Savannah & Chatham County, Georgia

The Southeastern Shipbuilding Corporation shipyards on the Savannah River. Liberty ships in various stages of construction sit in the six slips along the river. 1944

USAF/USAAF

American World War II Heritage City

Chatham County, Georgia, was a hive of activity during World War II. The Savannah Shipyard located along the Savannah River built Coast Guard auxiliary craft, Minesweepers, and Liberty ships. It also shipped out 1.24 million tons of war materials produced by local companies and was the port of embarkation for supplies being sent inland. Local factories made items such as asphalt, boxes, paper, bomb casings, and tractor trailers for military use. The 400-acre Savannah Quartermaster Depot distributed over 1 million pounds of supplies each year during the war. And The Eighth Air Force was originally activated in Savannah in 1942.

The flight line at Hunter Field in Savannah. 1942-1945.

US Army

In 1940 the U.S. Army chose Savannah's Municipal Airport - Hunter Field - as the home of a light bomber training base. Several bomber groups were reassigned to the new base. After the U.S. entry into WWII, the base also became a training site for ground support squadrons, medium and dive bomber groups, and fighter groups. From 1941 to 1943, the population of the base grew to 10,000 people and its boundaries expanded from 900 to approximately 3,000 acres. The Army built six additional cantonments, which contained housing, and multiple tent camps at the installation to house personnel.

Because of the importance of maritime construction and shipping along the Savannah River and the Atlantic coastline, civil defense was an important component of the war effort. The area’s coastal and river facilities were protected by the U.S. Coast Guard with assistance from local civil defense volunteers. Coastal defenses were augmented by multiple civilian groups and the Georgia State Guard who searched for marine and airborne threats.

Today, Savannah and Chatham County commemorate their citizens' wartime activities with multiple markers and memorials. The McKelvey-Powell Building, which served as a USO facility for African American servicemen, is commemorated with an historic marker. A marker at Hunter Army Airfield/Fort Stewart describes it as the “Birthplace of the Eighth Air Force.” Another monument recognizes a Rescue Boat Station along the coastline and Fort Screven on Tybee Island, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. And prominent among local museums is the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.

In 2022, Savannah & Chatham County, Georgia was designated as an American World War II Heritage City.

The American World War II Heritage City program recognizes the historic importance of the United States’ involvement in World War II, the wartime contributions of its citizens, and current efforts to preserve and memorialize the home front in jurisdictions across the country. Created by the John Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act of 2019, and coordinated by the National Park Service, the program tells jurisdictions' home front stories that reflect one of the most transformative eras of our nation’s history.