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Bruning Army Air Field

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received notice from the federal government that they had ten days to move off their farms, including livestock, farm equipment, feed and all possessions, leaving crops in the fields. They were compensated approximately $ 50 an acre. Some of the vacated farm buildings and houses were moved, while others were demolished. Immediately thereafter, construction began on the Bruning Army Air Field, with approximately 1,000 construction workers were used to build the field on
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Administration. The Nebraska Department of Aeronautics eventually took over a total of six former Army airfields after the war, and continued to operate nearly all of them for many years as state operated civilian airports. The Bruning field was operated as a State airfield until August 1969, although gradually all but a small portion of one runway were closed. The property is now closed to traffic and is leased to local farmers and a cattle feedlot company
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Bruning Army Airfield is now abandoned, with only a few buildings and the large Sub Depot hangar still standing, as well as remnants of foundations and floors found at the site. The integrity of Hangar 52 is fairly good, but Hangar 53 is in very poor condition, near ruins. The North-South and SW-NE
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fighter-bomber crews. Twelve bombardment squadrons and nine fighter squadrons completed proficiency training at the field before receiving orders for overseas combat assignments. Complete engine and airframe repairs were available for the B-24 bombers and P-47 fighters attached to Bruning AAF.
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of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. The airfield was constructed in 1942. The 1,720-acre (7.0 km) site is bordered on the west by low hills and a small creek bed. Level farm ground is on the north, east and south boundaries. On 12 September 1942, twelve land owners
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The base was declared surplus by the USAAF on November 21, 1945 and turned over to the State of Nebraska. In 1947, 174 buildings were dismantled at Bruning. On January 15, 1948, Nebraska Department of Aeronautics acquired a quitclaim deed for Bruning Army Airfield from the U. S. War Assets
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Local historians record that 23 airmen died in training accidents at the base, and an additional 28 were killed in a single incident on August 4, 1944, when a
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south of the base leased for a gunnery range. At its peak of activity, Bruning had 3,077 military and 500 civilian personnel assigned.
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runways are used as the home of Mid-America Feed Yard, a large commercial cattle feed lot, and the NW-SE runway is still visible.
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On July 19, 1998 the Thayer County Historical Society dedicated a Nebraska State Historical Monument on Highway 4 about
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Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History.
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carrying a graduating class of fighter pilots ran into a thunderstorm and crashed near
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Bruning AAF was placed on reserve status effective 7 February 1945 and assigned to
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in December 1943. The following units trained at Bruning AAF:
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Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Nebraska
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in length, formed in a triangle, with the main parking
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Buildings and structures in Thayer County, Nebraska
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Nebraska Historical Marker - Bruning Army Air Field
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836th, 837th, 838th and 839th Bombardment Squadrons
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716th, 717th, 718th and 719th Bombardment Squadrons
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744th, 745th, 746th and 747th Bombardment Squadrons
