During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Missouri 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 other USAAF commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) also had a significant number of airfields.
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 Chester Army Airfield, Perryville Contract flying training Now: Perryville Municipal Airport
Harris Army Airfield, Cape Girardeau Contract flying training Now: Cape Girardeau Regional Airport
Harvey Parks Airport, Sikeston Contract flying training Now: Sikeston Memorial Municipal Airport
Troop Carrier Command Malden Army Airfield, Malden 445th Army Air Force Base Unit Was: Malden Air Base (1951–1960) USAF Contract Flight Training Now: Malden Regional Airport Sedalia Army Airfield, Knob Noster I Troop Carrier Command 405th Army Air Force Base Unit Was: Sedalia Air Force Auxiliary Field (1948–1951) Was: Sedalia Air Force Base (1951–1955) Now: Whiteman Air Force Base (1955–Pres) Vichy Army Airfield, Vichy Sub-base of Sedalia AAF Now: Rolla National Airport Grandview Airport, Belton (1944–1945) Was: Grandview Air Force Base (1952–1957) Was: Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base {Active USAF control} (1957–1976) Was: Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base then Richards-Gebaur Air Reserve Station {AFRES/AFRC control} and Richards-Gebaur Memorial Airport (1976–1999) Closed 1999. Now non-aviation use as Kansas City SmartPort.
Forney Army Airfield, Fort Leonard Wood Support airfield for Ft. Leonard Wood Now: Waynesville Regional Airport at Forney Field
Air Technical Service Command Lambert Field, St. Louis Joint use USAAF/US Navy/Civil Airport Now: Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
Air Transport Command Rosencrans Field Army Airfield, St. Joseph 406th Army Air Force Base Unit Now: Rosecrans Air National Guard Base Kansas City Apt, Kansas City Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport Now: Charles B. Wheeler Downtown 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 .
External links Military Airfields in World War II - Missouri