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Indiana World War II Army Airfields

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Indiana World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
TypeArmy Airfields
Site history
Built1940-1944
In use1940-present

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Indiana for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.

Most of these airfields were under the command of the First Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC), a predecessor of the current Air Education and Training Command of the United States Air Force. 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 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

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Troop Carrier Command

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I Troop Carrier Group
45th Army Air Force Base Unit
Now: Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station (IATA: FWA, ICAO: KFWA, FAA LID: FWA)
Headquarters, Troop Carrier Command, Glider Ferrying & Pickup facility
I Troop Carrier Group
362d Army Air Force Base Unit
Used by Indiana Air National Guard until 1961. Now closed and part of urbanized Indianapolis area

Air Transport Command

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Now: South Bend Regional Airport (IATA: SBN, ICAO: KSBN, FAA LID: SBN)

Air Technical Service Command

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Now: Evansville Regional Airport (IATA: EVV, ICAO: KEVV, FAA LID: EVV)
Southeast Training Center
447th Army Air Force Base Unit
Now: Freeman Municipal Airport (IATA: SER, ICAO: KSER, FAA LID: ESER)

Army Air Force Training Command

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Sub-base of George AAF, Illinois (now: Lawrenceville-Vincennes International Airport (IATA: LWV, ICAO: KLWV, FAA LID: LWV))
304th Army Air Force Base Unit
Now: Columbus Municipal Airport (IATA: CLU, ICAO: KBAK, FAA LID: BAK)

Other

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References

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  • Brooks, David W. (November 19, 2011). "Military Airfields in WW2". Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
  • Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 1-47768-565-0.
  • 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.