🎖️ Project 19

Project 19 was the code name for a secret United States operation in Eritrea, begun before American entry into World War II and continued during the war. It executed aircraft repair and operated an assembly depot at Gura. It was staffed by American civilian workers sourced from the Douglas Aircraft Company and funded through the Lend-Lease program. Construction and logistics were handled by Johnson, Drake & Piper. At its peak the operation employed several thousand American civilians, who lived and worked at Gura for nearly two years far from any front.