Edward J. Peterson was born in 1917 in Englewood, Colo., and attended public schools there. He graduated from Denver University with a Master of Arts degree. Upon completion of flying training in October 1941, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Force. He was promoted to first lieutenant in February 1942 and was assigned as the operations officer of the 14th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron, Colorado Springs Army Air Base, Colo., in July 1942.

As he was taking off on a flight to Lowry Field in Denver on Aug. 8, 1942, the left engine on his Lockheed F-4 failed and he crashed.

Upon impact, the plane burst into flames. A base fire truck and crew were nearby, and Peterson was dragged out of the wreckage and taken to Glockner Hospital, now known as Memorial Hospital.

With extensive burns on his head, chest, and lower body, Peterson died a few hours later, becoming the first Coloradoan to lose his life in the line of duty at the base.

Peterson AFB traces its roots to the Colorado Springs Army Air Base, established April 28, 1942, at the Colorado Springs Municipal Airport which had been in operation since 1926. The base carried out photo reconnaissance training under the auspices of the Photo Reconnaissance Operational Training Unit (PROTU). On June 22, 1942, Colorado Springs Army Air Base was assigned to the 2nd Air Force, headquartered at Fort George Wright, Washington.

On Dec. 13, 1942, the base was renamed Peterson Army Air Base in honor of 1st Lt. Edward J. Peterson, who was killed during takeoff in his F-4 here.

The base assumed a new mission in October 1943, that of heavy bomber combat crew training. The 383rd Bomb Group (Heavy) relocated here from Geiger Field in Washington to form the nucleus for a heavy bomber training operation, utilizing the B-24 "Liberator." Before that, "Peterson Field," as the base was commonly called, was assigned to the 3rd Air Force, headquartered at MacDill Field, Tampa, Fla. After October 1943, control of Peterson Field then reverted to the 2nd Air Force, headquartered in downtown Colorado Springs. In April 1944, the 383rd Bomb Group was inactivated and the training operation was redesignated the 214th Combat Crew Training School. In June 1944, the mission at the base once again changed, this time to fighter pilot training. The 268th Army Air Forces Base Unit, assigned to the base, employed P-40N Warhawks to carry out this mission under the control of the 72nd Fighter Wing. The 72nd FW was also headquartered at Peterson Field.

In April 1945, Peterson Field was assigned to Continental Air Forces. The location of the Army Air Forces Instructors School at the base signaled another mission change. A short time later, on Dec. 31, 1945, the Army inactivated the base, turning the property over to the City of Colorado Springs.

The legacy of Peterson Field and the military presence in Colorado Springs took a significant turn in September 1947, following the birth of the United States Air Force. Soon after its inception, the fledgling service twice reactivated the base, from Sept. 29, 1947, to Jan. 15, 1948, and again from Sept. 22, 1948 into 1949. During the latter period, the base served as an airfield for Headquarters, 15th Air Force which had been temporarily located in Colorado Springs. Peterson Field inactivated again when 15th Air Force moved to March Air Force Base in 1949.

The Air Force activated Peterson Field once more, following the January 1951 establishment of Air Defense Command at Ent AFB, located in downtown Colorado Springs. The 4600th Air Base Group activated simultaneously on January 1, 1951, and provided support for the newly established command. In 1958 the 4600th achieved wing status and was designated as the 4600th Air Base Wing. Subsequently, on April 1, 1975, the Air Force redesignated the wing as the 46th Aerospace Defense Wing. One year later, on March 1, 1976, Peterson Field was renamed Peterson Air Force Base.

Strategic Air Command assumed control of the base on Oct. 1, 1979. Then, on Sept. 1, 1982, USAF officials activated Air Force Space Command at Peterson, followed by the activation of the 1st Space Wing on Jan. 1, 1983. Peterson Air Force Base became the hub of Air Forces space activity when the 1st Space Wing assumed host unit responsibility following the inactivation of the 46th Aerospace Defense Wing on April 1, 1983. The 1st Space Wing then transferred host unit responsibility to the 3d Space Support Wing which activated on Oct. 15, 1986. Finally, on May 15, 1992, these two wings inactivated and their personnel and equipment transferred to the 21st Space Wing which activated May 15, 1992.