Wood-frame, clapboard-sided buildings were the norm at most bases, However concerned about the poor quality of wood available for base construction due to a nationwide shortage and the delays that might ensue at NAS Ottumwa, the base commander instead sought out other construction materiels. One thing that set NAS Ottumwa apart from most other temporary Naval air training facilities around the nation was the quality of materiels used in construction. Navy Admirals Dewey, Farragut, Moffett, and Sims along with Marine Corps General Smedley Butler and American Revolutionary War naval hero John Paul Jones. Navy aircraft carriers that served early in World War II: Enterprise, Hornet, Langley, Lexington, Wasp and Yorktown. Around sixty buildings-hangars, control tower, barracks, classrooms and sundry others-were built for the Navy's use. Aircraft used in flight training were mostly the SNJ, the N3N Canary, and the N2S Kaydet. At its peak, NAS Ottumwa was averaging one thousand flight hours per day, and over 600,000 flight hours logged by the time the base was closed. Another first for NAS Ottumwa occurred on May 30, 1943, when the first group of U.S. The first group of Naval Aviation Cadets arrived at the base on March 10, 1943, and flight training officially began four days later. Based on their recommendation, Navy Secretary Frank Knox approved the location on July 9, 1942, and on August 6, 1942, groundbreaking for the base was held. Navy Site Selection Board met with Ottumwa city officials and determined a 1,400-acre tract of land a few miles north of the city would be a suitable location for a primary flight training facility. The Navy, faced with providing aviators and support personnel for a two-front war, began a massive campaign of rapid expansion. Ottumwa Naval Air Station) was constructed as a Naval Training Center shortly after America's entry into World War II. Trainer aircraft over Administration Building
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