Near Lewistown in Fergus County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Lewistown Army Airfield
1942-1943
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 18, 2019
1. Lewistown Army Airfield Marker
Captions" (top center) 358th Bomb Group - 548th Bomb Squadron at Great Ashfield England circa late June 1943, shortly after leaving Lewistown, Montana.; (bottom center) Airmen at Lewistown Army Air Field in winter flying suits. Pictured taken in January 1943. Temperatures fell to 30 degrees below zero in Lewiston that winter. 2nd Bomb Group - 49th Bomb Squadron Airmen from left to right: S/Sgt. Carl A. Pekkala, Chester Trawczynski, Edward Now, Frank Merril, Robert Tunstall.; (top right) 2nd Air Force commanded bomber training in the western United States during World War II. (bottom right) 2nd Bomb Group, 49th Bomb Squadron; 385th Bomb Group, 548th Bomb Squadron; 390th Bomb Group, 570th Bomb Squadron; 401st Bomb Group. 615th Bomb Squadron.
Inscription.
Lewistown Army Airfield. At this airfield, US Army Air Force airmen trained to fly and fight with the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress during the darkest days of world war two. Heavy bomber crews completed final proficiency phase training here before being assigned to aerial combat in Europe and North Africa. The combat squadrons polished the vitally important skills of formation flying, precision bombing with the top secret Norden bombsight, aerial gunnery and navigation. , The Montana airbases were constructed in record time by the US Army Corps of Engineers. By the first anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, B-17 aircraft were landing at this airfield. The 49th, 548th, 570th, and 615th Bomb Squadrons all preformed crucial Organizational Training Unit missions in Montana. B-17 training bases were also located at Cut Bank, Glasgow, and Great Falls. , The Montana-trained squadrons flew a total of 1263 combat missions, dropped 71,128 tons of bombs, lost 548 aircraft and shot down 1018 enemy planes without ever turning away from a mission. They earned Presidential Unit Citations for valor and fortitude over Leipzig, Oscherslaben, Regensberg, Schweinfurt, Steyr and Zwickau. Assigned to the Mighty 8th and 15th Air Forces, the unwavering courage and unbowed bravery of airmen from this Montana airfield shines as this nation's bright pride.
At this airfield, US Army Air Force airmen trained to fly and fight with the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress during the darkest days of WWII. Heavy bomber crews completed final proficiency phase training here before being assigned to aerial combat in Europe and North Africa. The combat squadrons polished the vitally important skills of formation flying, precision bombing with the top secret Norden bombsight, aerial gunnery and navigation.
The Montana airbases were constructed in record time by the US Army Corps of Engineers. By the first anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, B-17 aircraft were landing at this airfield. The 49th, 548th, 570th, and 615th Bomb Squadrons all preformed crucial Organizational Training Unit missions in Montana. B-17 training bases were also located at Cut Bank, Glasgow, and Great Falls.
The Montana-trained squadrons flew a total of 1263 combat missions, dropped 71,128 tons of bombs, lost 548 aircraft and shot down 1018 enemy planes without ever turning away from a mission. They earned Presidential Unit Citations for valor and fortitude over Leipzig, Oscherslaben, Regensberg, Schweinfurt, Steyr and Zwickau. Assigned to the Mighty 8th and 15th Air Forces, the unwavering courage and unbowed bravery of airmen from this Montana airfield shines as this nation's bright pride.
Location. 47° 3.308′ N, 109° 27.568′ W. Marker is near Lewistown, Montana, in Fergus County. Marker is on U.S. 87 near H Street, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lewistown MT 59457, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. This marker is located at the Kiwanis Club Campground.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 18, 2019
2. Lewistown Army Airfield Marker
The marker is next to the picnic table.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 17, 2019. It was originally submitted on December 17, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 265 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on December 17, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.