Colorado World War II Army Airfields
 | |
|---|---|
| Part of World War II | |
  Buckley AAF Lowry AAB Colorado Springs/Peterson AAB Leadville AAF La Junta AAF Stapleton MAP Pueblo AAB Map Of Colorado World War II Army Airfields
| |
| Type | Army Airfields |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | United States Army Air Forces |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1940-1944 |
| In use | 1940-present |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison |
Second Air Force Army Air Force Training Command |
Colorado World War II Army Airfields were major United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) training centers for pilots and aircrews.
During World War II these Colorado airfields were under the command of Third 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.
The Colorado Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) has an aviation archaeology (AvAr) program[1] that includes document research, site investigation, data gathering, and archiving of the history of these USAAF fields, as well as other abandon airfields throughout Colorado. AvAr researches, investigates, and archives the history and findings of military, commercial, and general aviation crash sites. It also includes old Lowry missile silos, and old navigational beacon.
Major Airfields[]
Army Air Forces Flying Training Command (1942)
- Buckley Field AAF, Aurora
- Western Technical Training Command
- 336th Army Air Force Base Unit
- Was: Naval Air Station Denver (1947-59); Buckley Air National Guard Base (1959-2000)
- Now:
Buckley Air Force Base
- Lowry AFB, Denver
- Western Technical Training Command
- 22d Army Air Force Base Unit
- Was Lowry Air Force Base (1938-1994) with Lowry Technical Training Center
- Now: Part of Denver urbanized area.
- Remains: Air Reserve Personnel Center and Defense Finance and Accounting Service
- Colorado Springs/Peterson Field, AAF Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Western Technical Training Command
- 373d Army Air Force Base Unit
- Now: Peterson Air Force Base
- Leadville AF Aux, Leadville
- Emergency Landing Airfield
- Now: no trace of facility. Completely returned to natural state.
Air Technical Service Command
- Stapleton Field/Denver MAP, Denver
- Used as a maintenance / supply depot
- Stapleton closed in 1995 and redeveloped as urban area.
Second Air Force
- La Junta AAF, La Junta
- 402d Army Air Force Base Unit
- Now: La Junta Municipal Airport (IATA: LHX, ICAO: KLHX)
- Pueblo AAF, Colorado
- 360th Army Air Force Base Unit
- Now: Pueblo Memorial Airport (IATA: PUB, ICAO: KPUB)
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