Hangar One, August 1937
Additional historical information can be downloaded by clicking the image or bold text below. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 or newer to view this document.
GNAS The Final Salute 1937-1995.PDF (11.6 Mb)
Historical
Documentation of Naval Air Station Glenview 1937-1995
Courtesy of the Hangar One Foundation:
www.hangarone.org
U.S. Naval Air power came of age in the years prior to and during World War II. During World War II, Naval Air Station (NAS) Glenview was the largest primary training facility for the U.S. Navy. Nearly 9,000 aviation cadets received Primary flight training. An additional 17,000 pilots were qualified for carrier landings through the Carrier Qualification Training Units. As a site for naval air training, Glenview was ideally located. It was away from the threats to planes and carriers on either coast and close to the Great Lakes. To make a carrier qualification center, the Navy retrofitted two paddle steamers in Lake Michigan into aircraft carriers, and pilots were able to train for take-off and landing certification. While future pilots were being certified, enlisted men who would be serving on the carriers were trained on a mock carrier deck, reconstructed inside Hangar One. By war’s end, over 17,000 pilots had been qualified, and two retrofitted carriers, the USS Sable, and the USS Wolverine had logged over 135,000 landings. Pilots trained at NAS Glenview served in all theaters of World War II. A booklet marking the base closure and GNAS history, which can be downloaded free, is on the left side of the page.
History of The Base Closure
On July 1, 1993, the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission recommended closing of Naval Air Station Glenview. This recommendation, which took the Village by surprise, was finalized on September 20, 1993. The base officially closed two years later on September 30, 1995. Preparing for the closure and redevelopment has taken the best efforts of the entire community, working in concert with the Navy.
History of The Glen Redevelopment Project
When the U.S. Department of Defense recommended that the base be closed in 1993, the Village accepted the designation of Local Redevelopment Authority and also elected to assume the role as Master Developer. This ensured that all decisions relating to the property would be controlled at the local level, protecting the interests of residents and core jurisdictions.
