During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in North Carolina for antisubmarine defense in the Atlantic Ocean and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.
Most of these airfields were under the command of Third Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC). However Troop Carrier Command and Air Technical Service Command (ATSC) commanded several other airfields in a support role.
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
Troop Carrier Command Pope Field, Fort Bragg, Fayetteville 92d Army Air Force Base Unit (I TCC) Was: Pope Air Force Base Now: Pope Field Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base, Maxton 392d Army Air Force Base Unit Glider training facility
Third Air Force Morris Field, Charlotte 30th Army Air Force Base Unit Now: Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Now: Charlotte Air National Guard Base Seymour Johnson Field, Goldsboro 333d Army Air Force Base Unit Now: Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Bluethenthal Field, Wilmington 423d Army Air Force Base Unit Now: Wilmington International Airport
Army Air Force Training CommandAAF Southeast Training Center Asheville-Hendersonville Army Air Field, Hendersonville Joint Use USAAF/Contract Flying School Also used by United States Navy Lindley Field/Greensboro-High Point MAP, Greensboro Joint Use Civil Airport/USAAF/United States Navy Winston-Salem Airport, Winston-Salem Joint Use Civil Airport/USAAF/United States Navy
Air Technical Service Command Raleigh-Durham AAF, Raleigh
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 Carolina
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