Alliance, Scottsbluff, Lincoln, Kearney, Grand Island), four are owned by the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics (three, Harvard, Fairmont and Scribner, are operated as state airfields, and one, Bruning, is not), one is privately owned (McCook) and one is Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...
and Lincoln Airport hosts the Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
.
The memories of them still remain in the small towns which are very proud of the part they played in wartime.