Name: Beale Air Force Base During the Cold War
Brand: James B. Quest
SKU: 9781467130813
Price: 17.49 USD
Availability: InStock

Beale Air Force Base During the Cold War

9781467130813

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

KLAXON! The alarm immediately sent the aircrews at Beale Air Force Base, California, scrambling to their alert aircraft in a race to get airborne first. The KC-135 tankers were usually the quickest to taxi out, with the B-52 bombers following closely behind. Soon, the air filled with the rumble of engines as aircraft roared down the runway trailing great clouds of exhaust and disappeared into the skies of Northern California. It was a dramatic scenario practiced many times during the Cold War and one that Universal Pictures filmed at Beale AFB for its movie A Gathering of Eagles, starring Rock Hudson and Rod Taylor.

Beale Air Force Base During the Cold War

Rock Island Arsenal

9781467112703

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In July 1862, Pres. Abraham Lincoln signed legislation to create Rock Island Arsenal, envisioning a supply and maintenance facility. After the Civil War, Rock Island became home to a great national arsenal. It made everything soldiers needed and supplied saddles, rifles, canteens, haversacks, artillery, tanks, and ammunition to the Army on the frontier and around the world. Rock Island Arsenal, located on an island in the Mississippi River, has long been the center of the local Illinois-Iowa community and the largest employer in the area. Beginning as a modest wooden fort, the arsenal grew to become the largest public-works project of the 19th century, the home of a National Historic Landmark, and the host of numerous historical events. Rock Island Arsenal still bustles as a center of Army logistics and is critical to sustaining the nation's armed forces in peace and war.

The United States Army at Fort Knox

9780738517919

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Located in north-central Kentucky, Fort Knox is one of the army's major installations and is home to several commands, including the United States Army School and Center and the United States Army Recruiting Command. The fort's history dates to 1903, when a series of military maneuvers was held by the United States Army in West Point, Kentucky. When World War I required the establishment of additional military training facilities, Camp Knox was created. The post closed as a permanent installation in 1922, but it remained an active training center for army programs and, briefly, a national forest. On January 1, 1932, Camp Knox was made a permanent installation again and has since been known as Fort Knox. In 1940, the Armored Force was established, paving the way for the continuing evolution of armed warfare. The United States Bullion Depository chose its location because of its proximity to this post.

Hagerstown in the Civil War

9780738586977

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Wedged strategically between the Mason-Dixon Line and the Potomac River, Hagerstown was destined to play a significant role in the Civil War. A diverse community, most residents gravitated toward the blue while some sided with the gray. Slavery was not a major presence in western Maryland, yet some local residents owned slaves along this route on the Underground Railroad. The intriguing story of Hagerstown during the Civil War is captured in this volume of vintage photographs, portraits, drawings, and other illustrations. Learn the stories of participants, both local and from across the country, whose wartime experiences in Hagerstown forever affected them. From the secretive arrival of John Brown in June 1859, to recent efforts to commemorate this history, the reader will come to understand the rich heritage that can be found in Hagerstown.

East Texas in World War II

9780738584645

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Texas made a remarkable contribution to the American war effort during World War II . Almost 830,000 Texans, including 12,000 women, donned uniforms, and more than 23,000 Texas fighting men died for their country. America's most decorated soldier, Lt. Audie Murphy, and most decorated sailor, submarine commander Sam Dealey, both were Texans. Texas A&M, an all-male military college, placed 20,000 men in the armed forces, of which 14,000 were officers--more than any other school in the nation, including the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme commander of Allied Forces in Europe, was born in Denison in northeast Texas. Adm. Chester Nimitz, commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet, was born and raised in Texas. Almost 1.5 million soldiers, sailors, and fliers trained at scores of Texas bases. Texas oil fueled the Allied war effort, while Texas shipyards and defense plants provided a flood of war machines and munitions during the war effort.

Camp Forrest

9781467115476

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Camp Forrest was a training, induction, and combatant prisoner-of-war (POW) facility located on the outskirts of Tullahoma, Tennessee.

