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

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

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

Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...

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-day

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 ...

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 ...

). 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

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

Air Transport Command * Bismarck MAP, Bismarck : Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport : Now:

Bismarck Municipal Airport Bismarck Municipal Airport is in Burleigh County, North Dakota, United States, three miles southeast of the City of Bismarck, North Dakota, which owns it. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a ''p ...

* Fargo MAP, Fargo : Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport : Now:

Hector International Airport Hector International Airport is a civil-military public airport three miles (5 km) northwest of Fargo, in Cass County, North Dakota, United States. The busiest airport in North Dakota, it is owned by the City of Fargo Municipal Airport ...

: And:

Fargo Air National Guard Base Fargo Air National Guard Base is a United States Air National Guard facility located at Hector International Airport Hector International Airport is a civil-military public airport three miles (5 km) northwest of Fargo, in Cass County, ...

* Port O'Minot,

Minot, North Dakota Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the 20 ...

: Joint use US Navy/USAAF/Civil Airport : Now:

Minot International Airport Minot International Airport is in Ward County, North Dakota, United States, two miles north of the city of Minot, which owns it. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a ''primary commercial service'' ...

:: Note:

Minot Air Force Base Minot Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in Ward County, North Dakota, north of the city of Minot via U.S. Route 83. In the 2020 census, the base was counted as a CDP with a total population of 5,017, down from 5,521 i ...

(1957-Present) is NOT this facility. Army Air Force Training Command *

Grand Forks Municipal Airport Grand Forks Municipal Airport is a former airport, located within current city limits approximately west-northwest of central Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was closed shortly after World War II and is now redeveloped as part of the urban area of ...

Grand Forks Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...

: Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport : Contract Pilot School : Non aviation use, redeveloped and part of urban area of Grand Forks. :: Note:

Grand Forks Air Force Base Grand Forks Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in northeastern North Dakota, located north of Emerado and west of Grand Forks. The host unit is the 319th Reconnaissance Wing (319 RW) assigned to the Air Combat Co ...

(1957-Present) is NOT this facility.

References

* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. . * Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. . * Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub .
Military Airfields in World War II - North Dakota

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:North Dakota World War Ii Army Airfields 01

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