In 1942, a piece of Arkansas farmland was transformed into an airfield that would serve as a U.S. Army Flight Training School. World War II pilots were trained on the Vultee BT-13. In its heyday, more than 3,000 military personnel and 2,000 civilians worked at the airport. In less than two years, 5,300 students entered training and 4,600 graduated. Unfortunately, 42 students and instructors were killed during training exercises. Fun fact: The Beatles landed at Walnut Ridge for their only visit to Arkansas in 1964.