It was a self-sustaining city where over 70,000 soldiers were stationed and approximately 12,000 civilians were employed throughout World War II. In 1942, the camp transitioned to an enemy alien internment camp and was one of the first civilian internment camps in the United States. By the middle of 1943, it had transitioned into a POW camp and housed primarily German and Italian prisoners. After the war ended, the base was decommissioned and dismantled in 1946. In 1951, the area was recommissioned and expanded into the US Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Complex. Few remains of this important World War II facility exist today; however, the images within provide a glimpse into the effects and realities of a global war on American soil.

Remembering Georgia's Confederates

9780738518237

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Found on monuments throughout the South, the sentiment "Lest we forget!" represents the theme of Remembering Georgia's Confederates. Dedicated to the men and women who served Georgia when her heart belonged to the Confederate States of America, this volume remembers the state's Confederate past--a time of passion, devotion, honor, courage, faith, perseverance, sacrifice, and loss. Georgia, rich in its heritage, boasts numerous locales to visit, learn about, and remember its role in the Confederacy: the battlefields and their interpretive centers, the coastal forts, the prison camp, the world's largest painting, the world's largest Confederate memorial, a pair of locomotive
engines, a number of Confederate cemeteries, and various homes, museums, and history centers.

Fort Delaware

9780738585901

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Located on Pea Patch Island, Fort Delaware was erected to defend local ports from enemy attack but never received or fired a shot in anger. The first earthen-work version, constructed during the War of 1812, was followed by a second 1820s plan incorporating a masonry star design with a network of drainage ditches. Engineering issues and a low-lying site doomed the structure; in 1831, it was irreparably damaged by fire. A new plan created a more substantial fortification still standing to this day. Fort Delaware evolved into a well-established community that transformed from protector to notorious Civil War prison camp. Most widely known as a prison, it subsequently served in lesser roles through three more conflicts. Images of America: Fort Delaware unifies an amazing pictorial record of Fort Delaware's historical timeline. The story is not only of active duty but its rescue from abandonment and subsequent successful preservation work.

Maryland in the Civil War

9781467120418

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There were over 75 raids and battles that took place in Maryland during the Civil War, including ""Bloody Antietam""--the bloodiest day in American military history.

As a border state between the North and South during the Civil War, Maryland's loyalties were strong for both sides. The first casualties of the war occurred during the Baltimore Riot of April 19, 1861, when members of the 6th Massachusetts Regiment were attacked by Confederate supporters while traversing through the city on their way to protect Washington, DC, from attack. Ten days later, Maryland chose not to secede from the Union by a vote of 53-13. On September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the Civil War took place at ""Bloody Antietam."" At the end of the day, nearly one in four men would be a casualty of the battle, making it the bloodiest day in American military history. There were over 75 skirmishes, raids, and major battles that took place in Maryland during the Civil War. Through vintage photographs, Maryland in the Civil War shares the state's rich military heritage.

Camp Glenn

9781467107181

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In 1906, the North Carolina state legislature established Camp Glenn as the permanent summer training camp for the North Carolina National Guard. The camp's chosen site, located three miles west of Morehead City, was ideally situated on a sandy stretch of firm, high, and well-drained land overlooking Bogue Sound. A large parade ground adjoined the camp, and it was level as a floor and could accommodate the entire North Carolina National Guard. Although it was first established as a target practice field, in later years, the camp became the first US Coast Guard air station and later a US Navy base. Camp Glenn was the mobilization site for National Guard troops sent to the Mexican border during the 1916 Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa led by Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing. Citizen soldiers who trained at Camp Glenn also fought in World Wars I and II protecting North Carolina's coastline and battling for the United States in Europe.

Fort Logan

9780738575827

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For most Colorado citizens, Fort Logan usually brings to mind the large national cemetery of the same name. Often unrealized is that nearby, there are fine, substantial brick buildings that mark the remains of a once-bustling military post. Fort Logan began in 1887 and became a part of the US Army's new network of urban-type forts with strategic rail links. Located in the beginning about eight miles southwest of Denver, it variously housed important infantry, cavalry, and engineer units and later served as a key recruit and discharge center. It also once attracted Denverites to elaborate parade ceremonies, stirring band concerts, and competitive athletic events. After World War II, it became property of the State of Colorado and today is the site of the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Fort Logan.

