During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Ohio for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.
Most of these airfields were under the command of First Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC)) 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 Bricker APT, Bowling Green Contract Primary Flying Instruction Now: Wood County Airport Lockbourne AAB, Columbus 374th Army Air Force Base Unit Was: Lockbourne Air Force Base (1948-1974) Was: Rickenbacker Air Force Base (1974-1980) Now: Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base (1980-Present) Also: Rickenbacker International Airport (1994-Pres) Eastern Flight Training Center Kenton County Airport, Covington, Kentucky Sub-base of Lockbourne AAB Now: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
Air Transport Command Lunken APT, Cincinnati Joint use USAAF–Navy–Civil airfield Now: Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport
Air Technical Service Command Cleveland MAP, Cleveland Aircraft assembly and modification facilities Now: Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Patterson Field AAF, Fairborn 478th Army Air Force Base Unit Merged 1948 with Wright Field AAF Wright Field, AAF, Dayton Merged 1948 with Patterson Field Now: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (1948-Pres) Dayton AAF, Dayton Sub-base of Wright Field AAF Joint use USAAF/Navy/Civil Airfield Now: Dayton International Airport Clinton County AAF, Wilmington, Ohio Sub-base of Wright Field AAF Glider Training Was: Clinton County Air Force Base (1947-1972) Now: Airborne Airpark
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 .
External links Military Airfields in World War II - Ohio