Kansas at War

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When the call to arms sounded across America following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the heartland responded with characteristic resolve. Central Kansas became a cornerstone of America's military mobilization efforts. 

But Kansas' preparation for war had begun even before that fateful December morning in 1941.

The entire Kansas National Guard — the 35th Division and its support units — had already been federalized in 1940. Thousands of Kansans, both men and women, soon followed their National Guard predecessors into service, transforming an agricultural hinterland into a bustling military training ground.

At the center of this transformation stood Fort Riley, a historic Army post nestled near Junction City and Manhattan. This long-established installation became a hub of wartime training, expanding by an additional 32,000 acres during the war years. By war's end, approximately 125,000 soldiers had trained at this central Kansas post.

Fort Riley's evolution mirrored the Army's own modernization. The post organized and stood up critical new units, notably the 2nd Cavalry Division and the 9th Armored Division, marking Fort Riley's transition from traditional horse cavalry to the mechanized warfare demanded by modern combat. The fort's sprawling grounds offered ample space, with Camp Forsyth and Camp Funston serving as billeting areas for the influx of trainees. Camp Funston even took on an additional role as a prisoner-of-war camp housing German POWs.

The influx of troops profoundly altered nearby communities — Junction City's population and economy swelled with soldiers and their families, while Manhattan's streets teemed with uniformed men enjoying brief leaves.

Beyond Fort Riley, central Kansas hosted a network of new military installations. In Salina, the Army constructed Smoky Hill Army Air Field in 1942, initially to train crews for B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator bombers. As the war progressed, this installation evolved into a key staging base for the revolutionary B-29 Superfortress program.

Just northwest of Salina, Camp Phillips emerged in 1942 — a sprawling training cantonment named for a local Civil War hero. This facility prepared Army ground forces for combat while also serving as a POW internment camp until 1944. Farther west near Hays, Walker Army Airfield arose as one of the nation's first B-29 training bases. By summer 1944, Walker AAF housed approximately 6,600 military and support personnel — roughly equal to Hays' entire population — as bomber crews prepared for missions to the Pacific.

The military presence extended beyond the Army. In 1942, the U.S. Navy established Naval Air Station Hutchinson to train naval aviators, despite Kansas's landlocked geography. Hutchinson offered ideal conditions: open skies and strong community support. The city's Chamber of Commerce even provided the local fairgrounds and airport for interim use while the permanent base was under construction.

NAS Hutchinson trained pilot cadets using Boeing-Stearman biplane trainers manufactured in nearby Wichita and later hosted units of the Naval Air Reserve. By October 1942, over a thousand local men had enlisted in the Navy to serve at the Hutchinson station, while skilled aircraft workers from Wichita were recruited to maintain the training fleet.

These military installations transformed central Kansas into a key training ground for America's wartime forces. Towns like Salina, Hutchinson, and Great Bend watched as their civilian airfields became military bases virtually overnight. The region's widespread military presence meant that nearly every community became acquainted with uniformed personnel — whether observing new recruits drilling, watching formation flights overhead, or seeing foreign POWs working under guard.

The military transformation of central Kansas represented just one aspect of the region's wartime experience. Next week, Part II of our series will explore how Kansas mobilized its economy for war, converting everything from manufacturing plants to family farms into crucial components of America's arsenal of democracy.

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