World War II created new jobs all over the country, and a period of rapid growth began for Arizona. World War II was the first war in which airplanes would play the major role. America needed tens of thousands of pilots to be trained how to fly. Training bases needed to be in areas of good weather and usable all year long. Arizona met both of those needs. Six major pilot training bases were quickly opened, and they would train over 60,000 pilots from America, Britain, China, and other allied countries. Over 150,000 other military personnel came to Arizona to support the pilots’ training. Ground troops were also trained for desert warfare in the Arizona deserts north of Yuma. One such ground unit was the 6th Army tank division led by General George Patton. In the deserts around the Arizona towns of Quartzsite, Parker, and Bouse Patton’s tanks practiced the types of combat maneuvers that would be needed in North Africa and Europe. A plaque in the town of Bouse commemorates the soldiers who were lost during the war. B A A  This monument is dedicated to  the American citizens who once  were imprisoned in the Poston  internment camp near Parker,  Arizona. B This plaque is located in a  memorial park in Bouse, Arizona.  This park is dedicated to those tank  soldiers who trained with General  Patton in the Arizona desert. Chapter 13 • Changing Arizona  131