| Buckingham Army Air Field Contributor(s): Wadsworth, Chris (Author), Johnson, Matt (Author), Southwest Florida Museum of History (Author) |
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ISBN: 0738586765 ISBN-13: 9780738586762 Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (SC) OUR PRICE: $22.49 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: December 2010 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | United States - State & Local - South (al,ar,fl,ga,ky,la,ms,nc,sc,tn,va,wv) - History | United States - 20th Century - History | Military - Aviation |
| Dewey: 975.9 |
| LCCN: 2010928636 |
| Series: Images of America (Arcadia Publishing) |
| Physical Information: 0.3" H x 6.4" W x 9.1" (0.70 lbs) 128 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 1940's - Geographic Orientation - Florida - Locality - Fort Myers-Cape Coral, FL |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: For most people in Southwest Florida, the name Buckingham is just one more dot on a map a rural area east of U.S. Interstate 75. But for a few years, it was so much more. Starting in 1942, it was the site of the Buckingham Army Air Field home to some 16,000 men and women supporting the United States World War II efforts. Airplanes roared in the skies over Lee County and reflected off the azure waters of the Gulf of Mexico as tens of thousands of young men trained as aerial gunners. Learning to target and bring down enemy aircraft with their guns was critical to America s success in both the European and Pacific theaters. On the ground, trucks rumbled across the mammoth base, soldiers marched in review under the hot Florida sun, and an entire town sprang up on what was once swampland. Barracks were built, along with stores, nightclubs, churches, and even a hospital with its own baby ward. Today the memories of Buckingham Army Air Field can be found hiding in plain sight, including a working airport that was once the heart of the base." |
Contributor Bio(s): Wadsworth, Chris: - Journalist and author Chris Wadsworth collaborates with Matt Johnson, manager and historian at the Southwest Florida Museum of History, to take readers on a trip back in time, as the proud history of Buckingham Army Air Field comes alive through vivid photographs and the stories of the soldiers and civilians who once called Buckingham home. |