Fort Benning

9781467102803

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Established outside Columbus, Georgia, in October 1918 by the United States Army as Camp Benning, the base was moved to its permanent location, nine miles south, in June 1919. In 1922, the post was made permanent and was named Fort Benning. Created as the new location of The Infantry School of Arms, Fort Benning became the training post for many of the country's future leaders, as well as a major part of the military experience for hundreds of thousands of American soldiers.

The post's current size, more than 180,000 acres, has long made it recognized as one of the largest infantry bases in the world. Named for Gen. Henry L. Benning of Columbus, the installation has had a major impact on the economic and social life of nearby Columbus. Images of America: Fort Benning features vintage photographs and postcards, mostly from 1918 to 1978, showcasing the first 60 years of the base's 85-year history. Included are scenes of the temporary encampment on Macon Road and the early wooden encampment on the Main Post. The permanent buildup from the late 1920s to the early 1940s is shown in photographs of The Infantry School, the Officers' Club, Main Post Chapel, Doughboy Stadium, Gowdy Field, the Jump Towers, Lawson Field, the Cuartel Barracks, and the officers' quarters, as well as Riverside, the Commandant's Home, formerly the Bussey Plantation. Activities and events include military reviews, visits of presidents, and the National Infantry Museum's dedication. Generals who served there and are featured include Bradley, Eisenhower, Marshall, and Patton. This centennial edition features a new foreword by Don Sando, deputy to the commanding general.

The Benicia Arsenal

9781467109635

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The Benicia Arsenal served the US Army in the West for 117 years. Located at a strategic location between the San Francisco Bay and the interior of California, the military reservation began as cavalry barracks. During the Civil War, the arsenal was the logistics headquarters of the California Volunteers, a force that replaced the Army units that went east to fight. In the later 19th century, the arsenal supported missions in Russia, Hawaii, and South America. The 20th century took the arsenal from the horse-and-buggy era to Nike missiles and provided support during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. During World War II, half the workforce was made up of women, and in the postwar period, as the Army integrated, so did the arsenal. The arsenal closed in 1964, and the land was converted into an industrial park that now houses over 300 companies.

Knoxville in the Civil War

9781467110198

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Knoxville sits nestled in the extraordinary natural beauty of the Tennessee River Valley. For four long years, from 1861 to 1865, this idyllic setting was racked by some of the harshest experiences of the entire Civil War. Armies, battles, famous generals, partisans, and thousands of troops from every state North and South made their mark on the region, leaving a rich military history. However, it was the people of this genuinely American city whose divided loyalties forced families, schools, churches, financial stability, and literally all aspects of community to opposite sides of the deadly conflict. Civil war means that people, not just designated armies, become sworn enemies. In this close-knit small town, there was nowhere to hide from this vicious reality. The population of Knoxville suffered intensely, and the trauma of those punishing times can still be felt in its 21st-century cultural identity.

Nacogdoches in World War II

9780738579733

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Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas, has a long and colorful history starting in 1716, when the first mission, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de los Nacogdoches, was founded. The people of this rich area have since come together countless times to survive challenges. During World War II, patriotism brought everyone closer as the young men of the area left to fight for their country. College enrollment declined drastically until a masterstroke by its president brought the nation's first WAC school to the campus. An unexpected ice storm killed valuable timber, bringing Nazi POWs to the area to harvest the pine trees. On the home front, everyone got involved in the war effort. They knitted, rolled bandages, collected scrap metal, bought war bonds, grew victory gardens, and participated in rationing and blackouts; but most of all they sacrificed their sons. They came together during those years and still come together today to celebrate the historic town's past and to honor its veterans of all wars.

