azi ▁Th under bird ▁from ▁the ▁air , ▁the ▁project ▁cost ▁$ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁was ▁completed ▁over ▁a ▁five - week ▁period ▁between ▁January ▁and ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁By ▁the ▁war ' s ▁end ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁American , ▁British , ▁and ▁Chinese ▁pil ots ▁had ▁trained ▁there . ▁The ▁base ▁also ▁shares ▁a ▁unique ▁connection ▁with ▁Hollywood . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁it ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁making ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁film ▁Th under ▁Bird s , ▁st arring ▁Pr eston ▁F oster ▁and ▁Gene ▁Tier ney . ▁Furthermore , ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁invest ors ▁who ▁helped ▁fin ance ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁base ▁were ▁famous ▁actors , ▁such ▁as ▁James ▁Stewart , ▁C ary ▁Grant , ▁and ▁Henry ▁F onda . ▁ ▁Several ▁other ▁install ations ▁were ▁built ▁as ▁well , ▁including ▁M esa ' s ▁Williams ▁Field , ▁Scot ts dale ' s ▁Th under bird ▁Field ▁No . ▁ 2 , ▁and ▁the ▁large ▁Des ert ▁Training ▁Center ▁in ▁western ▁Arizona . ▁Fort ▁Hu ach uca , ▁Arizona ' s ▁only ▁major ▁army ▁base , ▁was ▁rein for ced ▁by ▁over ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁men ▁between ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁and ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁In ▁the ▁small ▁town ▁of ▁Belle mont , ▁near ▁Flag st aff , ▁the ▁army