Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base
Maxton, Robeson County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
Laurinburg Maxton Army Air Base. U.S. Army Air Force glider base, 1942-45. Trained units active in D-Day assault, June 6, 1944. Field 3 mi. N.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
From 1942 to 1945, the Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base served as a major U.S. Army Air Forces glider training center. Engine-less gliders, towed aloft and released to land troops and equipment behind enemy lines, were trained here for airborne operations — including units that took part in the D-Day assault on June 6, 1944.
Why it matters
It preserves the little-remembered story of combat gliders, a daring and dangerous innovation that carried Allied troops into Normandy and other decisive World War II landings.
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Related events
- · D-Day / Normandy invasion
Themes & tags
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