Written by Kyle
Wendover Air Force Base was an interesting afternoon exploration while attending Bonneville World of Speed 2024. Located in the town of Wendover Utah, stradling the Utah and Nevada state lines was a WWII air force base used for training B-17 and B-24 bomber crews. It was also the training site of the 509th Composite Group, the B-29 unit that carried out the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We were able to walk and drive the grounds and visited the Historic Airfield Museum, located in the service club building which containing tons of exhibits on the people who trained there, information on the mission of the base, and even replicas of the Fat Man atomic bomb.
The base was chosen for its location, 100 miles from Salt Lake City, in a mostly uninhabited region, but still serviced by the Western Pacific railroad. After the beginning of WWII it became the Army Air Force’s largest bombing and gunnery range, and the base was also assigned the research and development of guided missiles, pilotless aircraft, and remotely controlled bombs.
During 1943 training began to prepare for the use of atomic bombs. The 509th Composite Group was created on December 17 1944 and practiced dropping non-nuclear prototype atomic weapons until they were ready for deployment overseas. The training of B-29 aircrews and the testing of prototype atom bombs was the last major contribution of Wendover Field during World War II.
After the war’s end the base was continued to be used for various purposes and was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 1 1975. Today most of the hospital complex and many barracks remain, as does a chow hall, chapel, swimming pool and many other World War II-era buildings. In 2009, a hangar at the base dubbed The Manhattan Project’s Enola Gay Hangar was listed as one of the most endangered historic sites in the United States and a local group, Historic Wendover Airfield, is attempting to preserve the former base. The base has also appeared in many films and shows including Con Air, the Core, Independence Day, Hulk, and Fallout. If you ever find yourself in Wendover it is worth the visit to see one of the most original remaining Army Air Bases.
Ramble Around 