Norton Air Force Base Museum

Norton Air Force Base Museum
click photo to enlarge	The museum is located on the old Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino. Outside is the 63rd / 445th Norton Veterans Group Memorial and also a piece of the Berlin Wall. Most of the stuff on display in the museum is on loan or donated by former "Nortonites". When we walked in we were greeted by docents most of whom had worked or served at the base. They were all very friendly and excited to tell you about the museum and stories of when they served there. So while the museum is small we were there for quite a while learning about the base and its storied past.
click photo to enlarge	From the museum's website "The base began as Municipal Airport, San Bernardino under Army Air Corps jurisdiction. During the summer of 1941, it became a training base to meet the needs of the 30,000 Pilot Training Program. In December 1941, within days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, combat-ready fighter planes arrived to protect the Los Angeles area from enemy attack. In July 1942 the airport was renamed San Bernardino Army Air Field and the San Bernardino Air Depot was established. The facility's primary function was the repair and maintenance of aircraft. During the war, the Air Transport Command used the field and in 1943, maintenance operations for gas turbine engines were added."
click photo to enlarge	"The base was selected for closure by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission in 1988 and closed on March 31, 1994. The Norton Air Force Base Museum was made possible through the generosity of the Inland Valley Development Agency."
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