Remembering Michigan's Civil War Soldiers

9781467113458

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When the 1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry regiment arrived in Washington, DC, President Lincoln exclaimed: "Thank God for Michigan!" The state raised more than 90,000 men to serve during the Civil War, and 69 of them received the Medal of Honor. Notable Michiganders include Gens. Israel Richardson, Orlando Poe, Alpheus Williams, Orlando Willcox, and George Hartsuff, as well as "The Boy General," George Armstrong Custer, and Officer Norman Hall, who was stationed at Fort Sumter when the war began. Featuring images of the 4th Michigan Cavalry, which captured Confederate president Jefferson Davis at the war's end, and never-before-published photographs of Wolverine soldiers, Images of America: Remembering Michigan's Civil War Soldiers highlights hundreds of Michiganians who were committed to preserving the Union.

Remembering Michigan's Civil War Soldiers

Fort Pulaski

9781467113731

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Forts are a lasting tribute to the prominence of the US military, and Fort Pulaski stands among these magnificent fortresses. Overlooking the mouth of the Savannah River and the Atlantic Ocean, Fort Pulaski is named in honor of Gen. Casimir Pulaski, Revolutionary War hero and father of the US Cavalry, which endured some of the most damaging artillery combat in early American warfare. In addition to its unfortunate notoriety for serving as the first fort where a rifled cannon was successfully tested in combat against masonry forts, it played a part in other significant events, including a baseball game during the Civil War where one of the first photographs of the sport was taken with the newly invented camera. Ultimately, the fort was considered important enough to be preserved and designated a national monument.

Kirtland Air Force Base

9781467128872

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In late 1939, the US Army leased from the City of Albuquerque 2,000 acres adjacent to the municipal airport to house a small Air Corps detachment servicing transient Army and Navy aircraft. From these humble beginnings, construction began on Albuquerque Army Air Base on January 7, 1941. Starting as a B-17 training base in the months prior to World War II, the airfield would contain a bombardier school, glider replacement center, and four-engine transition school. On February 25, 1942, at the special request of Gen. Henry "Hap" Arnold, Albuquerque Army Air Base was renamed after Col. Roy C. Kirtland, one of the early Army aviation pioneers. Today, Kirtland Air Force Base has evolved into a military base different in many respects from its predecessor installations--Oxnard Field, Sandia Base, and Manzano Base. The base's presence is significant to Albuquerque's economic and social life, as well as housing several of the nation's most important defense research and development organizations.

Onizuka Air Force Base

9781467104067

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For nearly five decades, some of the United States military's most secretive operations were conducted out of a collection of nondescript buildings at the intersection of State Route 237 and Mathilda Avenue in Sunnyvale, California. The installation was known by a variety of names in its early years: Satellite Test Center, Air Force Satellite Control Facility, the "Blue Cube," and Sunnyvale Air Force Station. In July 1986, the facility was renamed Onizuka Air Force Base after Col. Ellison S. Onizuka, the first Asian American astronaut, who was killed during the space shuttle Challenger accident. The location was selected due to its proximity to Lockheed Missiles and Space Company's Sunnyvale facilities and supported early satellite reconnaissance programs such as Corona, Gambit, and Hexagon. As the nation's nucleus for satellite command and control, workers at Onizuka Air Force Base directed efforts for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), US military, and NASA's space shuttle program until the closure of the base in 2010.

NORAD and Cheyenne Mountain AFS

9781467133302

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The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) was established as a result of an agreement between Canada and the United States to defend against increasing Soviet military capabilities. In the early years of World War II, the leaders of the United States and Canada agreed to military cooperation, thus beginning strong defense relations still evident today. Military and civilian personnel from both countries work together for the defense of North America. Established as a formal military command in 1958, NORAD has been headquartered in Colorado Springs since its inception. In the late 1950s, a decision was made to move the Continental Air Defense Command combat operations center to an underground facility to provide a secure and hardened location for air defense operations. After several locations were evaluated, Cheyenne Mountain, south of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was chosen for the new command center. In operation since 1966, Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station continues to be America's fortress.

US Coast Guard Training Center at Cape May

9780738597669

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The US Coast Guard Training Center at Cape May tells the story of the Center from Navy Section Base 9 to the only recruit training center in the US.

