Ainsworth in Brown County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Ainsworth Army Air Field
Photographed By Joan Shurtliff, October 5, 2014
1. Ainsworth Army Air Field Marker
Inscription.
Ainsworth Army Air Field, completed on November 30, 1942, was a satellite of Rapid City Army Air Field and under command of the Second Air Force. The field was one of eleven Army Air Force training bases built in Nebraska during World War II. The 2,496-acre field included three 7,300 x 150-foot concrete runways, a hanger, warehouse, repair and machine shops, link and bomb trainers, Norden bombsite vaults, and barracks for over 600 officers and enlisted men. The base's primary mission was to provide proficiency training for P-39 and P-47 pilots of the 364th and 53rd fighter squadrons, and for B-17 crews of the 540th and 543rd bombardment squadrons before deployment to the European Theater of Operations. Aircraft camouflage experiments were also conducted on the site.
The airfield closed in 1945 and the following year the city of Ainsworth received a U.S. Government revocable license for commercial aircraft operations on the field. In 1948 the War Assets Administration declared the property surplus, and the city of Ainsworth received title to the airfield for use as a municipal airport.
Ainsworth Army Air Field, completed on November 30, 1942, was a satellite of Rapid City Army Air Field and under command of the Second Air Force. The field was one of eleven Army Air Force training bases built in Nebraska during World War II. The 2,496-acre field included three 7,300 x 150-foot concrete runways, a hanger, warehouse, repair and machine shops, link and bomb trainers, Norden bombsite vaults, and barracks for over 600 officers and enlisted men. The base's primary mission was to provide proficiency training for P-39 and P-47 pilots of the 364th and 53rd fighter squadrons, and for B-17 crews of the 540th and 543rd bombardment squadrons before deployment to the European Theater of Operations. Aircraft camouflage experiments were also conducted on the site.
The airfield closed in 1945 and the following year the city of Ainsworth received a U.S. Government revocable license for commercial aircraft operations on the field. In 1948 the War Assets Administration declared the property surplus, and the city of Ainsworth received title to the airfield for use as a municipal airport.
Erected by Ainsworth Airport Authority; Nebraska State Historical Society. (Marker Number 380.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space
Location. 42° 33.601′ N, 100° 0.206′ W. Marker is in Ainsworth, Nebraska, in Brown County. Marker is on U.S. 20 at milepost 235, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Ainsworth NE 69210, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 1 other marker is within walking distance of this marker. Lakeland Sod High School (approx. half a mile away).
Photographed By Craig Doda, August 31, 2018
2. Ainsworth Army Air Field Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 7, 2014, by Joan Shurtliff of Seward, Nebraska. This page has been viewed 687 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on October 7, 2014, by Joan Shurtliff of Seward, Nebraska. 2. submitted on January 31, 2022, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
