Bombs, Bombers, and Armaments: Lowry Field and Colorado's Commitment to the War Effort in WWII

Bombs, Bombers, and Armaments: Lowry Field and Colorado’s Commitment to the War Effort in WWII

with Historian Courtney Short, Ph.D.

Saturday, November 14, 2026

2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum presents the 2026 “We The People: Colorado at 150” lecture series. To honor the America 250/Colorado 150 commemorations, this series will explore the diverse experiences and voices of Coloradans. $5 suggested donation. Registration is required.  

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

America’s entry into World War II brought with it the commitment of the American people in a full and overwhelming way. 12 million Americans served overseas in uniform, backed by a herculean effort in the states that saw whole industries converted to wartime production and cities transformed into industrial hubs. Alongside the growth of wartime industry, many towns also witnessed burgeoning populations as they supported vital military training for the soldiers and sailors. Lowry Field provided training for WWII gunners, bombardiers, and armorers at its Armament School throughout the war. Men who trained at Lowry Field went on to fly in combat bomber crews over Europe, the Pacific, and North Africa. Among them were the men of the 310th Bombardment Group, a legacy unit to the 310th Space Wing, stationed today in Colorado at Schriever Space Force Base. A look at the intensive training provided at Lowry Field with special emphasis on its graduates that went on to fly with the 310th Bombardment Group demonstrates the continual commitment that Colorado has always had to the U.S. military.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Dr. Courtney A. Short holds a PhD in History from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and specializes in Military History, U.S. History, and East Asian History. She is the author of Uniquely Okinawan: Determining Identity During the U.S. Wartime Occupation (Fordham University Press, 2020), which received the 2017 Society for Military History Edward M. Coffman First-Manuscript Prize Honorable Mention and she is a contributing author in the book, The Worst Military Leaders (Reaktion Books, 2022). Her most recent publication is on Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway in the volume, From the Jaws of Defeat: Case Studies in American Military Leadership (University of Oklahoma Press, forthcoming Spring 2026).

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