Skip to main content
Historic Site

Central Nevada Museum DAR marker and flagpole

Central Nevada Museum DAR marker and flagpole - Quick Facts
HSP Category Flag and flagpole

Form Submitted By: Francisco Garces Chapter, NSDAR

Historic Marker:

  • Marker Organization: Francisco Garces Chapter, NSDAR
  • Marker Date: June 12, 1993
  • Marker Text: "Flagpole given in Memory of World War II Veterans dedicated June 12, 1993 Nevada State Society Daughters of the American Revolution"

Historical Significance Description:

State Regent Sheila White (1992-1994), as her State project, dedicated a DAR marker and a flagpole to the Tonopah Army Air Field World War II Memorial in Tonopah, Nevada, with a ceremony on June 12, 1993. The flagpole was a gift from the Nevada State Society, DAR. The DAR plaque is affixed to the monument in the upper left corner. 

Tonopah is approximately halfway between Las Vegas and Reno. The monument honoring the servicemen who lost their lives at the Tonopah Army Airfield was originally dedicated in May 23, 1987, and was placed at the Central Nevada Museum. The museum is dedicated to preserving the history of Nye and Esmeralda counties and includes history of mining, ranching, the Native American Western Shoshone tribe, as well as life in the wild west.

Tonopah, once a mining boomtown, is the site where the Army Air Force expanded rapidly at the beginning of World War II. The Army Air Force obtained a large tract of land about seven miles east of Tonopah for bombing and gunnery practice. In 1940, more than 3,000,000 acres of land was transferred to the War Department. The Army Air Force used the range in training combat units. When the training area was completed, it had runways, barracks, mess halls and a hospital, as well as support units that housed ordinance, guards, quartermasters, supply, signal, weather, communications and finance organizations.

The first planes used at Tonopah Army Air Field were Bell P-39 “Airacobras,” a fighter used in the Pacific. In 1943, it became apparent that the range could not be used successfully due to Tonopah’s 6,000-foot elevation and design problems with the Airacobras. The planes and pilots were crashing at an unacceptable rate. The aircraft was changed out to a high-altitude bomber, the B-24 “Liberator.” This B-24 operation continued until the end of the war. The B-24 was better suited for the Tonopah area, however, training accidents still occurred. These were primarily due to the military’s wartime need to train a large number of crew in a short period of time. Most were young and inexperienced, and many of the aircraft were war “wearies.” The altitude and wind conditions pushed the engines beyond their capabilities. 

Tonopah Army Air Field was one of the largest military operations in Nevada. Over a week after the fighting ended in the Pacific, the base was placed on inactive status. Today, all that remains are four hangars and the runway, maintained by Nye County and presently used as Tonopah’s Airport. 110 Army Air Force servicemen lost their lives at Tonopah Army Airfield between 1942 and 1945. The majority were killed in P-39 and B-24 crashes. Museum volunteers researched the history of Tonopah Army Airfield on behalf of the Central Nevada Museum, pinpointed at least 26 known fatal crash sites, and retrieved numerous artifacts from the sites – dog tags, radios, scraps of clothing, navigational equipment, wheels, propellers, engines, machine guns and bombs – many of which are on display at the museum (www.centralnevadamuseum.com).

Funded By:

The Central Nevada Museum is a 501(c)(3) public charity.

Information for the Visitors:

What you need to know if interested in visiting this destination:

  • Condition of Property: Preserve
  • Open to the Public? Yes
  • Public Fee: None
  • Public Hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday
  • Is it Family Friendly? Yes
  • Lodging? No
  • Brochure available? Yes
  • Catalog available? No
  • DVD available? No

Explore Nevada

Nevada
Virginia and Truckee Railroad
Washoe County
Learn More
Nevada
Hillside Cemetery
Washoe County
Learn More
Nevada
Rose Garden in Lorenzi Park
Las Vegas, Clark County
Learn More
Nevada
America 250 Patriots Marker - City of Mesquite's Veterans Center
Mesquite, Clark County
Learn More
VIEW ALL

Select a State to Explore our Historic Properties

Units Overseas

Directions and application forms can be found on this page or in the Forms section of the DAR members' website.

[ { "id": "context_mapping", "url": "" } , { "id": "US-AL", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/AL" } , { "id": "US-AK", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/AK" } , { "id": "US-AZ", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/AZ" } , { "id": "US-AR", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/AR" } , { "id": "US-CA", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/CA" } , { "id": "US-CO", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/CO" } , { "id": "US-CT", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/CT" } , { "id": "US-DE", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/DE" } , { "id": "US-FL", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/FL" } , { "id": "US-GA", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/GA" } , { "id": "US-HI", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/HI" } , { "id": "US-ID", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/ID" } , { "id": "US-IL", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/IL" } , { "id": "US-IN", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/IN" } , { "id": "US-IA", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/IA" } , { "id": "US-KS", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/KS" } , { "id": "US-KY", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/KY" } , { "id": "US-LA", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/LA" } , { "id": "US-ME", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/ME" } , { "id": "US-MD", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/MD" } , { "id": "US-MA", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/MA" } , { "id": "US-MI", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/MI" } , { "id": "US-MN", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/MN" } , { "id": "US-MS", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/MS" } , { "id": "US-MO", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/MO" } , { "id": "US-MT", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/MT" } , { "id": "US-NE", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/NE" } , { "id": "US-NV", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/NV" } , { "id": "US-NH", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/NH" } , { "id": "US-NJ", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/NJ" } , { "id": "US-NM", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/NM" } , { "id": "US-NY", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/NY" } , { "id": "US-NC", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/NC" } , { "id": "US-ND", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/ND" } , { "id": "US-OH", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/OH" } , { "id": "US-OK", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/OK" } , { "id": "US-OR", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/OR" } , { "id": "US-PA", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/PA" } , { "id": "US-RI", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/RI" } , { "id": "US-SC", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/SC" } , { "id": "US-SD", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/SD" } , { "id": "US-TN", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/TN" } , { "id": "US-TX", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/TX" } , { "id": "US-UT", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/UT" } , { "id": "US-VT", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/VT" } , { "id": "US-VA", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/VA" } , { "id": "US-WA", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/WA" } , { "id": "US-WV", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/WV" } , { "id": "US-WI", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/WI" } , { "id": "US-WY", "url": "/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/state-site-list/WY" } ]