Lowry Air Force Base

Lowry Air Force Base, located in between the cities of Aurora and Denver, Colorado, until deactivated in 1994, was the site of a United States Air Force training base that was heavily involved with the training of United States Army Air Force bomber crews during WWII. It was permamently closed in 1994. Due to the fact that Aurora and Denver had completely surrounded the base during that time, and that noise restrictions no longer permitted training at the base, the base had become essentially useless. The land is now being used for commercial and residential development, though many of the old military buildings are still in use today. These include several massive hangers, one of which currently houses the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, and another which is reportedly the largest indoor skating rink in the region.

History

On October 4, 1937 work was begun to convert the grounds of the former Agnes Memorial Sanatorium into a modern airfield. The new field was named in honor of Second Lieutenant Francis Lowry whose plane was shot down by German antiaircraft fire in World War I. Classes in aerial photography began at Lowry in 1938 and aircraft arrive in June of that year. The first aircraft to land on the new, paved runway was a B-18.

In January 1942, in preparation for World War II , the War Department tasked Lowry with annually training 57,000 men. Training continued at Lowry throughout the war but, the end of the war in Europe and V-J Day ended Lowry’s short history as a pilot training school. In 1948, Lowry Field became Lowry Air Force Base.

With the beginning of the Korean War Lowry Air Force Base expanded it's training program. Courses taught, in addition to photography and armament, included rocket propulsion, missile guidance, electronics, radar-operated fire-control systems, computer specialties, gun and rocket sights, and electronically operated turret systems. In 1954 Lowry was the interim home for the Air Force Academy until construction was completed in Colorado Springs.

In the 1960s the Lowry’s flight operations were shifted to Buckley Air Force Base. All flying activities ceased completely in June 1966 when the last aircraft was flown out of Lowry. Lowry first faced the base closure issue in 1978. Ultimately, the Air Force recommended keeping Lowry open. While Lowry added new courses and improved courses during the 1980s, the decision was still made to close the base. On 30 September, 1994, the base officially closed.

External links

• Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum
• A Brief History of Lowry Air Force Base (Source of History)