Pratt Army Air Field was a crucial site in the B-29 program, where the first B-29 Superfortress bombers manufactured by Boeing Wichita arrived for modifications that made them fully operational. In what was often called "The Battle of Kansas," more than 150 airplanes were upgraded in six short weeks, making the field essentially the birthplace of the B-29 program. The air field operated from February 1943 until December 1945. The B-29 later forced the surrender of Japan in August 1945, three years and eight months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, helping bring World War II to an end. The place is remembered for the men and women who served and trained there and for those who gave their lives in service.