Lockbourne Air Force BASE, OHIO

Lockbourne Air Force Base, located near Columbus, Ohio, was established in 1942 as a key training site for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. The base gained historical significance as the home of the famed Tuskegee Airmen’s 332nd Fighter Group and later the 477th Bombardment Group, both pioneering African American units. During the Cold War, Lockbourne became a Strategic Air Command installation, hosting B-47 Stratojet bombers and KC-97 tankers as part of America’s nuclear deterrent. The base was renamed Rickenbacker Air Force Base in 1974, honoring Medal of Honor recipient Eddie Rickenbacker, and later transitioned to Air National Guard and civilian use.