The United States Naval Air Station at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, originally built as a Neutrality Patrol seaplane base, became a unique and fundamental asset to our nation's armed forces. In World War II, more than half of all U-boats sunk by U.S. aviation were destroyed by Quonset-trained shore and carrier-based squadrons. In the years following World War II, Quonset Point Naval Air Station remained a premier industrial naval air station, sending squadrons or overhauling equipment for use in the Korean, Vietnam, and Cold War conflicts. For 34 years and through four wars, the Quonset Point Naval Air Station stood proud and tall on behalf of the U.S. military. This second volume of Quonset Point images uncovers nearly 200 more scenes of the installation's achievements and activities during the entire period of its service.
Sean Paul Milligan is a well-known military historian and speaker whose articles have appeared in the Providence Journal, Naval Aviation News, The Hook, Wings of Gold, and Leatherneck. His career in aviation began at age 14, when he flew as a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol. A former Marine, Milligan has made a lifelong study of naval aviation and is currently the historian for the Quonset Air Museum. His dedicated and sincere interest in Quonset Point is evident throughout this tribute to the men and women who supported the naval air station during its period of active duty.