Commissioned as Navy Section Base 9 in 1917, the US Coast Guard Training Center at Cape May stands on the site of a former amusement park that bordered the Atlantic Ocean a few miles east of Cape May in southern New Jersey. Dirigibles, submarines, and minesweepers were based here during World War I. Because of its proximity to the ocean and Delaware Bay, the base was used by Coast Guard patrol boats and cutters to chase rumrunners during Prohibition in the 1920s. An airfield was established adjacent to the base in 1926, and in 1940, both combined to become Naval Air Station Cape May. The station protected the coast line from German U-boats during World War II. The Coast Guard took over the facility in 1946, and in 1948, the base became the only recruit training center in the country, today graduating more than 4,000 recruits per year.

Camp Abbot

9781467128612

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Today, Sunriver is an idyllic community in Central Oregon, but during World War II, it was the site of Camp Abbot, the westernmost engineer replacement training center of the US Army Corps of Engineers. Under the leadership of Col. Frank Besson, the US Army trained 90,000 men at the camp from 1943 through 1944. Mimicking the European landscape, the surrounding terrain and the swift-flowing Deschutes River were deemed perfect for training young soldiers how to build and demolish bridges. Located about 15 miles south of Bend, the quickly built installation included administration buildings, a hospital, over 50 barracks, mess halls, training grounds, recreation facilities, and a chapel. There, among pine trees and sagebrush, soldiers endured subfreezing winters and 100-degree summers.

Detroit in World War I

9781467114691

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World War I was the catalyst that ushered in themes that would define the 20th century: industrialization, urbanization, and the struggle for equality between social classes, gender, and race. During this time, from 1914 to 1918, Detroit was a city rapidly on the rise, with spectacular economic, industrial, and population growth. These were years when some of the city's most beautiful structures were built, when its industry practices became the international standard, and when its population exploded with new, hopeful emigrants from across the globe. The war provided a unifying theme to a city struggling to define itself and caused its people to come together in new and unexpected ways to support the war effort at home and abroad, often stepping into unfamiliar roles outside of societal norms. Detroit in World War I offers a visual exploration of a city and a people caught in a time of dynamic change--from the men who served the cause to the communities they left behind--who rose to the challenge splendidly and helped create one of the 20th century's most remarkable and vibrant cities.

Buffalo Naval Park, The

9781467109796

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The Buffalo Naval Park, the largest inland naval park in the country, was established in 1977 to honor, educate, inspire, and preserve. The largest artifacts in the collections are the USS Little Rock, USS The Sullivans, and USS Croaker, and each has its own compelling story to tell. Little Rock and The Sullivans came to Buffalo in 1977 from the Philadelphia shipyard and have been on display since 1979. Croaker came to the naval park in 1988 after serving as a museum ship in Groton, Connecticut. The Sullivans is part of the captivating story of the Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, Iowa. Few families sacrificed as much as the Sullivan family did, and the ship represents Gold Star Families from across the United States. Croaker, as part of the Silent Service, sank 11 Japanese ships over the course of six war patrols during World War II. Little Rock better represents the Cold War era, as it was converted along with five other ships using the US Navy's first guided-missile program, which was created in 1955.

Fort Morgan

9780738505749

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Fort Morgan has stood sentry on the Gulf of Mexico for almost 200 years. This pictorial history illustrates the people and events that have shaped its history.

Following the War of 1812, the United States embarked upon a major building program to improve the nation's seacoast defenses. A project was begun on Mobile Bay that would take almost twelve years to complete, plagued by harsh conditions, a lack of resources, and financial burdens. The end result, completed and opened in March of 1834, was Fort Morgan. Fort Morgan has played many key roles in the nation's military. During the Civil War, Fort Morgan provided covering fire for blockade runners entering and leaving Mobile Bay. The fort fell into disrepair after the Civil War as military planners thought it had outlived its usefulness. Between 1895 and 1904, five modern reinforced concrete batteries rose from the sands. At the peak of operations between 1910 and 1918, more than one hundred structures dotted the Mobile Bay landscape. This unique pictorial retrospective explores the growth and change at Fort Morgan, allowing the reader a chance to step back in time to the days when our nation's military fortifications provided a sense of security and protection to every citizen. Included are images culled from the Fort Morgan Museum, the National Archives and Records, and private collections. These vintage photographs depict every aspect of the fort's history, from the damage caused by the Union siege guns to the days following World War II when the fort was temporarily turned into a resort, and from the Confederates who worked to strengthen Mobile's lower defense line to the devastation of the hurricanes in 1906 and 1916.

