Colorado World War II Army Airfields

Colorado World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
Locations of major World War II USAAF Airfields in Colorado
Type	Army Airfields
Built	1940-1944
In use	1940-present
Controlled by	United States Army Air Forces
Garrison	Second Air Force Army Air Force Training Command

Colorado World War II Army Airfields were major United States Army Air Force (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

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)

Known auxiliary facilities

Arlingtion Airfield: high view from the SW corner of the triangular runway looking WNW, 2006

Arlington Airfield: E/W runway looking west, notice runway asphalt and vegitation changes along runway, 2006

• Arlington Auxiliary Army Air Field #4 (3 mi east of Arlington)

Used as an auxiliary field of La Junta AAF.

• Las Animas Auxiliary Army Air Field #2 (19 mi northeast of La Junta)

Used as an auxiliary field of La Junta AAF.

• Rocky Ford Auxiliary Army Air Field #1 (14 miles norhwest of La Junta)

Used as an auxiliary field of La Junta AAF.

See also

	Military of the United States portal
	United States Air Force portal

• Second Air Force
• United States Army Air Force

References

1. ^ CAHS Colorado Aviation Archaeology Program

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
• Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . ISBN 1575100517

External links

• Freeman: Abandon Airfields of Colorado
• Colorado AvAr Site Investigations of La Junta, Las Animas, Rocky Ford and Arlington Airfields