Lakehurst, Naval Air Station (Twenty-Eighth)

The naval air station in Lakehurst, New Jersey, has a rich and bittersweet history steeped in success and tainted with tragedy. The area evolved from a gas warfare proving ground during World War I to the focal point of lighter-than-air operations in the United States. Labeled one of the world's first international airports, Lakehurst quickly became a hub of lighter-than-air activity. Although the dirigibles are no longer active, it remains crucial in the operational support of naval aviation as the Naval Air Engineering Station, Lakehurst. Rare photographs and material from the archives of the Navy Lakehurst Historical Society chronicle more than eighty-five years of base activity. Offering a unique glimpse of the people, the machines, and the background against which it has all unfolded, this volume examines Lakehurst's vital contributions to the development of aviation and national defense. Naval Air Station, Lakehurst explores the construction of the giant hangars and support buildings for the airships of the U.S. Navy and the glory days of the German zeppelin visits. The blimp programs from World War II through 1962 and the various schools and tenant commands turned the air station into a key component of naval aviation.