Pricketts Fort

9781467121613

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Pricketts Fort was built on the land of Jacob Prickett in 1774, during what is known as Lord Dunmore's War. It provided sanctuary for local settlers before and during the American Revolution and was a safe haven from the attacks of American Indians until the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. Constructed by local militia on a small rise near the confluence of Pricketts Creek and the Monongahela River, Pricketts Fort provided refuge for approximately 80 families. The fort itself was large by 18th-century standards. It had blockhouses at each corner, with walls 12 feet high and 110 feet long. Although the fort was never attacked, many outlying homes were, and a number of settlers lost their lives. Today, Pricketts Fort hosts visitors looking to learn more about day-to-day life on the western Virginian frontier.

Barksdale Air Force Base

9780738514284

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Established in 1933 as the "World's Largest Airport," Barksdale Air Force Base covers 23,000 acres of Northwest Louisiana and is one of our nation's greatest military assets today. It was originally named for a true American airpower pioneer, Lt. E. Hoy Barksdale, and now has a population of over 7,000 military and civilian citizens. Barksdale has cultivated some of America's best Air Force leaders and national heroes and is the proud home of the legendary B-52 bomber.

Images of America: Barksdale Air Force Base covers the history of the base from 1924 to the present with over 200 moving black-and-white photographs, many that have never been published before. This vivid history of United States military aviation includes everything from World War II to the Korean War, from the skies over Vietnam to alerts in the Cold War, from the sands of the Persian Gulf to the mountains of Kosovo, and on into the present-day War on Terrorism.

West Virginia in the Civil War

9781467120517

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West Virginia in the Civil War chronicles the role West Virginians played in the Civil War through the use of vintage photograph

West Virginia, ""Child of the Storm,"" was the only state formed as a result of the Civil War. West Virginia witnessed battles, engagements, and guerrilla actions during the four years of the Civil War. The struggle between eastern and western Virginia over voting rights, taxation, and economic development can be traced back to the formation of the Republic. John Brown's 1859 raid on the United States Arsenal at Harpers Ferry played a major role in the Civil War, which started in western Virginia with the destruction of Baltimore & Ohio Railroad property. When Virginia voted to secede and join the slave-holding Confederacy, the counties of western Virginia formed the pro-Union government known as the Restored Government of Virginia in Wheeling. West Virginia in the Civil War chronicles the role West Virginians played in the Civil War through the use of vintage photographs.

Dover Air Force Base

9780738582122

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Over 200 vintage photographs from the archives of the Air Mobility Museum and other sources provide a sampling of the way it was at Dover Air Force Base through the years.

Dover Air Force Base is the largest aerial port in the United States and home to gigantic jet air transports that are lifelines for our modern military. It started as a municipal airport and has grown and expanded nearly continuously since opening a week after the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. Its saga is the story of the evolution of the U.S. Air Force from World War II to the present. The pictures in Images of Aviation: Dover Air Force Base represent the thousands of people who called Dover AFB their home, the hundreds of aircraft that have been assigned there, and the dozens of various missions assigned to the facility over the past seven decades.

Bunker Hill and Grissom Air Force Base

9781467115087

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As the US Navy recovered from the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, the aircraft carrier earned a place alongside the battleship, and the Navy grew its air force. Pilots were needed as fast as American industry could build airplanes, and Indiana became the home of a naval air-training center. After fascism's defeat with the end of World War II, a potentially more deadly Cold War brought the need for a deterrent force capable of surviving a nuclear attack and then completely destroying the enemy. A vital part of that force moved into the old Hoosier Navy Base in 1954. For more than three decades, Bunker Hill and Grissom airmen stood on the forward wall of America's freedom. Images of Aviation: Bunker Hill and Grissom Air Force Base tells their story through an amazing collection of declassified US Air Force photographs.

