During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Washington for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.
Most of these airfields were under the command of Second 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.
Major airfields Army Air Force Training Command Yakima Air Base, Yakima Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport Contract Flying School Now: Yakima Air Terminal
Air Transport Command Gray Field, AAF, Fort Lewis 302d Army Air Force Base Unit Now: Gray Army Airfield, active Army Airfield which supports Fort Lewis.
Air Technical Service Command Boeing Field, Seattle Aircraft delivery facility, Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport
Moses Lake AAF, Moses Lake 465th Army Air Force Base Unit Was: Moses Lake Air Force Base (1947) Was: Larson Air Force Base (1948-1966) Now: Grant County International Airport
Ellensburg AAF, Ellensburg Now: Bowers Airport
Spokane AAF, Spokane 498th Army Air Force Base Unit Was: Spokane Air Force Base (1947-1950) Now: Fairchild Air Force Base
Second Air Force Bellingham/Tulip AAF, Bellingham Now: Bellingham International Airport Ephrata AAF, Ephrata 355th Army Air Force Base Unit Now: Ephrata Municipal Airport Geiger/Sunset Field AAF, Spokane 41st Army Air Force Base Unit Now: Spokane International Airport Seven Mile Gunnery Range, Spokane Sub-base of Geiger AAF(7 miles NW of Spokane; may have only been a target field.) Felts Field, Spokane Auxiliary of Geiger AAF Joint civil and contract AAF pilot training Now: Felts Field Airport
McChord Field AAF, Tacoma 43d Army Air Force Base Unit Was: McChord Air Force Base (1947-2010) Now: Joint Base Lewis-McChord Olympia AAF, Olympia Now: Olympia Airport Paine Field AAF, Everett/Paine 33d Army Air Force Base Unit Was: Paine Air Force Base (1951-1968)(Joint use USAF/Civil Airport) Now: Paine Field/Snohomish County Airport Port Angeles AAF, Port Angeles, Washington Now: William R. Fairchild International Airport Port Townsend AAF, Port Hadlock Now: Jefferson County International Airport Walla Walla AAF, Walla Walla 357th Army Air Force Base Unit Now: Walla Walla Regional Airport
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 - Washington airfieldsdatabase.com