Lowry Air Force Base
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Lowry Air Force Base, formerly located in the cities of Aurora and Denver, Colorado, was the site of a United States Air Force training base that was heavily involved with the training of United States Army Air Forces bomber crews during World War II. It was permanently closed in 1994. The land is now being used for commercial and residential development, though many of the old military buildings are still in use. These include several massive hangars, one of which currently houses the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum,another, Big Bear Ice Rink, which is reportedly the largest indoor skating rink in the region. One of the former dormitories is currently owned and used by The Logan School for Creative Learning and was remodeled beginning 2004 and ending in late 2006. Also, some of the base housing is now currently owned and used by Stanley British Primary School.
Many buildings, such as the large Finance Claims Center (Building 401) and various other outbuildings and facilities have been demolished or are in the process of being demolished to make room for new development, while other buildings such as the former steam power plant and headquarters building are being renovated for new usage in the form of modern lofts and housing. Few abandoned, original buildings remain, although one dormitory facility and a former medical building on the east end of the base are owned by the state as part of the Higher Education and Technology campus and have not yet been renovated and are off-limits. Additionally, at least one building on the base is still considered active federal property (The former base exchange, or BX, near 11th and Uinta Street is one, although not marked as such) and security patrols will question and detain people if they are loitering, photographing or performing other activities in close proximity to the building or in the parking lot.
[edit] 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 arrived in June of that year. The first aircraft to land on the new paved runway was a B-18 Bolo. The sanatorium's main building became the base headquarters.
In January 1942, in the early course of 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 its 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 United States Air Force Academy until construction was completed in Colorado Springs.
In the 1960s Lowry’s flight operations were shifted to Buckley Field, now 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 at that time. While Lowry added new training programs courses during the 1980s, the decision was still made to close the base. On 30 September 1994, the base officially closed.