Camp Merritt

9781467125871

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Camp Merritt, located in Bergen County, New Jersey, was authorized by the federal government in August 1917 as a critically needed embarkation base for processing US Army soldiers bound for the battlefields of Europe during World War I. The site of the camp, which now encompasses parts of five towns, was chosen for its proximity to roadways, railroads, and the Hudson River, which enabled the rapid movement of large numbers of troops and equipment to the nearby shipping port of Hoboken. As the war progressed, the size and scope of the base expanded; it was closed on June 30, 1920. During its lifetime, the camp processed over one million soldiers and nurses both going to and returning from war zones.

Rantoul and Chanute Air Force Base

9780738583082

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Join Mark D. Hanson as he chronicles the long-standing and cohesive relationship between the farming town of Rantoul and the Chanute Air Force base.

Rantoul and the former Chanute Air Force Base are inseparably intertwined as primary players in a single historical narrative. Rantoul was first founded as an agriculturally based community in 1848 near an area known as Mink Grove. The settlement boomed with the coming of the Illinois Central Railroad in 1854; a railroad championed by the town's namesake, Robert Rantoul Jr. Disaster followed in 1899 and again in 1901 with devastating fires. Then, in 1917, a U.S. Army flying field was built on the outskirts of Rantoul. Named after the aviation pioneer Octave Chanute, Chanute Field, later Chanute Air Force Base, became a premier technical training facility. A mutually beneficial relationship quickly developed between these civilian and military establishments that would last for over 75 years. Chanute Air Force Base closed in 1993, ushering in yet another new era for the village of Rantoul.

Fort Davis

9780738579863

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Established and named for US secretary of war Jefferson Davis in 1854, Fort Davis was key to the eventual settlement of the Davis Mountains' rich grasslands. Camels once grazed at the fort. It served as home to the African American regiments known as the Buffalo Soldiers, and Lt. Henry Flipper, the first African American to graduate from West Point, was court-martialed at this post. Present-day visitors to the town of Fort Davis can gaze at the stars and imagine the immensity of the universe at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory, stay the night at the Civilian Conservation Corps-built Indian Lodge at Davis Mountains State Park, or visit with a living-history volunteer or park ranger at Fort Davis National Historic Site.

The Wreck of the Naval Airship USS Shenandoah

9781467126625

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The USS Shenandoah was the pride of the American Navy in 1925 and America's first rigid dirigible. Her name is a Native American word often said to mean "Daughter of the Stars." While performing a publicity tour in the Midwest, the ship was ripped to pieces by a violent storm. Fourteen men died, including Lt. Comdr. Zachary Lansdowne, who remained at his post to the very end. The citizens of Noble County, Ohio, were alarmed and amazed when this high-tech, state-of-the-art marvel came tumbling out of the sky into their rural and isolated community. While lavishing care and support on the wounded, the locals also looted the wreckage and made souvenirs of valuable equipment that remained family treasures for years. Tales of daring heroism and sacrifice by those brave sailors on that stormy night soon became the thing of legend to the residents of the valley. For nearly 100 years, people there have maintained the legacy of Shenandoah with monuments, songs, and commemorations that continue to this day.

The Wreck of the Naval Airship USS Shenandoah

The Original Hell's Angels: 303rd Bombardment Group of WWII

9780738509105

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During World War II, there was a famed B-17 aircraft named Hell's Angels. The men who worked together to keep the plane flying over Hitler's occupied Europe, those of the U.S. Army Air Force's 303rd Bombardment Group, were the first in the 8th Air Force to complete twenty-five missions from their base in Molesworth, England. These men, or "Hell's Angels" as they became known, went on to complete forty missions without ever turning back to base for mechanical failure of the plane. In The Original Hell's Angels: 303rd Bombardment Group of World War II, you will take an exciting historical journey to meet these men and to experience the total forty-eight missions they flew without having a member wounded or killed before the plane and members of its crew were commissioned to return to America for a war-bond tour. Also, you will learn how the entire 303rd became known as Hell's Angels, the first heavy bombardment group to complete three hundred missions from American air force bases in England.