In 1942, after the United States entered World War II, the government purchased Metropolitan Airport and converted it into the Van Nuys Army Airfield.

During the war, the airfield was used by the 4th Air Force, which stationed the 428th Fighter Squadron with Lockheed P-38 Lightning aircraft in 1943.

[3] In the 1950s, the California Air National Guard based North American F-86 Sabre jets at the airport and built new permanent facilities.

By the end of the decade, Van Nuys was ranked as the 25th busiest airport in the nation in terms of operations, despite having no commercial air service.

In 1994, the now-vacated National Guard buildings became a critical operating site for the American Red Cross helping victims of the devastating Northridge earthquake.

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency