Cold War Relics

Dow Air Force Base (AFB) began life as Godfrey Field in 1927 on land owned by attorney Edward Godfrey.  Northeast Airlines ran commercial flights from Godfrey Field starting in 1931.  At the beginning of US involvement in WWII, the air field was taken over by the US Army Air Corps (predecessor of the US Air Force) and it became Bangor Army Air Field. 

As Bangor Army Air Field, the base's primary purpose was to serve as a "launching pad" for troops and equipment headed to the European theater.  The field was renamed Dow Army Field in 1942. 

In 1947, the Army Air Corps became the US Air Force and Dow Army Field became Dow Air Force Base and part of the Strategic Air Command (SAC).  In 1958, the longest runway east of the Mississippi (11,400ft) was constructed at Dow to accomodate B52 Stratofortress bombers.  These would later be eclipsed by the 12,101ft and 13,209ft monsters at Loring AFB in Limestone, ME.  In addition to the B52 bombers, Dow also became home to the 14th Fighter Group and 101st Fighter Interceptor Wing of the Air National Guard. 

The base was closed in 1968, but the Air National Guard unit remains in place today as the 101st Air Refueling Wing, flying KC135R Stratotankers.  Many of the administration buildings have been repurposed as a part of a community college and the housing is now low income housing. 

I don't have a very good map of the former base.  If someone could help me ID some of these buildings, I would really appreciate it.

About the Images

These images were taken during a February 2010 cruise around the former AFB.  The sky was fairly overcast so the pictures are not as bright as they could be.  With time they will be upgraded.

F84G ThunderJets from Dow AFB 14th Fighter Group.  Photo circa 1948, taken from Wikipedia.