From 1937 to 1994, Lowry Air Force Base, located on the eastern edge of the city of Denver, served the nation and the surrounding community in many distinguished ways. The air base, primarily a technical training center, graduated more than 1.1 million enlisted members and officers in skills ranging from armament to photography, tremendously strengthening the countrys war efforts in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War. In addition, from the 1980s, Lowry Air Force Base remained one of Colorados largest employers, with approximately 10,000 military and civilian men and women, providing an economic impact approaching $1 billion annually. Thus Lowry significantly contributed to maintaining the worlds largest air force and to promoting the accelerated growth of the Denver metro area and Colorado.

"Lowry served as one of the nation's most important military technical training centers, providing the necessary skilled technicians, officers, and airmen to sustain Air Force operations through World War II, the Cold War, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War"--Introduction.

The U.S. Air Force Tactical Missiles, 1949-1969, The Pioneers offers the rich, fascinating history of the first surface-to-surface tactical missiles of the U.S. Air Force, the winged, nuclear-capable Matador and Mace missiles, and their units and personnel in West Germany, Taiwan, Korea, Okinawa and the United States. The U.S. Air Force Tactical Missiles, 1949-1969, The Pioneers ties that unique era and those of other tactical missiles together in a remarkably broad, deep and valuable perspective that also includes the World War II German V-1 and reaches back all the way to the first flight in the United States in 1916 of an aircraft not controlled by a pilot.