During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

(USAAF) established numerous airfields in

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of the

First Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern; 1 AF-AFNORTH) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission is the air defense of the Co ...

or the

Army Air Forces Training Command The United States Army Air Forces during World War II had major subordinate Commands below the Air Staff level. These Commands were organized along functional missions. One such Command was the Flying Training Command (FTC). It began as Air Corp ...

(AAFTC), a predecessor of the current

Air Education and Training Command Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was established 1 July 1993, with the realignment of Air Training ...

of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

. However the other USAAF support commands—Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command—also commanded a significant number of airfields in 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

installations and were front-line bases during the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today and are being used for other purposes.

Major Airfields

Troop Carrier Command * Baer Army Air Base,

Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...

: I Troop Carrier Group : 45th Army Air Force Base Unit : Now: Roundel of the USAF

Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base is a United States Air Force base, located at Fort Wayne International Airport, Indiana. It is located south-southwest of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Initially established in 1941 as a training airfield for the Army ...

* Stout Field AAF,

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

: Headquarters, Troop Carrier Command, Glider Ferrying & Pickup facility : I Troop Carrier Group : 362d Army Air Force Base Unit : Used by

Indiana Air National Guard The Indiana Air National Guard (IN ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Indiana, United States of America. It is, along with the Indiana Army National Guard, an element of the Indiana National Guard. As state militia units, the units in ...

until 1961
Now closed and part of urbanized Indianapolis area
Air Transport Command * Bendix Field AAF,

South Bend South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

: Now: South Bend Regional Airport Air Technical Service Command * Evansville MAP,

Evansville Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in S ...

: Now:

Evansville Regional Airport Evansville Regional Airport is three miles north of Evansville, in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. It is owned and operated by the Evansville-Vanderburgh Airport Authority District. Federal Aviation Administration records say the ai ...

Freeman Army Airfield : ''For the civil use of this facility after 1946, see Freeman Municipal Airport '' Freeman Army Airfield is an inactive United States Army Air Forces base. It is located south-southwest of Seymour, Indiana. The base was established in 1942 a ...

, Seymour : Southeast Training Center : 447th Army Air Force Base Unit : Now:

Freeman Municipal Airport Freeman Municipal Airport is a public use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) southwest of the central business district of Seymour, a city in Jackson County, Indiana, United States. It is owned by the Seymour Airport Authority ...

Army Air Force Training Command *

Atterbury Army Airfield Bakalar Air Force Base is a former U.S. Air Force base located northeast of Columbus, Indiana. During World War II, the base was known as Atterbury Air Field and Atterbury Army Air Base (named in memory of Brigadier General William Wallace A ...

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

: Sub-base of George AAF,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

(now: Lawrenceville-Vincennes International Airport ) : 304th Army Air Force Base Unit : Now: Columbus Municipal Airport Other * Note: Roundel of the USAF

Bunker Hill Air Force Base / later Grissom Air Force Base, now

Grissom Air Reserve Base Grissom Air Reserve Base is a United States Air Force base, located about north of Kokomo in Cass and Miami counties in Indiana. The facility was established as a U.S. Navy installation, Naval Air Station Bunker Hill, in 1942 and was an active ...

, was a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

airfield known as Naval Air Station Bunker Hill during World War II.

References

* * * *

External links

{{USAAF 1st Air Force World War II 01

Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in the United States by state United States World War II army airfields