Great Lakes Naval Training Station
Great Lakes Naval Training Station

Author: Therese Gonzalez

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 9780738551937

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Great Lakes Naval Training Station was authorized as a "training ship on land" in 1904. The base opened on July 1, 1911, and the first class of 300 U.S. sailors graduated four months later in a grand ceremony attended by Pres. William H. Taft as guest of honor. It has since sent to the fleet over four million sailors, serving the nation through all the conflicts of the 20th century. Today Great Lakes is the sole remaining navy boot camp in the United States. Anchored by the stately Building One, the entire 43-building complex was designated as Great Lakes Naval Training Station on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This book, with over 200 vintage images, explores its colorful and important history.

Glenview Naval Air Station
Glenview Naval Air Station

Author: Beverly Roberts Dawson

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 136

ISBN-13: 9780738541228

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In 1923--just 20 years after the Wright brothers' first flight at Kitty Hawk--a Naval Reserve aviation training program was established at Great Lakes Naval Training Center. Originally, sea planes and a few small land-based planes were used for primary flight instruction. With the development of heavier, faster military aircraft, the Great Lakes facility became inadequate. Under Rear Adm. John Downes, commandant of the 9th Naval District, the search for a suitable new location was undertaken. Curtiss-Reynolds-Wright Airfield was deemed ideal for relocation of the aviation training program. From humble beginnings as Naval Reserve Aviation Base Chicago, Naval Air Station Glenview (the official U.S. Navy designation) went on to play a vital and unique role during World War II. Until closure in 1995, the base was home to thousands of Navy and Marine Reserve pilots, aircrews, and support personnel--proudly known as weekend warriors."

Lake Michigan's Aircraft Carriers
Lake Michigan's Aircraft Carriers

Author: Paul M. Somers

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 9780738532080

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Lake Michigan's Aircraft Carriers is the story of the USS Wolverine and the USS Sable, two Great Lakes excursion ships converted for use as aircraft carrier training during World War II. Through the duration of the war, the United States Navy qualified 17,800 pilots for aircraft carrier operation. Training the pilots on either the Atlantic or the Pacific Ocean would have exposed the training ships to the danger of submarine attack, while requiring the escort of fighting ships that were needed elsewhere. It would also have involved arming and armoring the ships used for training. Commander R.F. Whitehead came up with an idea that solved all of these problems. He suggested doing the training on the protected waters of the Great Lakes. The USS Wolverine and the USS Sable were chosen and thus became the only fresh water, paddle-wheeled, coal-fired aircraft carriers in the history of the world. Author Paul M. Somers shares his collection of vintage photos and a lifetime of research to detail the history of these two great vessels-from their life as cruise ships to their contributions to the war effort and then to their eventual scrapping.

Honor, Courage, Commitment
Honor, Courage, Commitment

Author: John F Leahy

Publisher: Naval Institute Press

Published: 2013-03-15

Total Pages: 284

ISBN-13: 1612513727

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J. F. Leahy chronicles the transition of eighty-one men and women from civilians to sailors at the U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois. Granted unlimited and unprecedented access to the recruits during the fall of 2000, his examination of the unique American institution -—popularly known as boot camp -—offers a look into the hearts and minds of a group of young people who are a cross section of the nation. The work offers a unique view into the training experience of all recruits and sheds light on the differences between those entering the military services and the society they serve.