Long Island’s Military History

Long Island’s location and terrain gave it a significant role in defending the United States for over two hundred years. Forming the eastern shore of New York City’s harbor, Long Island provided sites for seaward defense, while its flat, grassy plain was an ideal location for airfields. Many fortifications, encampments, and defense factories were built on Long Island. Long Island’s Military History-with more than two hundred vintage photographs-traces this unique history, beginning with the battle of Long Island in 1776 and continuing through the cold war into the 1980s. This fascinating visual history tells of places such as Roosevelt Field and Plum Island, whose military uses have been forgotten; Camp Wikoff and Hazelhurst Field, short-lived military sites; and Grumman and Republic, names once associated only with combat aircraft.