In 1941, months before the United States officially entered World War II, a military airport was established in Mesa. It was one of six U.S. bases training British cadets while the country remained officially neutral.
“We have about 100 descendant families that still get together. We have our annual reunion," said Jocelyn Condon with the Arizona Aviation Historical Group, which helped curate the exhibit.
Colorized photos of cadets, aircraft parts, uniforms and medals are all showcased.
“The residents of Mesa would line up on Friday nights in their cars at the front of the base and take home cadets for a homecooked meal and a little bit of normalcy," Condon said.
The exhibit will be in the museum for one year before hitting the road.
More Arizona History
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Up until Congress passed the landmark Indian Reorganization Act, tribes weren’t fully seen as sovereign in the eyes of the U.S. Most of them didn’t have constitutions either. That all changed in 1934. -
According to witnesses, a white man — believed to be in his 60s or 70s — fell while standing atop furniture inside the Desert View Watchtower. Staff rendered first aid to the visitor, who left before law enforcement was dispatched on June 17. -
Those original inhabitants were labeled by writers Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston as so-called “merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.” -
This so-called Freedom Rock is now the crown jewel of Prescott Valley — a hand-painted tribute to some of the Grand Canyon State’s military heroes, featuring portraits of Ira Hamilton Hayes, Lori Ann Piestewa, Navajo Code Talkers and Pat Tillman. -
Native Americans have a long history as runners — but, for one high school student in rural Nevada’s, it was personal. Ku Stevens’ great-grandfather escaped an Indigenous boarding school when he was just 8 years old.
