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Summary:

Abstract: Rapidly initiated at the national, regional, and local levels, the American glider pilot training program came about due to a perceived need after successful German operations at the outset of World War II. Although the national program successfully produced the required number of pilots to facilitate combat operations, numerous changes and improvisation came to characterize the program. Like other American military initiatives in the twentieth century, the War Department applied massive amounts of effort, dollars, and time to a program that proved to be short-lived in duration because it was quickly discarded when new technologies appeared. At the local level, the real loser was Lamesa, Texas. Bearing the brunt of these changes by military decision makers, the citizens of Lamesa saw their hard-fought efforts to secure an airfield fall quickly by the wayside in the wake of changing national defense priorities. As generations continue to pass and memories gradually fade, it is important to document and understand the relationship between this military platform that saw limited action and a small Texas town that had a similarly short period of significance to train the pilots who flew the aircraft.

Author/Creator:

Garner, Christian A. , author

Contributors:

Citino, Robert Michael, 1958- , major professor

Languages:

English

Language Notes:

Item content: English

Main Work:

Forgotten Legacies: The U.S. Glider Pilot Training Program and Lamesa Field, Texas, During World War II [by Garner, C.A.]

Related Series:

NT thesis, History; [volume] 2016

Subjects:

World War, 1939-1945 — Aerial operations, American

World War, 1939-1945 — Texas — Lamesa

Air bases — Texas — Lamesa — History

Air pilots, Military — Training of — Texas — Lamesa

Military gliders (Aeronautics) — United States — History — 20th century

Lamesa (Tex.) — History, Military — 20th century

World War (1939-1945)

1900-1999

Air pilots, Military — Training of

Air pilots, Military

Military gliders (Aeronautics)

History, Military

Air bases

Texas — Lamesa

United States

Genres:

Academic theses

History

Dissertation Notes:

M.A. ― University of North Texas, 2016.

General Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.
Description based on: Online resource; title from PDF title page (UNT Digital Library, viewed April 30, 2020).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (viii, 116 pages) : illustration.

Digital Characteristics:

text file

Call Numbers:

Electronic Thesis

OCLC Numbers:

1269303765