This is the Web Page of Bruning Army Air Field historian, Virginia Priefert.
As teen ager, I would watch the planes fly from the Bruning Army Air Field in Nebraska. As I watched each plane, I wondered who was in it and what would be his fate. I never dreamed that nearly 60 years later so much information would come to light.
As early as July 1942, the War Department sent out
surveyors to look at the area 6 miles east of
Bruning, Nebraska. It was rumored that there was to be an army
air base training camp located here.
The official word came when land owners received notice
on September 12th, 1942 that the land owners and renters had to
move out. They had to sell thier farms, homes, barns,
pig and chicken houses, machine sheds and all other buildings.
These buildings had to be moved or they would be destroyed and burned.
All growing crops, orchards, windbreaks would be destroyed.
A declaration of intent to buy 1,480 acres of land
in Fillmore and Thayer County Nebraska was filed in Federal
Court by Secretary of War, Harry L. Stimson. $73,000
was judged as compensation for the 12 tracts of land
involved.
BASE UNITS and GROUPS at BAAF
piectures of DH
HOW TO ORDER THE BRUNING AAF HISTORY
The Thayer County Historical Society has copiedNewspaper articles,
Pages from the Baafler which was the BAAF 's own news bulletin,
The roster of the 36th fighter unit,
Along with stories written by people and soldiers who were there and put them into a 371 page booklet.This may be purchased for $29.99 plus postage -- priority mail is $4.00 or book rate is around $ 2.50 .
Send orders to
Virginia Priefert For more information... Email Virginia Priefert
456 Jefferson Ave
Hebron, NE 68370>