Training Difficulties
New pilots and servicemen needed to be educated in order to restore and reinforce the United States' naval aircraft capabilities, which had been seriously destroyed during the surprise military attack on Pearl Harbor. The program's goal was to train 15,000 aviators in preparation for the Pacific War. However, they are confronted with a major issue. The challenge was where to safely train fresh pilots now that the base's weaknesses had been exposed by the attack. Airmen who can fly from aircraft carriers are particularly needed, yet none of the Navy's seven remaining aircraft carriers can be used for training. They also need a location that would not expose the cadets to enemy air and submarine torpedo strikes.
The Axis of Water Defense
Training new pilots has proven to be a difficult task because the oceans are no longer safe for training. Japanese submarines patrolled the West Coast, travelling up and down America's Pacific coast. German U-boats, on the other hand, were patrolling the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico. While men sign up to serve their country, the United States Navy is in a bind. Because the oceans were dangerous for inexperienced pilots, they sought a remote location for training. A training facility where pilots can practice taking off and landing on aircraft carriers. A merchant mariner named John J. Manley proposed a remedy to this challenge.