History
Initially known as Atterbury Air Base, its original name was borrowed from the Army's then-active Camp Atterbury, located only 14 miles north of the base. It was named in honor of Brig. Gen. W.W. Atterbury, who had been in command of transportation and supplies in Europe during World War I. A graduate of Yale University, Gen. Atterbury later became president of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
The base was renamed Bakalar Air Force Base in a formal dedication ceremony held November 13, 1954, in honor of First Lieutenant John Edmond Bakalar. A native of Hammond, Indiana, Lt. Bakalar, of the 353rd Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, was killed in action September 1, 1944, over France when his P-51D-5 Mustang, 44-13895, crashed.
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