Technical School, Sioux Falls Army Air Field

Step onto the bustling grounds of a World War II training hub in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and you’ll quickly feel the blend of military rigor and community spirit that defines this technical school. The handbook opens with a practical guide to essential services—most notably a wartime telephone system managed by a friendly “Blue Bell” badge‑waving supervisor—while also offering a concise history of the town that grew from frontier outpost to a crucial support base.

Beyond the basics, the guide paints a vivid picture of daily life for enlisted men and women: a lively Service Club with games, a library of 8,000 books, and a soda fountain; affordable guest houses for families; two large theatres showing movies and USO shows; and even seasonal boating on Covell Lake. These details reveal how the school balanced demanding technical training with ample opportunities for recreation, morale‑boosting entertainment, and a sense of home far from the front lines.