After serving as a crucial pilot training base during World War II, the last Navy plane took off from the Ottumwa Naval Air Station more than 75 years ago.
Back in 1940, Ottumwa leaders lobbied for a munitions plant, but when that went to Burlington, they pivoted—and won big. With help from Congressman Karl LeCompte and $200,000 in local bond sales, the city secured a Navy air base on 1,440 acres just north of town. The Navy symbolically paid $1 for the site, with a promise to return it once it was no longer needed.
By March 1943, the station was buzzing with activity. Over two and a half years, nearly 400,000 training flights were logged, with more than 4,600 cadets completing their primary flight training before heading to the Pacific front.
Though the planes are long gone, many of the brick buildings—made from Ottumwa’s own Brick and Tile Company—still stand as a reminder of the city’s vital role in the war effort.
