World War II Historical Project

Robert Craig is planning to publish a series of volumes detailing the history of Jackson County. Please go to his website for additional details on Robert's project.

Robert writes, "The first volume expected to be published is how World War II affected Jackson County and its people. The huge Army Air Base was built northeast of Newport, the history of that project alone being worthy of its own volume."

Unfortunately and surprisingly, as Robert explained in his fine presentation at the April 2014 meeting of the Jackson County Historical Society, relatively little documentation is available on the Airbase, the military personnel and civilians employed, and the impact it made on Jackson County during and immediately following World War II.

Robert requests your help in gathering and sending any material related to the war effort in Jackson County. Specific requests from Robert follow:

Jackson County citizens:

  • Group photos of local soldiers and related events
  • Photos and/or stories regarding local citizens and organizations supporting the war through bond drives, scrap drives, Red Cross, etc.
  • Photographs made around Jackson County showing everyday life during the war featuring businesses, buildings, people, events, etc.
  • Historical reminiscences by those who lived here
  • Copies of "Lockwood's Blah," a newsletter created by Lockwood Burkett to send to local soldiers
  • Photographs of Jackson County soldiers who died during the war
  • Memoirs of men and women about their military service
  • War-time memorabilia of any kind related to Jackson County

Army Air Field Project:

  • Photographs of houses of buildings in the Mildred Dorsey community where the airbase was built, and photos of the landowners whose property was taken
  • Photographs of the airbase or anything connected to it, including the auxiliary air fields at Amagon, Elgin, Erwin, Milltown and Weldon
  • Photos of civic leaders who promoted the air field effort
  • Newsletters and newspapers published for the airmen by both the Army and the Marines
  • Ed Doherty's "One Horse Town," a fictional book loosely based on Newport and the airfield
  • War-time memorabilia of any kind related to the Newport Army Air Field

Please contact Robert if you can help, or for more information:
Robert D. Craig, 15650 State Highway A, Kennett, Missouri 63857
or [email protected]