WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — Thursday marks 80 years since the airport in Windsor Locks got the name it still goes by today.
Bradley International Airport was named after a pilot who lost his life in a crash there in August 1941.
According to the Office of the State Historian, the airport was carved out of the flat tobacco fields in the area, as the war in Europe made it clear that it was only a matter of time until the United States became involved. It became operational in July 1941, as a place where pilots could be trained.
As camouflage, tobacco nets, dirt roads, and ponds were painted on the runways, similar to other facilities in the country.
The state historian picks up the story.
"On August 18, during a mock dogfight training exercise, 24-year-old Lieutenant Eugene Bradley blacked out after entering a steep dive in his P-40 Warhawk and crashed into the nearby woods, becoming the air field’s first fatality. Bradley, a recently married native of Oklahoma, had arrived at the base with his new bride only three days before the tragic accident."
On January 20, 1942, the War Department announced it was changing the name of the facility to Army Air Base, Bradley Field. After World War II was over, the airfield was converted to a commercial airport for civilian use and used the name Bradley Field until the official name was changed to Bradley International Airport.
Today, it is the second busiest airport in New England after Logan International in Boston.
Doug Stewart is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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