Bakalar Air Force Base
Former US Air Force base near Columbus, Indiana / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Bakalar Air Force Base is a former U.S. Air Force base located 4.4 miles (7.1 km) northeast of Columbus, Indiana. During World War II, the base was known as Atterbury Air Field and Atterbury Army Air Base (named in memory of Brigadier General William Wallace Atterbury), but it was renamed Bakalar Air Force Base in 1954 in honor of First Lieutenant John Edmond Bakalar, USAAF. Established in 1942, the airfield served as a training base for medium-range C-46 Commando and C-47 Skytrain troop carrier planes and glider pilots. It also was used for training B-25 Mitchell and B-26 Marauder bomber crews. Reactivated during the Cold War, it was used as an Air Force Reserve training base for troop carrier, tactical airlift, and special operations flying units. The military base was closed in 1970. The present-day facility operates as the Columbus Municipal Airport.
Bakalar Air Force Base | |
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Part of Continental Air Command (ConAc) Air Force Reserve (AFRES) | |
Located near: Columbus, Indiana | |
Coordinates | 39°15′43″N 085°53′47″W |
Type | Air Reserve Base |
Site information | |
Controlled by | United States Air Force |
Site history | |
Built | 1942 |
In use | 1943–1970 |
Garrison information | |
Garrison | 434th Tactical Airlift Wing |