Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
Goldsboro, Wayne County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Field used, 1942-46, for flight training by Army Air Forces; reopened in 1956. Named for Seymour Johnson, naval aviator and Goldsboro native.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
This Goldsboro airfield was first used from 1942 to 1946 for flight training by the Army Air Forces during World War II, then reopened in 1956 as a permanent Air Force base during the Cold War. It was named for Seymour Johnson, a Goldsboro native and naval aviator. The base remains an active military installation today.
Why it matters
From wartime training field to Cold War strategic base, Seymour Johnson traces the meteoric rise of American air power across the mid-twentieth century.
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Related people
- ยท Seymour Johnson
Themes & tags
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