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article incorporates 656: 508:as replacement training group, ( 440:- September 20-December 15, 1943 412:- September 12- December 3, 1943 163: 156: 29: 1682:1943 establishments in Nebraska 496:- November 15-December 18, 1944 82: 634:6 miles (10 km) 468:- October 20-December 12, 1944 367:262d Army Air Forces Base Unit 1: 1574:United States Army Air Forces 619:Air Technical Service Command 280:United States Army Air Forces 88:United States Army Air Forces 1677:Defunct airports in Nebraska 520:- November 1943 - March 1944 315:of land, with an additional 164: 594:Replacement Training Unit ( 567:Replacement Training Unit ( 351:Consolidated B-24 Liberator 1713: 590:407th Fighter-Bomber Group 563:407th Fighter-Bomber Group 384:- August 2-October 8, 1943 1569: 867:17th Bombardment Training 857:15th Bombardment Training 780: 355:Republic P-47 Thunderbolt 286:and located in northeast 208: 205: 200: 196: 151: 40: 28: 614:, killing all on board. 583:- 3 March - 1 April 1944 556:- 3 March - 1 April 1944 531:Scribner Army Air Field 438:487th Bombardment Group 410:449th Bombardment Group 382:456th Bombardment Group 306:Bruning AAF was one of 821:IV Air Support Command 806:II Air Support Command 663:public domain material 581:517th Fighter Squadron 554:516th Fighter Squadron 276:Bruning Army Air Field 23:Bruning Army Air Field 131:40.34028°N 97.42833°W 1687:Airports in Nebraska 709:Mid-America Feedyard 518:23d Fighter Squadron 35:2006 USGS Orthophoto 1553:443nd Troop Carrier 1537:77th Reconnaissance 1532:71st Reconnaissance 836:XXII Bomber Command 494:508th Fighter Group 478:Twentieth Air Force 466:507th Fighter Group 422:Fifteenth Air Force 394:Fifteenth Air Force 136:40.34028; -97.42833 127: /  1527:8th Reconnaissance 1522:7th Reconnaissance 1517:6th Reconnaissance 1512:5th Reconnaissance 1507:4th Reconnaissance 1502:3rd Reconnaissance 1497:2nd Reconnaissance 1160:388th Bombardment 831:XXI Bomber Command 816:II Fighter Command 700:: Western Nebraska 527:36th Fighter Group 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Nebraska 1704: 1045:99th Bombardment 1040:96th Bombardment 1035:95th Bombardment 1030:94th Bombardment 1025:88th Bombardment 1020:86th Bombardment 1015:86th Bombardment 1010:85th Bombardment 1005:48th Bombardment 1000:47th Bombardment 995:46th Bombardment 990:42nd Bombardment 985:40th Bombardment 980:39th Bombardment 975:34th Bombardment 970:29th Bombardment 965:25th Bombardment 960:19th Bombardment 955:17th Bombardment 950:16th Bombardment 945:12th Bombardment 915: 892:73rd Bombardment 887:58th Bombardment 877:21st Bombardment 872:18th Replacement 796: 786: 756:Second Air Force 751: 741: 734: 727: 718: 660: 659: 635: 546:P-47 Thunderbolt 510:P-47 Thunderbolt 486:P-47 Thunderbolt 450:Eighth Air Force 343:Colorado Springs 339:Second Air Force 325: 318: 314: 198: 197: 191: 167: 166: 160: 142: 141: 139: 138: 137: 132: 128: 125: 124: 123: 120: 63: 52: 33: 19: 1712: 1711: 1707: 1706: 1705: 1703: 1702: 1701: 1667: 1666: 1665: 1660: 1557: 1541: 1485: 1444: 1440:509th Composite 940:9th 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122:097°25′42″W 109:Coordinates 1671:Categories 1646:Fourteenth 1641:Thirteenth 652:References 533:, Nebraska 119:40°20′25″N 1656:Twentieth 1651:Fifteenth 774:Airfields 767:Airfields 202:Direction 1631:Eleventh 799:Commands 640:See also 347:Colorado 292:Nebraska 263:Concrete 247:Concrete 231:Concrete 209:Surface 94:Location 79:Military 1636:Twelfth 1611:Seventh 1449:Fighter 542:England 482:Okinawa 454:England 302:History 296:Bruning 206:Length 190:Runways 100:, near 71:Summary 1616:Eighth 1596:Fourth 1586:Second 911:Groups 681:  506:Hawaii 332:runway 260:2,072 257:6,800 254:04/22 244:2,072 241:6,800 238:13/31 228:2,072 225:6,800 222:17/35 1626:Tenth 1621:Ninth 1606:Sixth 1601:Fifth 1591:Third 1581:First 845:Wings 792:Units 753:USAAF 426:Italy 398:Italy 328:apron 84:Owner 679:ISBN 172:BAAF 61:none 57:ICAO 50:none 46:IATA 758:in 540:in 529:at 484:, ( 480:in 456:, ( 452:in 428:, ( 424:in 400:, ( 396:in 214:ft 147:Map 1673:: 598:, 571:, 345:, 298:. 290:, 217:m 59:: 48:: 740:e 733:t 726:v 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Index


IATA
ICAO
United States Army Air Forces
Thayer County
Bruning, Nebraska
Coordinates
40°20′25″N 097°25′42″W / 40.34028°N 97.42833°W / 40.34028; -97.42833
BAAF is located in Nebraska
Runways
Direction
United States Army Air Forces
World War II
Thayer County
Nebraska
Bruning
eleven Nebraska training airfields
apron
runway
Second Air Force
Colorado Springs
Colorado
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing
72nd Fighter Wing
456th Bombardment Group
Fifteenth Air Force
Italy
B-24 Liberator

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