Located strategically in the center of the state, the city of Rome is deeply rooted in military history. Home to several pre-Revolutionary War fortresses, it was in Rome that the stars and stripes was first raised in battle on August 3, 1777. In 1941, the location and resources in and around the city made it an ideal location for an air depot. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, construction of the Rome Air Depot became a major priority for the war department. The mission of the depot was storage and aircraft maintenance or repair. In 1947, the name was changed to Griffiss Air Force Base,...

Rome is a small community located in the heart of Upstate New York. Known to many as "the Copper City," the factories of Rome produced one-tenth of all copper-related products in the United States. Some may know Rome as the "City of American History." It was here, at Fort Stanwix on August 3, 1777, that the American defenders of the fort first raised the Stars and Stripes in battle. To others, Rome is simply home, a quiet and peaceful community like many others that make up the Mohawk Valley. Drawing on the author's vast collection of photographs, along with other sources and combined with...